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
February
Date: February 1st, 2023 to February 28th, 2023
Community: Yellowknife
Location: TBD
The Black Advocacy Coalition has a number of fun and creative activities planned for Black History Month. View the events calendar using the link.
Date: February 3rd, 2023
Community: Yellowknife
Location: Northern Arts and Cultural Centre
WESLEY HARDISTY is a fiddler and composer who blends rock, country, folk, Celtic and Métis sounds into his music. Wesley is from the Dene First Nation and took up the fiddle at age 13 in Fort Simpson through the Kole Crook Fiddle Association. He attended the prestigious Gulf Islands School of Performing Arts on Saltspring Island, BC. His debut CD 12:12 won the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Award for Best Fiddle CD.
This will be his final performance as a NACC mentee.
Date: February 3rd, 2023
Community: Yellowknife
Location: The Gallery on 47th Street
The Gallery on 47th Street will have curated a new selection of Inuit carvings and prints from the famed Baffin Island art house. Includes prints and carvings from 1975 through to 2021.
Date: February 4th, 2023
Community: Yellowknife
Location: Northern Arts and Cultural Centre
You know them as Welders Daughter, the house band of the north, but did you know they are also songwriters and storytellers, and they have a Little Rock and roll in their souls?
Known as the Karen Single Band well before they were Welder's Daughter, it's time to re-introduce this band as they share another side of themselves. Celebrating their 25th year as a band, they have re-released their first album with brand new graphics and a new 16-page story booklet. It's been remastered and re-tuned to the love frequency of 432hz.
With razor-sharp guitar riffs and high-energy vocals...
Date: February 7th, 2023
Community: Yellowknife
Location: Northern Arts and Cultural Centre
The Gesualdo Six is an award-winning British vocal ensemble comprising some of the UK’s finest consort singers, directed by Owain Park. Praised for their imaginative programming and impeccable blend, the ensemble formed in 2014 for a performance of Gesualdo’s Tenebrae Responsories in Cambridge and has gone on to perform at numerous major festivals across the UK, Europe, North America and Australia. Notable highlights include a concert as part of the distinguished Deutschlandradio Debut Series, debut at Wigmore Hall in 2021, and collaborations with the Brodsky Quartet, London Mozart Players...
Date: February 10th, 2023
Community: Yellowknife
Location: Northern Arts and Cultural Centre
“j dozen du mois” is a celebration of the 10 year anniversary of working in the subarctic. It is a performance lecture following the tradition of Jorge Luis Borges, tracking the history of the practice. This includes an artist talk, revisions of past works, and the presentation of the shadow biosphere of conceptual work in a frontier town.
BIO:
aMoral House of Cards is a holistic studio formed in Glasgow, 2007. We specialize in automythology, as exemplified by Buffalo Bill Cody, David Hildebrand Wilson, and Matthew Barney. Our collective experiences include fabrication and...
Date: February 11th, 2023
Community: Yellowknife
Location: Northern Arts and Cultural Centre
On February 11th at 7pm the first concert will feature Susan Shantora, Kara Cherland, Barbara Fortin-Clinton, Ari Snyder, Kerry Wheler, Shannon Lyman, Claire Singer and alumni of the Yellowknife Music Festival.
Tickets can be purchased from the NACC box office at $28 for each concert.
Date: February 12th, 2023
Community: Yellowknife
Location: Northern Arts and Cultural Centre
On February 12th at 3pm the second concert will feature Concert Pianist and Yellowknife Music Festival Alumnus, Jonathan Raine in a Piano Recital which will include works by Chopin, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann and Liszt.
A graduate of St. Patrick's High School, Dr. Johnathan Raine now makes his home in Ottawa. He is visiting Yellowknife to perform, celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the Yellowknife Music Festival and host piano masterclasses for young musicians. Johnathan will be performing works from the Classical and Romantic eras including piano music from Schumann, Schubert,...
Date: February 17th, 2023
Community: Yellowknife
Location: The Gallery on 47th Street
Join The Gallery on 47th Street for the opening of Near and Dear by Debi Scott-Fidler, a collection of original oil and acrylic works on canvas and wood featuring familiar places and cozy spaces from around Yellowknife.
