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North Slave Region
This centrally located region encompasses both boreal and tundra terrain, stretching between the Territory’s’ two biggest lakes. This is home to the Tłı̨chǫ, Akaitcho and Yellowknives Dene, along with a diverse group of residents from across the country and the globe, that together weave a rich cultural tapestry in the territory’s capital city.
This land is a bountiful resource for local harvesters and artists who use raw materials from the land. Traditional arts and fine crafts preserve the region’s unique style and pass traditional knowledge onto future generations. Clothing and accessories are made from locally tanned moose or caribou hides and adorned with intricate designs of beadwork or quillwork. The centuries-old tradition of drum making is a vital part of this area’s history and is being preserved through workshops and documentary films.
The capital city of Yellowknife is an eclectic, multi-cultural mix of artists and art forms. Storytellers, authors and musicians preserve oral history from the region in literary and performance arts. Contemporary artists draw inspiration from the land to create inspiring works of art. Filmmakers and photographers capture and share the spirit of living in the NWT with the world. Yellowknife’s vibrant arts scene continues to grow in diversity and frequency, with arts events happening weekly, if not nightly.
Use our online tool to learn Where to Buy NWT Art in the North Slave Region.
Or download printable, translated documents (PDFs):
Where to Buy NWT Art in Yellowknife: English, French (français), German (Deutsch), Japanese (日本語)
Events
Yellowknife
October
Date: October 4th, 2019
Community: Yellowknife
Location: Northern Arts and Cultural Centre
Rose could be described as a creative omnivore. She takes on artistic challenges that combine words, music, imagery, heart and laughter. Puppetry has been her passion since 2012. Through it she concocts imaginary worlds that help audiences explore topics that might otherwise be difficult to face. Time Slips is Rose’s latest work. It is a story about dementia, but it is much more. It examines the selectiveness of our own memories and the power of story-telling – with humour, compassion and love.
Date: October 6th, 2019 to December 1st, 2019
Community: Yellowknife
Location: YK Guild of Arts and Crafts
Students will learn the steps required to set up a loom for a weaving project, which will include: the warping process, dressing a loom and weaving to produce woven products. Students will learn the basics of:
- basic weaving equipment and terminology
- tabby weave scarf using 2-ply wool
- twill sampler using 2-ply wool
- weaving cotton placemats or table runner
- basics of hand finishing using knotting and hand stitching
- reading and planning a project using a pattern
Sundays October 6th – December 1 (no class October 27th)
1 - 4 pm...
Date: October 11th, 2019 to October 19th, 2019
Community: Yellowknife
Location: NACC - 2nd floor Center Square Mall
From October 11th to October 19th, Radio Taïga, Yellowknife’s French langage community radio will be holding a unique exhibition, Mosaïque Nordique, to celebrate its 18th anniversary. An opening night will be held Friday October 11th, starting at 5 pm, at the NACC space located to the side of the Yellowknife Public Library, on the second floor of the Center Square Mall.
Mosaïque nordique will be a multimedia experience featuring 18 mediums, ranging from the walkman to the boombox, to experience the history of Radio Taïga through the voices of its many contributors. This will be...
Date: October 14th, 2019
Community: Yellowknife
Location: YK Guild of Arts and Crafts
Learn to cut, solder and shape sterling silver and copper to make jewelry and decorative objects. In a small group, students each work on a project of their choosing.
To the first class please bring ideas, photos, sketche, a notepad and pencils, an overshirt that can get dirty and any found objects you'd like to incorporate.
5 Tuesdays Nov 5 - Dec 3
6:30 - 9:30pm
Cost: $225 plus $45 materials
Instructor: Kris Schlagintweit
Date: October 19th, 2019
Community: Yellowknife
Location: Northern Arts and Cultural Centre
In these sombre times, Cas Public summons up the magic of Cinderella. The magic of the tales of Perrault and the Brothers Grimm, the operas of Rossini and Prokofiev. But also the magic of a hundred lesser known versions passed down in the oral tradition. Six dancers hand in their ballet slippers for a glass slipper and with gusto plunge us once again into this fairy tale, so emblematic of our collective psyche. Hélène Blackburn’s choreography becomes a portal to the emotions. Compassionate yet stern, brittle yet powerful, this new production pays tribute to the qualities of heart and mind...
