Resources for Artists

KIAC’s Resources


KIAC offers the following support and resources for local artists, community members, and organizations:

Facility Rental

The KIAC building is an attractive and functional building – approximately 8,000 sq ft on two floors – providing unique and multipurpose user space including a ballroom, classroom, music room, and kitchen. For rates and details, please click here.

Gear & Equipment Rental

A range of equipment and gear is available for rent to KIAC members, including (but not limited to), sound recording equipment, video equipment, DSLR cameras, lights and gobos, a copy stand, a super 8film digitizer, tripods, as well as a piano, a pottery kiln, a button maker, and more. Please contact us for a full equipment list and rental rates.

Reprise Music Scholarship Fund

KIAC administers a charitable trust dedicated to the advancement of Dawson music and music education. In honour of musicians
Gord Polichek, Willie Gordon and Wendy Perry, this fund is accessible to emerging Dawson musicians and music educators for the purposes of advancing a student(s) musical training. Guidelines and Application found here.

Facebook Group: Dawson City Artists, Crafters, & Creatives

This a place for community members to share news and opportunities, request assistance, or buy and sell arts-related items. The Facebook group is operated by KIAC, however content is not curated.


Prizes, Grants, & Funding

Residencies & Exhibition Opportunities

Reprise Music Scholarship Fund (administered by KIAC)

Eligibility: Individuals & Organizations
Application Deadlines: Rolling Deadline

In honour of musicians Gord Polichek, Willie Gordon and Wendy Perry, this fund is accessible to emerging Dawson musicians and music educators for the purposes of advancing a student(s) musical training. This fund can be accessed to supplement workshop, course and lesson fees, augment costs related to competitions, examinations and as a fund accessible for music educators to purchase sheet music and books.


Advanced Artist Award

Eligibility: Individuals
Application Deadlines:
April 1, October 1

The Advanced Artist Award assists individual Yukon visual, literary and performing artists practicing at a senior level with innovative projects, travel, or educational pursuits that contribute to their personal artistic development and to their community. Yukon visual artists are eligible to apply for a $20,000 prize to support their art through this privately-funded award.


Arts Fund

Eligibility: Organizations
Application Deadlines: March 15, June 15, September 15, December 15

The Arts Fund supports group arts-related projects from art collectives, organizations, industry associations and all other eligible groups planning an activity related to the literary, visual or performing arts. Individuals are not eligible to apply.


Cultural Industries Training Fund

Eligibility: Individuals & Organizations
Application Deadlines: September 15, January 15, March 15, and May 15

In 1999, the Yukon Government established the Cultural Industries Training Fund to provide training and career enhancement opportunities for individuals working in the cultural or creative industries in the Yukon. The CITF is supported by Yukon Advanced Education, the Department of Tourism and Culture and is administered on their behalf by the Yukon Arts Centre.


Enterprise Trade Fund

Eligibility: Organizations
Application Deadlines: Ongoing

The purpose of the Enterprise Trade Fund is to stimulate Yukon business activity through market expansion and business development through projects such as marketing initiatives, event attendance, web site or business skills development, industry showcasing (etc). This fund is available to Yukon registered businesses and business-related organizations, either for-profit or not-for-profit.


Express Micro-Grant

Eligibility: Individuals and Organizations
Application Deadlines: Rolling

The Express Micro-grant is for people in the creative and cultural industries who are looking for small amounts of funding to help them complete a project. Applicants can ask for any amount between $100 to $5,000. The eligible industries include writing and publishing; visual and interactive media; music and sound recording; visual and applied arts; live performance; heritage and libraries.


Klondike Region Training Fund

Eligibility: Individuals
Application Deadlines: Various, see website.

The Klondike Region Training Fund (KRTF) is funded by the Yukon Government Department of Education and is administered by the Klondike Region Training Society. The KRTF was established for Klondike residents to support training that increases opportunities for employment and makes cultural industry entrepreneurs and businesses more competitive.


NGO Training Fund

Eligibility: Non-Profit Organizations
Application Deadlines: See website.

The Non-Government Organisation Training Fund (NGOtf) falls under the auspices of the Yukon Government’s Department of Advanced Education. The Yukon Government provides the funding and Volunteer Benevoles Yukon administers the fund. The fund is designed to support stand alone workshops or short-term organisational training.


