Chu Niikwän
Artist Residency

July 5-24 2021

2021 Artists in Residence

Kim Roberts - Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre
Kim resides in beautiful Southern Lakes, Yukon. She is of Cree/Metis decent with familial ties to Northern Alberta. Kim's an emerging visual artist who works in the medium of stained glass & mosaics. She was first introduced to stained glass thru a glass workshop she participated in over ten years ago. It was that workshop that fueled a newfound passion. In recent years Kim has started sell her artwork thru local craft fairs, private sales and commissions. Kim enjoys using reclaimed/recycled materials such as reclaimed barn wood, old wooden window frames, snowshoes, and antique A finds. "Over the years I've amassed an oversized collection of glass things...Oil lanterns, depression glass, marbles, insulators, fishing floats, railroad lanterns, beach glass. Naturally I was drawn to stained glass. Its the light, it shines thru a piece and you see it's true beauty. I love that about glass objects."

2021 Curators

Heather LeDuc
Heather LeDuc is of settler ancestry and has lived as an uninvited guest in the Traditional Territories of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and Ta’an Kwäch’än Council since 1999.  She recently retired after 22 years with the Yukon government where she worked as an archivist, visual arts curator, and communications analyst.

Sometime in the last millennium, Heather received an MA in the Social History of Art from Leeds University, where she learned to question the dominant assumptions inherent in western history of art, and to seek out alternative narratives.

More recently, as a writer for What’s Up Yukon, Heather covers many visual art exhibits. In doing so, she hopes to capture each artist’s unique perspective, inspiration, style and story.

Heather is grateful for the many opportunities to engage with Yukon visual artists over the years as a curator, writer and spectator. She is delighted that Teresa Vander Meer-Chassé invited her to co-curate the 2021 Chu Niikwän Artists Residency.

Teresa Vander Meer-Chassé
My name is Teresa Vander Meer-Chassé (b. 1992, she/her), known affectionately as Ddhälh kït Nelnah, and I am a proud Upper Tanana member of the White River First Nation of Beaver Creek, Yukon and Alaska. I am an independent curator, consultant, visual artist, and MFA student at Concordia University. My work is inspired by the people in my life and those that came before me. I was taught to bead by my Grandma Marilyn John, an Upper Tanana Elder and residential school Survivor. Knowing the importance of cultural revitalization my Grandma encouraged me to bead and sew at a young age but I did not commit to my needle and thread until I was in my undergrad at the University of Victoria.

The artwork I create with beads, natural materials, and found objects are rooted in understandings of identity and the action of gifting. My art speaks to my identity as an Upper Tanana woman, daughter, and granddaughter. I use my platform as an artist to convey the needs and demands of my community. My practice is invested in the awakening of sleeping materials and my artworks are layered in meanings with the deepest understanding being accessible only to my family, friends, and ancestors. While an aspect of this work is a rejection of the colonial gaze the overall messaging of the work is accessible to all who are willing to be open-minded, reflective, and embracing of experiences outside their own frame of reference.

Apart from an ongoing art career, I am a full-time independent curator with a particular focus on exhibitions relating to Indigenous art, and most recently Indigenous languages. My passion for curation was inspired by my Grandpa Sid van der Meer and his massive collection of Yukon treasures which he has curated into Bordertown Garage and Museum. I also enjoys short-term consultation work with individuals and organizations that have a deep respect for Indigenous rights and are seeking guidance. I believe any relationship built on trust can become successful and mutually beneficial. Through my ways of knowing and understanding the world, I try to build meaningful relationships with my clients and customers through open communication and dialogue.

My passions lie in filling curatorial gaps and creating new visual narratives that speak towards social justice, activism, and a deep desire to change the status-quo. I provide a holistic, teachable, conversation-based approach to curation, consultation, and artistic expression for individuals and organizations seeking Indigenous content. Through Indigenous pedagogy, I build meaningful relationships with my clients and customers that are rooted in trust, open-mindedness, and passion.

I currently reside between Beaver Creek, Yukon, Whitehorse, Yukon, and Victoria, British Columbia.

About

Named by the Kwanlin Dün First Nation Elders’ Council to recognize the Yukon River, the Chu Niikwän Artist Residency is a unique partnership between three visual arts presenters: Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre, the Yukon Arts Centre and the Yukon Art Society with the support of Yukon Government. Centred around the shared goals of artistic innovation, collaboration and professional development, this annual 3-week paid residency invites three visual artists as well as a curatorial team to gather in Whitehorse, Yukon to develop an exhibition of new work and engage with the community. 

In addition, each residency will have a focus that supports the mandate of the host organizations. After the residency, a culminating group show and artist talk will take place at one of the host galleries.

Past residencies

Eligibility

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY?

All applicants must be residents of the Yukon or Atlin, B.C. Each selected artist-in-residence is awarded a studio space by one of the three partner organizations. Eligibility requirements are different for each of the three venues.

• Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre (KDCC Culture Cabins)
  Indigenous visual artists only

• Yukon Arts Centre (at the Old Fire Hall)
  Any emerging or established Indigenous or non-Indigenous visual artist

• Yukon Art Society (at Arts Underground)
  Indigenous or non-Indigenous emerging visual artists only (emerging visual artists are defined as being in the early stages of their career with a short exhibition history and a commitment to expanding their practice)

FAQ

How to Apply

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

1. Completed application form

2. Short bio (150 words maximum)

3. 8-10 high-quality photos of work completed within the past 5 years

4. Letter of intent (Tell us a bit about what you would like to do during the residency. You should plan to work on a project or small body of work intended for the residency exhibition in November 2021.)

5. Artist CV

Applications will be received through our online portal below.

Applications may also be completed by phone or in person at Arts Underground.

JURY PROCESS

Applications will be juried by a panel of representatives from the partnering institutions.

2021 Artist-in-Residence Application Form
DEADLINE: SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 2021

Application Support Available

If you require support during the application process, please contact us. If submitting a written application is a barrier to you, we can complete your application in person or over the phone. Call (867) 667-4080 ex. 22 for more info.