Chu Niikwän Artist Residency Program Kicks Off in Whitehorse

The Chu Niikwän Artist Residency exhibit will be unveiled at the Yukon Arts Centre Community Gallery in November.

The Chu Niikwän Artist Residency program is officially underway in the territorial capital.

The three-week Chu Niikwän Artist Residency program officially kicked off last week in Whitehorse.

The program gives three Yukon artists an opportunity to create multimedia artwork unique to the territory at their very own art studio in Whitehorse. The artist's pieces will then be showcased at the Yukon Arts Centre Community Gallery on November 8th, 2019.

Arts Underground Executive Director Heather Steinhagen says Shirley Adamson, a Tagish First Nation artist, will have some unique artwork showcased at the exhibit.

"She is currently working on acrylic paintings. She using objects (in her paintings) that she's found along the river as well as things that tourists have given her at the culture cabins at the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre." 

Steinhagen says the other two artists, Meshell Melvin and Talia Woodland, will also have unique pieces at the exhibition.

"Talia Woodland is our emerging artist and she's doing photo manipulation and video-based work. Our mixed media artist Meshel Melvin will be working on fibre arts. She will be making hundreds of little salmon (in her pieces.)

Steinhagen says the facilities for the artists were chosen due to their close proximity to one another.

"Shirley will be working at the culture cabins at the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre. Meshell is working at the Old Fire Hall and Talia is with us at Arts Undergound. All of the locations are fairly close to each other so I think it just naturally progessed into three of those studios."

Curator Karly Leonard will also be hopping between the studios to help get all of the artists' pieces ready for the exhibition.

This is the second year of the Chu Niikwän Artist Residency.

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