ART H CARCR
arthouseca Art House Carcross Final Report 2016-2017
w w w.ar thousecarcross.com
ART HOUSE CARCROSS
arthousecarcross.com FUNDERS
PARTNERS Yukon Arts Centre Southern Lakes Artist Collective Carcross Tagish First Nation Carcross Tagish Management Corporation
Yukon Government, Economic Development Culture Quest
CONTRIBUTORS: Art House Staff Margriet Aasman Jeanine Baker Anna Crawford Lawrie Crawford Rhoda Merkel Helen O’Connor Sandra Storey Ken Thomas Donald Watt Project Instigator Lawrie Crawford
Curator Sandra Storey Printed Marketing Anna Crawford Installation Team Scott Price Sandra Storey Ken Thomas Donald Watt
Yukon Arts Centre Chief Executive Officer Al Cushing Casey Prescott Gallery Director/Curator Mary Bradshaw Art House Coordinator Jacqui Usiskin Final Report Design Jenni Grandfield
two-year pilot
final report Based on an original proposal submitted by The Yukon Arts Centre Corporation in partnership with the Southern Lake Artist Collective, Carcross/Tagish First Nation and Carcross/Tagish Management Corporation and supported by the Yukon Government Department of Economic Development.
Success
A r t H o u s e C a rc ro s s , a unique, authentically northern exhibition space that championed Yukon visual art and artists, completed a successful twoyear pilot on October 1, 2017. Over the span of two summer seasons, Art House quickly became a destination and hub for community interaction, professional development, career advancement, and the dissemination of Yukon stories, art, and culture to the region and, indeed, the world. Art House was born primarily to generate more visibility, income, and sustainability for the Yukon visual arts sector, by opening up the relatively untapped potential to engage with regional, national and international tourism networks in the North. And, through the careful and collaborative curation of five exhibitions that showcased thirtyone Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Yukon artists, Art House reached over forty thousand tourists during the two-year pilot period from around the world, with nearly sixty thousand dollars in sales, all of which went directly to support independent Yukon artists. This pilot was an unprecedented accomplishment for the partners, and could not have been achieved without the visionary investment of the Yukon Government, demonstrating how art and business can find synergies and move the sector forward in a progressive and sustainable direction.
Josée Carbonneau. Fishing Woman, 2016. Fish skin and fibre. Image courtesy of Emily Sheff Photography.
legacy
Art House has created a lasting legacy in the region in a very short timeframe. It has become synonymous with the Carcross experience, being both a beacon for First Nations and Northern artists, and a distinct compliment to the Carcross Commons development Art House has not only promoted wonderful art, it has also created a persona in the region, demonstrating its versatility through numerous community engagement activities, including:
• Being A Showcase Venue during Culture Days, 2016 & 2017; • Hosting Twelve Art Demo Days featuring curated Art House artists; • Mentorship workshops in papermaking, canvas building, and colour theory for local and regional artists.
art house carcross
by the numbers
Attendance Stats
220
2017
Total Yukon Artworks
2 Year
2016
Pilot Project
235 Visitors
End of May - End of September
2016, 2017
over Culture Days
2016: 86 2017: 134
300 Visitors
9am-4pm
over Culture Days
Seven days a week
20,000 Visitors
throughout the season
Over
4,000
Website Views over two years
22, 746 Visitors
throughout the season
Sales of Yukon art to regional, national and international visitors
2016
Revenue
27
Sales
65% of sales went outside the territory
35.23%
8.5%
46.6%
international
USA
canada
yukon
$2,600
$2,275
$12,480
$9,440
9.7%
Total 2016/2017 Sales:
$57,320
all revenue goes to artists*
Total: $26,795
35.03%
48.16%
16.07%
0.07%
yukon
canada
USA
international
$10,695
$14,700
$4,905
$225
65% of sales went outside the territory
49
Sales
2017
Revenue Total: $30,525
*Most artists would agree that the revenue received from Art House would not have occurred otherwise. Note: Gross sales for most visual artists is marginal. A $1000 increase in net sales for an artist can easily mean a 10-20% increase in gross sales revenue.
exhibition
programming Artists were selected through a jury process. Number of applicants increased by 30 from year 1 to year 2.
