Yukon Arts Centre: A Splash of Colour on the Blackboard

Over the past 10 years, many of the art programs in the Yukon's public schools have been reduced or eliminated altogether. Some schools no longer even have an art teacher. The inevitable result of this situation is that less people are familiar with art, and less people are taking an interest in art.

The Yukon Arts Centre (Whitehorse) decided to address the situation. With support from the Canada Council, it developed a pilot project to link the gallery's exhibitions with public school programs in the region.

The first priority is to deal with the lack of teacher training in the arts. The gallery has selected 4 schools from the Whitehorse region to undergo professional development over 4 sessions with one of its artists. That artist will train the teachers on how to determine the meaning of a work of art, develop an education guide, and use the exhibitions as a resource. An important aspect of this Classroom Connections initiative is to give students the opportunity to experience first-hand the impact of works of art.

The Yukon Art Centre has provided a fund for school bus visits to give bring in students from isolated schools. Already, it has made a big difference.

One of the long-term objectives of the centre is to build curriculum links beyond fine arts: “Computer skills, earth sciences, medieval history and northern studies are all possibilities we have identified and are working towards.”

This alliance with Whitehorse schools “will enable students to understand and appreciate the visual arts throughout their lives” and will integrate the gallery into the education system of the region.