Performing Musicians Fund

Eligibility: Individuals & Organizations
Application Deadlines: Variable

The Performing Musicians Fund supports activities that help Yukon musicians build sustainable careers in the music industry: pre-production activities; workshops; professional sound recording, marketing activities for newly-released music.


Touring Artist Fund

Eligibility: Individuals & Organizations
Application Deadlines: March 15, June 15, September 15, December 15

The Touring Artist Fund fosters the development of the arts by supporting literary, visual and performing artists, ensembles and companies to present their work publicly at professionally curated national or international exhibitions, concerts, festivals, or showcases.


Yukon Artist Relief Fund

Eligibility: Individuals
Application Deadlines: N/A

The mission of the Yukon Artist Relief Fund Society is to provide short-term financial assistance to professional visual artists living in the Yukon who are in urgent need because of debilitating health issues or personal tragedy.


Yukon Filmmakers Funds

Eligibility: Various
Application Deadlines: Various

The Government of Yukon has a range of funding programs to support the territory’s filmmakers including a predevelopment fund; development fund; media production fund; and training fund.


Yukon Foundation

Eligibility: Various
Application Deadlines: Various

There are over 150 dedicated and general funds available for heritage, medical, scientific, cultural, artistic sectors, and more.


Yukon Permanent Art Collection

Eligibility: Individuals
Application Deadline: January/February

The Yukon Permanent Art Collection provides Yukoners and visitors with an opportunity to experience our cultural legacy as it is expressed through the visual arts, and contributes to the professional development and economic well-being of Yukon artists. The works purchased for the collection are selected by a volunteer organization, the Friends of the Yukon Permanent Art Collection. This non-profit society strives to ensure that the collection contains quality works suitable for a public collection, which are of relative importance and relevance to Yukon and are unique.


Yukon Prize for Visual Artists

Eligibility: Individuals
Application Deadline: February (biennial)

The Yukon Prize recognizes excellence by Yukon visual artists. It recognizes artists whose work demonstrates technical proficiency and reflects a unique artistic “voice” in theme, method or practice, referencing traditions and/or the contemporary realm.

Songwriter in Residence Program (operated by DCMF)

Location: Dawson, YT
Application Deadlines: October

This program is open to Canadian and international songwriters aged 19+ with a professional practice at any stage in their career (established, mid-career, and emerging). Equal consideration will be given to all musical genres. Eligibility is not limited to traditional lyric-based songwriting. 

MORE INFORMATION AND APPLICATION GUIDELINES AVAILABLE HERE.


KIAC Artist in Residence Program (operated by KIAC)

Location: Dawson, YT
Application Deadlines: February 15

KIAC accepts applications from visual artists, media artists and interdisciplinary artists, as well as curators. Consideration will be given to professional, established and emerging Canadian and international artists. All disciplines will be considered. Residencies are available for research, development and production of ongoing or new bodies of work.


ODD Gallery (operated by KIAC)

Location: Dawson, YT
Call for Submissions: February

The ODD Gallery’s year-round programming features solo and group exhibitions (selected and curated by committee) by regional, national and international visual artists. The ODD Gallery accepts proposals from professional visual artists and curators working in all mediums and disciplines. The ODD Gallery also hosts a biennial members exhibition for KIAC members.


@YAC Performing Arts Residency Program

Location: Whitehorse, YT
Application Deadlines: May 1, November 1

For this residency program, performing arts includes (but is not limited to) music, dance, theatre, opera, musical theatre, spoken word, and hybrids of the above, which may also include media arts. The program seeks to aid in the creation, implementation and execution of new and/or existing works, festivals, events or other special performances. This program can be accessed by community and professional artists (emerging and established) as well as companies, not-for-profit arts organizations and collectives.


(s)hiver Art Festival

Location: Dawson City, YT
Application Deadlines:
November

The (s)hiver arts society nurtures the gift of creativity in the Northern Territories by offering platforms for presentation and opportunities for cultural exchange, including but not limited to the (s)hiver arts festival which takes place primarily outdoors in January.


Arctic Circle Retreat

Location: Eagle Plains, YT
Application Deadlines:
June 15

Thanks to sponsorship from Eagle Plains Hotel, the Arctic Circle Retreat is pleased to offer two residencies a year for all artists residing in the Yukon, as well as artists who live along the Dempster corridor in NWT. This unique permanent hotel and restaurant complex is almost exactly halfway between Dawson City and Inuvik on the Dempster Highway in the Yukon Territory. Located just 35 kilometres south of the Arctic Circle, it is a completely self-contained complex.


