Supporting artists and providing them a studio space, the Jenni House Artist Residency is moving into its 10th year in operation.
The Jenni House Artist Residency is known in the Yukon for providing studio space to artists from the territories, northern BC and Alaska, as well as circumpolar countries.
With monthly residencies for a variety of different creatives including visual artists, filmmakers, musicians, literary artists, multimedia creators and more, Jenni House resident artists are able to dedicate themselves to their craft full-time and create what they desire with inspiration from their historical surroundings.
“I was lucky enough to do a residency at Jenni House during the summer of 2021,” said Jenni House Outreach Coordinator Janet Patterson, who was offered her position after completing her residency, “As a residency artist, it was a real gift to be able to devote a full month solely to my art. And while the project I initially planned to work on had no direct connection with the Shipyards area itself, I became fascinated by the stories that people told me when they dropped by Jenni House to see what I was working on.”
Patterson said the passion of the people she spoke with during her artist residency for the area overshadowed her intent for her original project and she wound up curating an exhibit in the Yukon Art Centre’s community gallery the following spring. From Outhouses to Condos featured photos taken of the Shipyards community when it was flourishing and as it was being demolished to make way for the Shipyards Park and other developments.
“At the same time, I also organized a storytelling circle involving several people who had lived there, and Andrew Connors re-screened a film he had made 20 years earlier about the dying days of the Shipyards community,” Patterson said. “None of this would have happened had I not been given a Jenni House artist residency. So you can see how dear it is to my heart.”
The Jenni House is the only year round artist residency in the Yukon. According to Patterson, studio space is scarce in Whitehorse, and affordable spaces are even harder to find.
“To date, the Jenni House residency has offered work space to about 175 artists,” she said. “But of course the effects of this program go beyond the artists to the general public, which has a chance to attend open houses, participate in workshops, and otherwise engage with the artists. The ripples extend far and wide.”
The Jenni House Artist Residency is hosted by an arts collective including ArtsNet Society, