Public pianos: Art project in Whitehorse

There is a project in Whitehorse to install pianos in public places. The first one was installed near the fish ladder.

The ambient sound of rushing water becomes part of the music.

Adäka festival: Traditional watercraft

The Akäka Arts and Culture Festival wrapped up today with a splash: Traditional canoes and kayaks were launched onto the Yukon River after more than a month of work.

Aboriginal Day 2017

This is the first year that Aboriginal Day is a statutory holiday in Yukon. This means government employees had the day off.

The celebration in Whitehorse included music, dancing, fish and bannock, and stories told around a campfire.

Pack horses, dry fish and other Yukon traditions

Whitehorse has many beautiful murals, though some colours are fading.

This one on 4th Ave depicts the making of dry fish, packing horses and dogs and the cabins and clothing of early 1900s life.

Chinese New Year in Whitehorse: Year of the sheep

Yukon has a thriving community of Chinese-Canadians and people with family connections to China.

In Whitehorse the community hosted a large concert and talent show on February 14 to showcase the fashion, music, dancing and food of Chinese culture.

Here are photos from last year: the year of the horse

Handmade reminder: If you pack it in, pack it out

A decorated sign reminds travellers to be considerate.

 

The Skookum Jim Friendship centre

Whitehorse has the Skookum Jim Friendship Centre which is a place for courses, workshops, youth activities, camps and various community-minded activities.

Friendship Centres are intended to promote aboriginal culture in urban settings. There are more than 116 across Canada. (Here is a link to a Wikipedia entry with more information)

The exterior of the Skookum Jim centre is decorated with some nice Northwest Coast Formline art.

 

 

Arts and Crafts in Watson Lake

Mida Donnessy teaches arts and crafts at Watson Lake secondary school.

Students learn beadwork and are making clothing for their own graduations.

Many eyes watching

Here’s a detail of art at Shipyards park in Whitehorse. It’s made of steel but there are shapes cut out with precision.

This style of art —- which has its differences between different aboriginal cultures and is often seen on totem poles, paintings, carvings —  is called Northwest Coast Formline.

 

Chinese New Year: The Year of the Horse

The Chinese Zodiac is announcing the Year of the Horse.

In Whitehorse the Chinese-Canadian community hosted a wonderful and colourful show with music, dancing and even the traditional ‘lion’ costumes.