Yukon Arts Centre facts for kids

The Yukon Arts Centre (YAC) is a special place in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. It's a big building where people can enjoy different kinds of art. It has a theatre for shows and a gallery for looking at amazing artworks. It opened in May 1992 and has been a hub for arts in northern Canada ever since. The centre's art gallery is about 4200 square feet (390 square meters) in size. It also has a permanent collection of over 100 artworks from artists in northern Canada.

History of the Arts Centre

Before the Yukon Arts Centre was built, artists in Whitehorse had to perform in places like school gyms or even the local courthouse! In 1980, a group called the Arts Canada North Society started working hard to get a proper arts centre built. They talked to the Canadian government, the Yukon government, and the city government.

After almost ten years, all three governments agreed to provide $9 million to build the new arts centre. They looked at two possible spots: one by the river in downtown Whitehorse, and another next to Yukon University. The spot next to the university was chosen because the Yukon government promised to pay for the building's upkeep and running costs if it was built there.

In 1988, the Yukon government passed a law called the Arts Centre Act. This law made sure the government would own the building and pay for its maintenance. The Yukon Arts Centre officially opened its doors to the public on May 29, 1992.

The Old Fire Hall in downtown Whitehorse. The arts centre started organizing events here in 2007.

In 2007, the arts centre started hosting performances at the Old Fire Hall in downtown Whitehorse. In April 2008, the Yukon Arts Centre teamed up with the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce. This partnership meant the Old Fire Hall would be used all year round for events organized by the arts centre.

In 2016, a big event called the Magnetic North Theatre Festival took place 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. This was done in partnership with the Tagish First Nation.

The Arts Centre Building

The Yukon Arts Centre is located near the main campus of Yukon University in Whitehorse. The building has a theatre for performances and an art museum. The theatre is a bit off-centre in the building. It has 306 seats on the main floor, 112 seats on the balcony, and 10 spots for wheelchairs.

The stage itself is about 47 feet (14 meters) wide and 37 feet (11 meters) deep. There's a loading dock at the back of the stage, which makes it easy to bring things in and out. Besides the main theatre, there are other rooms for performers. These include a green room, a studio for rehearsals, and dressing rooms.

The building also has an art museum with three galleries. These galleries cover about 4200 square feet (390 square meters) of space. Other parts of the building include a bar, a community gallery space, and offices.

What the Arts Centre Does

The Yukon Arts Centre organizes and hosts many different art shows. These include music, live performances, and visual art exhibitions. Some of these are even travelling shows that come from other places.

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

Permanent Art Collection

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

About 80 percent of the centre's collection is kept in a special storage room. This room has controlled temperature and humidity to protect the art. Since December 2016, the entire collection has been available to view online.

Besides the Yukon Arts Centre's own collection, the storage facility also holds artworks from the Yukon Permanent Art Collection. This is an art collection owned by the government of Yukon. The storage facility keeps about 300 artworks 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