Yukon Arts Centre, Parks Canada, US National Park Service and Skagway Arts Council are seeking three visual artists – one regional (Yukon or Alaskan residents) and two artists within the applicants of any nationality, to participate in a cross-border creative journey within Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Alaska and Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site in British Columbia. The partner organizations are thrilled to offer this one-of-a-kind residency once again in 2019, its ninth consecutive season.

Selected artists will follow the infamous Chilkoot Trail “once trod by Tlingit First Nation traders and Klondike Gold Rush stampeders” for two weeks. Average hikers take four to five days to complete the trek, whereas with support from Trail staff and from a friend or family member of their choice, artists are able to take time to interact with hikers, make art, and soak in the natural and historic beauty of the Trail.

The residency program holds a joint goal for the US National Park Service and Parks Canada: to increase public awareness of the Chilkoot Trail, particularly in major cities. By creating art during and after the hike, and by leading workshops and/or art talks on the trail and in nearby communities, artists inspire Canadians and Americans to appreciate the legacy of the Chilkoot Trail.

For the Yukon Arts Centre, the residencies are a way of fostering the Yukon’s creative and cultural economy by developing ties with tourism, bringing new and broader audiences into contact with contemporary artists; providing a stimulating working experience for artists; and encouraging art making that explores and even challenges ideas and issues in landscape art.