Berton House Writer’s Retreat

Location: Dawson City, YT
Application Deadline:
December

The Writer’s Retreat offers writers time and a remote location to pursue their professional projects.The program was inspired by author Pierre Berton and carried on by the Berton House Writers’ Retreat Society.
The program was inspired by author Pierre Berton and carried on by the Berton House Writers’ Retreat Society.


Arts Underground (Focus and Edge Galleries)

Location: Whitehorse, YT
Application Deadlines:
Rolling

Arts Underground hosts two unique gallery spaces dedicated to exhibiting emerging, mid-career, and established Yukon artists. Artists, curators, and non-profit organizations may submit exhibition proposals.


Chilkoot Trail Artist Residency

Location: Yukon/Alaska (Chilkoot Trail)
Application Deadlines:
February

Together, the Yukon Arts Centre, Parks Canada and the US National Park Service are providing an opportunity for established visual artists to pursue their work amidst history and nature on the Chilkoot Trail. Artists will hike the entire trail during a two week backpacking trip, spending one to three days at each campsite.


Canadian Wilderness Artist Residency

Location: Whitehorse to Dawson City, YT
Application Deadlines:
June 15

The Canadian Wilderness Artist Residency connects artists of all mediums with the natural and cultural landscape of northern Canada through expedition, personal journey and community engagement. CWAR was inspired by The Peel Project — a documentary about the journey of six Canadian artists, paddling into the Arctic Circle for the first time. Participants canoe from Whitehorse, YT, to Dawson City in time for the Riverside Arts Fest.


Chu Niikwän Artist Residency

Location: Whitehorse, YT
Application Deadlines:
July

The Chu Niikwän Artist Residency is a unique partnership between three visual arts presenters: Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre (KDCC), the Yukon Arts Centre (YAC) and the Yukon Art Society (YAS). Centered around the shared goals of artistic innovation, collaboration and professional development, this 3-week paid residency will invite three visual artists as well as one emerging curator to gather in Whitehorse, Yukon to develop an exhibition of new work.


Jenni House Artist Residency

Location: Whitehorse, YT
Application Deadlines:
August

Situated in the traditional territories of the Kwanlin Dun First Nation and the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council, the Jenni House has been providing an inspirational creative space for artists since 2015. Sitting on the banks of the Yukon, this historic log and timber frame building is part of Shipyards Park – a treasured community hub for the residents of Whitehorse. The Residency provides studio space and funding for travel, accommodation, subsistence to artists from the Yukon, its northern neighbours (Alaska, the Northwest Territories, Northern BC and Nunavut) as well as circumpolar countries.


Junction Artist in Residence Program

Location: Haines Junction, YT
Application Deadlines:
September (TBA)

The JAR Program is a three month-long artist in residence experience, where the artist will be immersed in the culture, landscape and community of the Kluane region. The artist will capture this experience by creating a piece or collection of wearable art or fashion. This residency uses fashion as the focus as a way to connect to the local and traditional fashions and textiles of the Kluane region and Yukon Territory at large. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for Canadian fashion and textile artists as it is one of the only residencies of its kind.


Shakaat Summer Artist Residency Program

Location: Whitehorse, YT
Application Deadlines:
April (see website)

The Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre is proud to host a community based artists in residence program, during the summer tourist season, that will encourage, support and showcase Indigenous art and provide an opportunity for the visiting public to engage with First Nation artists. The residency is open to traditional, contemporary, emerging and master Indigenous artists that practice visual arts, fashion, traditional crafts, dancing and/or drumming.


Ted Harrison Cabin Residency

Location: Crag Lake, YT
Application Deadlines:
TBA (see website)

The Ted Harrison Artist residency program is intended to give visual artists an opportunity to concentrate on the research, development, and production of a project or body of work in a remote and inspirational setting. The cabin is a 2 storey log home and studio. The artist retreat is part of a supportive community of local residents at Crag Lake, many of whom are visual artists. 


Tombstone Territorial Park Artist Residency

Location: Tombstone Territorial Park, YT
Application Deadlines:
TBA (see website)

Artists are invited to develop and share their artistic practice in Tombstone’s breathtaking sub-arctic landscape. The residency represents both a retreat, and an opportunity for connection – with oneself, with others, and with the natural and cultural history of this very special place. The residency is open to established or emerging artists. Yukon artists, or artists with a connection to Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Traditional Territory or Dempster Country are especially encouraged to apply.