Joseph Tisiga Awarded $20,000 as the Winner of the First-Ever Yukon Prize for Visual Arts
Biennial prize sets out to bring Yukon into the national art scene dialogue
WHITEHORSE, YT, Nov. 23, 2021 /CNW/ - Joseph Tisiga is announced as the winner of the 2021 Yukon Prize for Visual Arts for his work including Dreamcatcher, Resilience is Retaliatory and Untitled Series of 25 Astroturf Panels, taking home the $20,000 Prize and the recognition of being the first recipient of this new, prestigious award. The Prize was awarded Saturday, November 20th, 2021 in a gala ceremony in Whitehorse. The Prize recognizes excellence by Yukon visual artists and will be a catalyst for the promotion of Yukon visual art across Canada.
"I really appreciate this support and recognition for Yukon art", said Tisiga. "It would be great if the Prize encourages people to come up and see what's going on in Whitehorse. There's really interesting work being made by Yukoners and hopefully this prize will encourage Yukon artists to take risks and do more experimental work, and encourage the art-buying public to support Yukon artists."
The remaining finalists were selected from 107 entries and will receive $2,000. They are:
- Sho Sho "Belelige" Esquiro
- Veronica Verkley
- Ken Anderson (KHÀTINAS.ÀXH)
- Amy Ball
- Krystle Silverfox.
The winner announcement marks the fruition of the inaugural Prize, which will become a biennial event. As an authentic arts incubator, the Yukon has creativity in its DNA and is home to a diverse community of visual artists.
Esteemed jurors Gaëtane Verna, Director of The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery in Toronto, Ryan Doherty, Chief Curator of Contemporary Calgary, and Candice Hopkins, an internationally known independent curator and a citizen of Carcross/Tagish First Nation, selected the finalists and the winner.
The Yukon Prize was co-founded by Julie Jai and David Trick to help ensure the Yukon art scene has a prominent voice in the Canadian cultural landscape.
"We've been encouraged by the outpouring of support for the first-ever Yukon Prize and the incredible quality of the finalists' work. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Joseph for winning the inaugural Prize." said co-Founder Julie Jai. "The Prize creates an opportunity to share Yukon art with a larger audience and to celebrate the creative spirit which animates and enriches our lives."
The works of all finalists are available on the Yukon Prize website. Tourism Yukon is proud to be a part of the Yukon Prize, which will increase support for the development of Yukon artists, and deepen the connection between locals and those outside the Yukon to learn about and appreciate Yukon art.
About The Yukon Prize for Visual Arts
The prize recognizes excellence by Yukon visual artists and is a catalyst for the promotion of Yukon visual art across Canada. The prize has three goals:
- To provide a financial prize of $20,000 to one Yukon artist that will help them focus full-time on creating art
- To promote Yukon art and Yukon artists within the Yukon, nationally and internationally
- To foster a culture of curatorial critique and discourse in the Yukon and encourage artists to be the best that they can possibly be.
The award and exhibits of the finalists' works will create opportunities for Yukon artists and inspire connections between Yukon artists and the visual arts community in the rest of Canada, providing increased visibility, artistic development and potential for sales. The Yukon Prize is intended to be a biennial event and the Yukon Prize website will house an online gallery of the works of past finalists. For more information visit yukonprize.ca
SOURCE Yukon Prize for Visual Arts
For further information: Media Contact: Shannon Harrington, Middle Child, [email protected]
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