2016: 19 artists, 2 exhibitions 15 Total Applicants
Margriet Aasman, Jeanine Baker, Nicole Bauberger, Josée Carbonneau, Lawrie Crawford, Barb Hinton, Leslie Leong, Joyce Majiski, Karen Nicloux, Helen O’Connor, Suzanne Paleczny, Rosemary Scanlon, Dennis Shorty, Sandra Storey, Ken Thomas, Teresa Vander Meer-Chaase Donald Watt, Lena White, Keith Wolfe Smarch
2017: 22 artists, 2 exhibitions 45 Total Applicants • 12 new artists exhibited
Jeanine Baker, Paul Baker, Nicole Bauberger, Robertson Bales, Josée Carbonneau, Lawrie Crawford, Astrid Cruse, Valerie Hodgson, Jane Isakson, Linda Leon, Leslie Leong, Blake Lepine Lillian Loponen, Lumel Studios, Joyce Majiski, Helen O’Connor, Alice Park Spurr, Mark Preston, Dennis Shorty, Jean Taylor, Ken Thomas, Donald Watt
9
total
indigenous artists
8
total
carcross/tagish artists
31
total
yukon
artists Donald Watt, Raven Lady on Rock, 2016. Mixed media. Image courtesy of Jake Paleczny.
positive cultural tourism
experience This is
“the most unique”
treat!
Great
Art Gallery.
- Visitor from Skagway, Alaska 8/19/2017
space and pieces of artwork!
We do enjoy the fantastic, creative, beautiful art and
What a
Blake Nelson Lepine, Move Like A Flicker Of The Fire, 2017. Acrylic paint, abalone buttons. Image courtesy of Emily Sheff Photography.
Leslie Leong, Do Trees Have Memory At Midnight?. 2016. Reclaimed wood, computer boards. Image courtesy of the artist.
- Visitor from Plzen, Czech Republic | 6/30/2017
thank you for sharing the talent project. - Visitor from Los Angeles, California | 5/23/2017
Stunning images. The colors and palettes of the gallery are beautiful! Thank you. - Visitor from Los Angeles, California | 9/19/2017
Helen O’Connor with hand-made paper Parasols. Image courtesy of Jacqui Usiskin.
Phenomenal! So much talent in one building!
- Visitor from Surrey, British Columbia
|
7/16/2017
community outreach
programming 2016 º 3 mentorship workshops: paper-making, canvas building, and colour theory º 3 art maker gatherings, 2 of which included student participation
2017 º 12 Art Demo Days • June 11 - Sandra Storey, Clay, 219 visitors
Art Makers Sharing Circle, Art House Carcross 2016
• June 25 - Donald Watt, Clay, 227 visitors
• July 2 - Margriet Aasman and Sandra Storey, Clay, 163 visitors
• July 9 - Paul Baker, Metal, 220 visitors
• July 16 - Leslie Leong, Computer Board Jewellery, 128 visitors
• July 23 - Valerie Hodgson, Oil Painting, 174 visitors
• July 30 - Dennis Shorty, Antler Carving, 145 visitors
• August 6 - Helen O’Connor, Papermaking, 212 visitors
• August 13 - Josee Carbonneau, Fish Skin Dolls, 115 visitors
• August 20 - Nicole Bauberger, Encaustic, 220 visiotrs
• August 27 - Jeanine Baker, Glass,132 visitors
• September 3 - Lillian Loponen, Watercolour, 190 visitors
º July 30th: Artist Sharing Circle and Opening Reception for Exhibition 2, 145 visitors º August 17, 18, 26, and 28 - Clay-Doll-Making Workshop at Yukon College, Carcross Campus- 7 participants (5 from Carcross, 3 Indigenous participants) º October 1st: Culture Days and Closing Reception, 235 visitors
positive community partnership model
clay doll-making workshop In collaboration with Yukon College.
Come and learn to express yourself in clay. Tagish sculptor Sandra Storey will be teaching the basics of figurative clay sculpture exploring faces, hands and feet as well as animals and animal spirits. Make your own creations in clay and natural materials like willow, leather and fibre. We will explore different methods of putting sculpted pieces and natural objects together to create your own unique doll. The first two days will be focused on sculpture and clay, sharing ideas and investigating materials. On the final day, we will assemble the dolls and look at possibilities for decorating.
Dates: August 17, 18, 26, and 28 Location: School of Community Education and Development, Yukon College, Carcross, Yukon
“The workshop was a huge success. 7 participants. 5 from Carcross. 3 First Nations participants. Many local visitors while the workshop was going on. Identified two local artists. A carver and a sewer that makes beautiful teddy bears out of local fur who will apply to Art House this year. After the workshop the number of locals in the Art House increased incredibly. I had 5 people one day and 4 the next saying that this was their first time in Art House and they liked it. There is a huge demand for more workshops.”
-Sandra Storey, Workshop Facilitator
“This was the most wonderful, creative, inspiring class I’ve ever taken! I want more! More! More!” Margriet Aasman demo day, July 2, 2017. Image courtesy of Jacqui Usiskin.
- Workshop participant
increased market readiness
for artists
There has been a noted increase in market readiness of artists from year 1 to year 2. Artists showed improvement in implementing payment processing procedures, such as attaining Square card readers. The creation of AHC Art Cards proved to act as positive promotional tools which fostered an increase in follow-up contact from visitors. There has been a high demand for art business skill training.