Date: October 19th, 2019 to November 2nd, 2019
Community: Yellowknife
Location: YK Guild of Arts and Crafts
Punch needle is a form of fibre art that is currently experiencing a resurgence in popularity. In this 2-day course, you will create a simple design (using our patterns, or your preapproved pattern) using the colours of your choice. This project could be made into a pillow cover, a table runner or a hot pad. All materials are supplied but you may wish to supplement from your own leftover yarn stash. Tools are available for use during class. Students who wish to create their own design, must contact the instructor at least2 weeks before the class date for preparation instructions and to...
Date: October 25th, 2019
Community: Yellowknife
Location: YK Guild of Arts and Crafts
Tiffany Panel Lamp Workshop with Tracy Durham of Bissett Stained Glass Edmonton
Prerequisite - You must have completed a beginners class in Tiffany / copper foil technique.
You must choose your pattern from those available and order your materials to prepare your panels in advance of the workshop . Francine Dennis will be available at the Guild Tuesday evenings beginning August 6 at 7:00 pm to assist you with ordering materials and preparing your panels for the workshop. Tracy will bring the necessary hardware with her when she comes for the workshop.
Materials fees to...
November
Date: November 4th, 2019 to December 16th, 2019
Community: Yellowknife
Location: YK Guild of Arts and Crafts
Learn the ABC’s of Hand Building: Pinch, Coil and Slab. Improve your techniques and exercise your creativity through a series of step-wise projects.
Mondays
November 4 to December 16 (6 weeks)
(no class November 11)
7:00 to 9:30 pm
Instructor: Jenny Tucker
$180 + $35 clay
Date: November 5th, 2019 to December 10th, 2019
Community: Yellowknife
Location: YK Guild of Arts and Crafts
Learn the basics of wheel thrown pottery; wedging, centering, throwing simple shapes, trimming, firing and glazing.
Tuesdays
November 5 to December 10 (6 weeks)
7:00 to 9:30 pm
Instructor: Garry Singer
$180 + $35 clay
Date: November 6th, 2019 to December 11th, 2019
Community: Yellowknife
Location: YK Guild of Arts and Crafts
This class will teach you how to center larger amounts of clay, refine skills learned in Level 1 wheel class, how to make basic shapes, and will also introduce students to more advanced skills such as adding handles and lids. Level 1 is a prerequisite.
Wednesdays
November 6 to December 11 (6 weeks)
7:00 to 9:30 pm
Instructors: Wendy Stephenson and Ann Peters
$180 + $35 clay
Date: November 6th, 2019 to November 10th, 2019
Community: Yellowknife
Location: TBD
The 2019 festival will take place from November 6-10th, 2019. Films and events will occur at both the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre, Capitol Theatre, Western Arctic Moving Pictures office and the Champagne Room. For more information visit: www.ykfilmfest.com/
Date: November 15th, 2019 to November 17th, 2019
Community: Yellowknife
Location: Centre Square Mall
Far North Photo Festival is excited to showcase the photos, stories and talent from Northern Canada. The exhibit will be held at a pop-up gallery in the Centre Square Mall in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories from November 15th to November 17th, 2019. Click here for more details.
Date: November 15th, 2019 to November 16th, 2019
Community: Yellowknife
Location: YK Guild of Arts and Crafts
Learn simple welt felt techniques on Friday night and then spend the next day transforming the felt made in class through embroidery, beadwork and other embellishments into feature panels for your own special occasion cards. Each participant will make a minimum of 4 embellished cards.
