No Youth Art Enrichment for 2026

This year we are taking a break from YAE to build capacity for next year so we can continue to offer great camps and workshops throughout the year

Let us know what ideas you have for next year!

Email programs@kiac.ca with any questions or ideas!!

What is Youth Art Enrichment (YAE?)

Youth Art Enrichment is an annual four-day art program for Yukon youth hosted by the Klondike Institute of Art & Culture in Dawson City. Artistically-inclined youth ages 14 – 18 travel from across the Yukon to take part in intensive workshops led by professional artists. Students choose one medium to study for the duration of the program, learning new skills, techniques, and ways to creatively make artwork for the world to see. The mediums change every year: we have offered printmaking, animation, painting, carving, stained glass, illustration, improv, and much more over the last two decades.

The program offers a tour of the Yukon School of Visual Arts in addition to a meet & greet evening of collage and button-making with current students and faculty. Often SOVA students are YAE alumni themselves. Evenings are filled with fun activities in the evenings such as a movie night, sledding & smores, board games and more.

Past Course Examples

2D Studio Painting: Fantastic Landscapes

Instructor: Aleks Bartosik

Easels, painting, palettes, oh my!

In this Surrealist-inspired painting course, we will be introduced to a variety of experimental painting and composition techniques such as spontaneous sketching, colour mixing, layering, automatism, collage, and more to develop fantasy worlds and dream-like surrealist landscapes to be exhibited at the end of the week!

New Ways of Seeing: Mixed Media Portraiture

Instructor: Lori Goldberg

Join Lori Goldberg of Emily Carr for a weird, wonderful week of hands-on 2D and 3D art-making. Lori will guide us through a range of conventional and non-conventional art-making materials to create unique representations of ourselves and others. Expect colours, textures, probably a mess, and a whole lot of fun!

Craft & Creation: Leatherwork

Instructor: Jeramy Mattie

Do you like working with your hands? Creating functionable (and sometimes fashionable!) items? Jeramy Mattie of YukonStruct will teach the ins and outs of working with leather. In this class, students will create multiple projects and come away with skills to keep going at home!

I’ve never been… Tell me more!

Many students attend YAE year after year, but the first time can be intimidating. The program instructors, chaperones, and KIAC staff take great pride in ensuring that students feel comfortable, safe, and most importantly, HAVE FUN! YAE is a great opportunity to meet people from other communities, form long-lasting friendships, and have a taste of what a post-secondary education in the arts can look like.

The YAE schedule is designed with the student experience in mind. Evenings range from physical outdoor time to quiet and calm inside activities like board games and movie watching. Students may opt out of evening activities and stay at the hotel instead if they are tired or overwhelmed.

Meal times are fun (not only because there is occasional pancakes and whip cream for breakfast!) but because all students eat together. Shared meals are an important part time for student bonding and a great way to decompress after the art class!

If you are hesitant or have questions for us, feel free to call KIAC at 867-993-5005 or email programs@kiac.ca

2023 Student Testimonials

Chaperone Testimonials

“This is a well run program! Staff were fabulous- available, enthusiastic, clear communicators. Great schedule, amazing food, positive and encouraging atmosphere. Wonderful teachers.”

“Our session leader was excellent! Great balance between teaching and doing. Well thought out lessons and well prepared.”

“Extracurriculars were a great addition! And the food was phenomenal!”

“It seems like a wonderful opportunity for students who like art to really get immersed. It’s a chance for like-minded students from different schools and communities to meet each other. Dawson is a great community for this.”

“The Youth Art Enrichment program truly ‘enriches’ the lives of participants. Throughout the week, the level of connection amongst everyone involved was a lovely experience. I saw friendships made (and fostered as repeat participants), space for the social needs of youth to be met, as well as collaboration and teamwork.”