The Art House operating funds have also enabled valuable professional development opportunities for both First Nations and Northern artists, specifically:
art of managing your career Led by Melaina Sheldon, in Whitehorse and Carcross, May 2017 Whitehorse: 14 participants Carcross: 6 participants Developed in partnership with the Cultural Human Resources Council, this workshop provided essential tools for successfully making a living from your art as a Yukon First Nation artist.
Yak’éi yakye! I just wanted to thank you Melaina, Michele and other staff involved for allowing us to hold this educational workshop for our citizens. I thought it was amazing and that it could happen here in our little community is awesome! Aatlein Gunalchéesh! Sh tugáa xat ditee, -Derek Grose, C/TFN Heritage, Lands and Natural Resources
breakthrough marketing: finding an audience for your art Led by Inga Petri, in Whitehorse, October 2017 Whitehorse: 15 Participants A practical, hands-on workshop, to create effective marketing strategies for visual artists to deepen and widen business strategies to increase personal brand and sales.
As a new resident to Whitehorse needing to gain knowledge as to market oneself as an Artist and Designer, I found your workshop to be greatly informative and valuable. Thank you for your professional and relatable “stage presence” -Sabrina Parks, participant
ART HOUSE
astrid kruse
arthousecarcross.com
www.akceramics .com astridkruseceramics@gmail .com
CARCROSS
about me works avaliable North End Gallery Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada yukonart.ca
Arts Underground Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada artsunderground.ca
Plaza Galleries Whistler British Columbia, Canada plazagalleries.com
Yukon Artists @ Work Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada yaaw.com
Stephen Lowe Gallery Calgary, Alberta,Canada stephenloweartgallery.ca
Art Gallery of Burlington Burlington, Ontario, Canada artgalleryofburlington.com
Just Imajan Gallery Cochrane, Alberta, Canada justimajan.com
Astrid Kruse has been a student and a teacher of ceramics for the past 30 years. In 2011, she attended a year-long ceramic residency at the Shaw Centre for Contemporary Ceramics in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Raised in Yellowknife, NWT, Astrid now lives in Whitehorse, YT.
artist statement As I throw the clay, I alter and texture the surface to create movement and rhythmic patterns. Through the glazing and soda firing process, I want to capture the earthy and icy colours, as well as the life and depth of the northern landscape. When all this comes together in a beautiful ceramic piece, I know I am home.
astrid kruse
YAC actively worked with all 31 artists to develop effective bios and artist statements for the 2017 re-designed art cards. As positive marketing tools that provided visitors with artists’ websites, contact info and gallery representation, 70% of artists who track website hits found a moderate to significant increase of visits to their websites.
grow a sustainable
arts sector artist feedback
1- Dennis Shorty, Suguya, 2014. Local Yukon Birch wood, horse hair, acrylic paint. Image courtesy of Alistair Maitland Photography. 2- Nicole Bauberger, Storytelling Cloud. Image courtesy of Emily Sheff Photography.
I am very impressed by the beautiful cards you created for the artists.
3- Blake Lepine, A Warrior’s Presence. Red and yellow cedar. Image courtesy of the artist.
Souga Sinla. Thank you for that
4- Lumel Studios, Northern Lights Series Glass Bowl. Image courtesy of the artist.
Dennis Shorty.
1 dennis shorty I am very impressed by the beautiful cards you created for the artists. 2Souga Sinla. Thank you for that.
It’s a privilege to be part of this showcase of Yukon Art.
Thanks
so much
I feel like I learned a lot at the Artist Talks on the last day. The sales that went to various places in Canada were welcome too! Thanks for including me.
4
for all the work you do for us artists.
Nicole Bauberger
Having Lumel creations at Art House was
absolutely fabulous. Lumel Studios.
3
Blake Nelson Shaákoon Lepine
the
future Art House Carcross has gained significant momentum in two short years, and the partners are committed to expanding its reach. as we have only scratched the surface of possibility in terms of its potential impact in the region.
Moving forward, the Yukon Arts Centre is seeking
a three year funding commitment from the Yukon Government to capitalize on the great energy already instigated and to explore and elevate new programming possibilities, including:
A greater First Nations presence in exhibitions and outreach;
A juried curatorial process that provides showcase opportunities for a more diverse selection of Northern visual artists;
A more eclectic array of community programming and outreach for both First Nations and Northern artists and communities;
The introduction of more entrepreneurial and business development skill workshops for the Northern visual arts sector;
An increased investment in regional and national/ international marketing strategies;
Art House Carcross has grown and evolved, capturing the imagination of both Yukon and Tourist audiences through its integrity and authenticity. It is a model enterprise for rural animation in the North and demonstrates how art and artists can reflect the magic of the Yukon to the world.
Increased storytelling via on-line platforms on the new Yukon Arts Centre website.
ART HOUSE CARCROSS
arthousecarcross.com