Friday evening AND Saturday
Nov 15 and 16
Friday night – 7-9pm, Saturday 10am-2pm
Cost: $70 plus $15 in materials paid to instructor
Instructor: Pat Moore
Level: Beginner
Date: November 15th, 2019
Community: Yellowknife
Location: Northern Arts and Cultural Centre
Watch the 2019 VIMFF World Tour 's top films on the big screen while enjoying a cold beer or smooth wine in the comfort of our cushy red seats. Each day of the festival features 90 minutes of film screening everything from environmental documentaries, extreme mountain sports, adventure, canoeing and kayaking, culture and more.
Local adventure outfitters will offer interactive activities in the lobby before and after the show.
The Festival provides communities around the world with a selection of award-winning and critically acclaimed selection of films; featuring adventure,...
Date: November 16th, 2019
Community: Yellowknife
Location: Northern Arts and Cultural Centre
Grand Prize Winner of 2017 OSM Manulife Competition
Benjamin was accepted at the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal in 2010 where he spent 6 years under the guidance of Marie-Andrée Benny. After completing his Baccalaureate degree, he pursued his studies at the Yale School of Music with internationally renowned flutist and pedagogue, Ransom Wilson, recently obtaining a Master of Music degree. Additionally, Benjamin has taken master classes with flutists such as Mathieu Dufour, Emmanuel Pahud, Philippe Bernold, Jeanne Baxtresser, and Robert Langevin.
In addition to...
Date: November 16th, 2019
Community: Yellowknife
Location: Northern Arts and Cultural Centre
Have you ever been to a movie musical and had the uncontrollable urge to burst into song?
Now's your chance! So get your friends and family together to watch a classic and come sing your heart out.
Your emcee will lead you through vocal warmups and get you ready for the show.
The Lion King
You can almost hear The Circle of Life just looking at the event photo. When it’s cold and dark outside, we all could use something to warm our hearts. What better way than to relive our youth by belting out the lyrics to our favourite Disney songs?
For kids of...
Date: November 25th, 2019
Community: Yellowknife
Location: Yellowknife Public Library
Come and join us to talk about this past years successes and next years plans!
3:00pm - 5:00pm
Date: November 30th, 2019
Community: Yellowknife
Location: YK Guild of Arts and Crafts
Learn how to make a beautiful hand-felted scarf out of soft merino wool and silk. There will be a brief demo to get you started, then with guidance, you will create your own one-of-a-kind scarf to take home with you. Learn how to felt wool and other fibres onto a silk base.
Saturday
November 30 2019
10am-4pm
$90 plus $40 in materials payable to instructor
Instructor: Pat Moore
Level: Beginner
December
Date: December 4th, 2019
Community: Yellowknife
Location: YK Guild of Arts and Crafts
Join us for an evening slide show and artists talk about the history of rug hooking in Canada and some recent Canadian projects. Learn about some of your local hookers! Try your hand at rug hooking. If you are an experienced hooker, register for an 8inch mat exchange. Refreshments will be available.
Date: December 7th, 2019
Community: Yellowknife
Location: Northern Arts and Cultural Centre
Described as possessing an “impressive” (Brooklyn Discovery) “sonorous,” (Meet Me at the Opera) and “stentorian bass voice” (National Herald), Kofi Hayford, is swiftly building his reputation as an accomplished young bass. Born to a Ghanaian-American family in New York, Kofi developed a love for classical singing in high school. He brings an exciting and stunning sound to stages and ensembles worldwide, among them the United Nations Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Loft Opera, Apotheosis Opera, Chelsea Opera, Central Florida Lyric Opera, Buffalo Opera Unlimited, Regina...
October
Date: October 25th, 2019
Community: TBD
Location: Northern Arts and Cultural Centre
Sing-Along Series
Have you ever been to a movie musical and had the uncontrollable urge to burst into song?
Now's your chance! So get your friends together to watch a classic and come sing your heart out.
Your emcee will lead you through vocal warmups and pump up the energy for the evening. Costumes are encouraged and prizes will be given out.
Those of age can enjoy a draught pint of Kicksled Cream Ale or glass of wine during the show in our reusable cups.
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Enjoy the campiest cult classic of all time on the big screen just...
