Yukon Arts Centre facts for kids

The Yukon Arts Centre (YAC) is a cool place in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. It's an arts centre and an art museum all in one! It opened its doors in May 1992. Inside, you'll find a big theatre with 428 seats and a large art gallery. The gallery is about 4,200 square feet (390 square meters). It's a busy spot where you can watch amazing performances and see exciting art shows. The YAC also has its own collection of over 100 artworks from artists across northern Canada.

History of the Arts Centre

Before the Yukon Arts Centre was built, people in Whitehorse who wanted to put on plays or concerts had to use other places. They often used the local courthouse or even the gym at F. H. Collins Secondary School!

In 1980, a group called the Arts Canada North Society was formed. Their mission was to convince the governments – federal, territorial, and local – to build a proper arts centre in Whitehorse.

After almost ten years of hard work and talking to the governments, they finally got what they wished for! All three levels of government agreed to provide $9 million to build the new arts venue.

Choosing a Location

Two possible spots were suggested for the arts centre. One was by the river in downtown Whitehorse. The other was next to Yukon University. The spot next to the university was chosen. This happened after the territorial government promised to pay for the building's upkeep and running costs if it was built there.

In 1988, the territorial government passed a law called the Arts Centre Act. This law made it official that the government would own the building. It also confirmed they would pay for its maintenance. The Yukon Arts Centre officially opened to the public on May 29, 1992.

New Partnerships and Events

In 2007, the arts centre started holding performances at the Old Fire Hall in downtown Whitehorse. In April 2008, the Yukon Arts Centre announced a partnership. They teamed up with the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce. This partnership meant they could use the Old Fire Hall all year round for their events.

In 2016, a big event called the Magnetic North Theatre Festival was held in Whitehorse. The Yukon Arts Centre was a main partner for this festival. In the same year, the Yukon Arts Centre opened a new art gallery and shop in Carcross. They did this in partnership with the Tagish First Nation.

The Arts Centre Building

The Yukon Arts Centre is located southeast of Yukon University's main campus in Whitehorse. The building has a theatre for performances and an art museum.

Theatre Features

The theatre is a bit off-centre in the building. It has 306 seats on the main level and 112 seats on the balcony. There are also 10 spots for wheelchairs. The stage is 47 feet (14 meters) wide and 37 feet (11 meters) deep. A loading dock at the back of the stage allows easy outdoor access. Other areas for performers include a green room, a studio rehearsal theatre, and dressing rooms.

Art Galleries

The building also has an art museum with three galleries. These galleries cover 4,200 square feet (390 square meters) of space. Other parts of the building include a bar, a community gallery space, and offices.

What Happens at the Arts Centre

The Yukon Arts Centre organizes and hosts many art shows. These include music, performing arts, and visual arts exhibitions. Some of these are travelling exhibitions, which means they move from one place to another.

The arts centre also helps fund other programs. One is an artist-in-residence program called @YAC Residency. This program allows artists to live and work at the arts centre for a period of time.

The Permanent Art Collection

The arts centre has its own permanent collection of art. This collection includes over 100 works from artists in northern Canada. The arts centre started collecting these artworks in 1995.

About 80 percent of the collection is kept in a special storage area. This area has controlled temperature and humidity to protect the art. Since December 2016, the entire collection can be viewed online.

The storage facility also holds artworks from the Yukon Permanent Art Collection. This is an art collection owned by the government of Yukon. The facility stores about 300 works from this collection that are not currently on display in government buildings.

See also

• List of art museums
• Lists of theatres
• List of museums in Yukon

Images for kids

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  The Old Fire Hall in downtown Whitehorse. The arts centre began to organize arts performances and exhibitions in the Old Fire Hall in 2007.