The Yukon Arts Centre: a future Banff North?

Performing Arts & Entertainment in Canada, Spring, 1993 by Muriel Leeper

Artists of national and international acclaim have quickly `discovered' the new Performing Arts Centre and Gallery in Whitehorse. The Yukoners who live in the city and in the wide area surrounding Whitehorse have also `found' the Centre and seem to have claimed it with their hearts.

Jim Wilhelm-Boyles, director of the new Yukon Arts Centre still speaks with pride and pleasure of the two-week extravaganza of art, music and theatre events that opened the cultural Centre in May '92. The whole city was caught up in an atmosphere of excitement that seemed to involve almost everyone. "Volunteers, almost 400 of them, made the Gala opening a magnificent success," says Boyles.

Through the week-long festival, the audience was treated to a wide diversity of entertainment by top Canadian artists. The Quebec Innu folk duo Kashtin performed, as did country star Michelle Wright. The McGill Chamber Orchestra assembled on stage and won the hearts of the audience with a superb performance.

But making his point that the $8.5 million Arts Centre belonged to the people of the Yukon Territory, Wilhehm-Boyles (working with producer and director of the show Philip Adams) delegated one night of the Festival to the youth of the north. The audience was delighted and impressed with the 150 young Yukon performers who took their turn on stage through nineteen acts.

The young singers, dancers, actors and musicians came from communities scattered throughout the territories, and during the three-hour show, their pride and excitement interacted with the emotions of an enchanted audience.

Toronto-based, touring and recording pianist, Anton Kuerti was one of the soloists who completely captivated his audience. "I never play down to any audience," Kuerti commented. "My program was similar to any that I play on tour, and I was happy that it was successful."

The Viennese-born artist is an ardent lover of Canada North. With his wife Kristine Bogyo and his two sons Julian and Raphael, he has been rafting on Yukon rivers many times.

Kuerti was invited back to the Centre to play a second concert in February, '93 when he also gave a Master Class and a pre-program to discuss the works he would play. The response was enthusiastic and in 1994, music lovers in the Yukon will enjoy more music from the brilliant, internationally-acclaimed pianist.

The new climate-controlled Gallery was also a star in the glittering crown of the Festival. Three areas exhibited all-Canadian art in the 4,200 square feet of space. One section displayed Canadian works on loan from the National Gallery. The second space presented inspired native art (from the Indian Art Centre Collection in Ottawa); and the third show was a juried exhibition of paintings by Yukon artists.

The Yukon Arts Centre's glittering, exciting and artistic opening will be long remembered.

Now, one year later, skeptics ask - "will the Arts Centre become a white elephant?" Will the early commitment to the arts retain its original policy to serve as a visual and performing arts centre for the Yukoners while acting as a showcase for artists from anywhere, from Canada or from abroad?

Wilhelm-Boyles looks back at the past year at the Centre assessing the impact that the Gallery and Concert Hall has had on the Yukon communities.

"From September to December '92", he says, "the Centre was the location for 112 separate events. They were attended by 15,000 people. Twenty local producing groups are using the centre on a regular basis. I am delighted and overwhelmed at the response that has far exceeded my rosiest expectations, and these figures exclude meetings.".

"The Arts Centre is used every day of the week," the Director continued. "The F.H. Collins Secondary School uses it as the centre for their MAD program - Music-arts-dance. Then on the Wednesday in the middle-of-the-month we feature NFB films."

"Perhaps one of the most popular programs is the Sunday Afternoon Recital Series," Wilhelm Boyles adds. "Our best local performers - instrumentalists and vocalists - entertain their audiences with classical, folk, jazz or popular programs such as Broadway Hits."

Wilhelm-Boyles commented that the artistic ambience of the largest Gallery space provides a setting that inspires the performers and adds to the enjoyment of the audiences. A Steinway grand piano smaller than the one that remains in the large Theatre, is always available for the Recital Series and "often the 100 seats are quickly sold out."

One of the biggest hits of the year was the Golden Horn Music Theatre's Annie. Rehearsals were a constant source of delight for more than 50 young people from the Whitehorse area and the 10 November performances brought applauding audiences to their feet.

"Following these public appearances, these youngsters formed their own Choral Society," says Whitehorse resident Patricia Cumming. They went carolling at Christmas and hope to appear again at the Yukon Arts Centre. It's a wonderful spin-off from their first appearance on a stage designed for professionals."