Date: February 18th, 2023
Community: Yellowknife
Location: Tree of Peace
Live music, square dancing and jigging! Featuring Andrea Bettger, Ben Russo, Ryan McCord, Vanessa Sanguez and Olga Aviugana!
Date: February 27th, 2023
Community: Yellowknife
Location: Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
Join the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre (PWNHC) and Music Teachers' Association of the Northwest Territories for a series of monthly live music performances.
These free events are intended to provide a space for local music students of all ages to gather and enhance their experiences, and—most importantly—to have fun.
Hosted by: Music Teachers' Association of the NWT
Please email mtamusicsundays@gmail.com for any questions on how to participate in this event.
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Musique au musée
Joignez-vous...
March
Date: March 1st, 2023
Community: Yellowknife
Location: Yellowknife Bay
Snowking's Winter Festival is a month-long celebration of community spirit, collaboration, innovation in the arts, entertainment for young and old, and where the spirit of winter wonderment from all our collective childhood reigns supreme.
The Festival will be celebrating it's 28th year and once again feature a Great Hall for live events and performances!
Stay tuned on this event page for more details, and visit www.snowking.ca for all up to date information.
Date: March 4th, 2023
Community: Yellowknife
Location: Snowking's Winter Festival
Join the NWT Arts Program and the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program at the Snowking's Winter Festival in Yellowknife for NWT Fur Day, Saturday, March 4, from 1:30 - 4:00. Regular admission to the Snowcastle applies to join in the fun.
1:30 – 3:30 Learn about NWT Fur and Trapping – skin a beaver, talk about furs and traps, participate in kids games and win great prizes.
1:30 – 3:30 Flaunt your Fur Photobooth – come dressed in your finest furs for a professional photo with local photograph Jamie Stevenson.
1:30 – 4:00 Fur Market – an opportunity to talk and shop...
Date: March 4th, 2023
Community: Yellowknife
Location: Northern Arts and Cultural Centre
Amazing things happen when people dream together! And taiko dreams are loud and fun!
The Loco Ladies, three taiko characters based in Europe, have teamed up to bring a lot of taiko enthusiasm to the world. And in March 2023, Mel, Romi and Chiara, and their Taiko Roadtrip of all original taiko songs are coming to Yellowknife! The show is a collaboration with local taiko ensemble Skyfire Taiko and their special guest David Dowe. Don't miss this high energy evening of taiko drumming! It will be unforgettable!
Loco Ladies
Born out of one lady’s crazy idea for a Taiko...
Date: March 26th, 2023
Community: Yellowknife
Location: Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
Join the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre (PWNHC) and Music Teachers' Association of the Northwest Territories for a series of monthly live music performances.
These free events are intended to provide a space for local music students of all ages to gather and enhance their experiences, and—most importantly—to have fun.
Hosted by: Music Teachers' Association of the NWT
Please email mtamusicsundays@gmail.com for any questions on how to participate in this event.
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Musique au musée
Joignez-vous...
April
Date: April 30th, 2023
Community: Yellowknife
Location: Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
Join the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre (PWNHC) and Music Teachers' Association of the Northwest Territories for a series of monthly live music performances.
These free events are intended to provide a space for local music students of all ages to gather and enhance their experiences, and—most importantly—to have fun.
Hosted by: Music Teachers' Association of the NWT
Please email mtamusicsundays@gmail.com for any questions on how to participate in this event.
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Musique au musée
Joignez-vous...
February
Date: February 11th, 2023
Community: TBD
Location: Top Knight
Join NorthWords for a very SPECIAL evening of spoken word and storytelling!
The theme for the evening is all matters of the heart: love, sex, dating, heartache, etc.
You have the microphone for up to 5 minutes to perform anything original that is spoken out loud (sorry musicians!). For example, you could read
- An original love poem you want to read to your spouse on this special weekend
- An erotic story that can’t wait until the Blush event
- A hilarious first date experience that you need to tell us about
- A heartbreaking chapter from a ...
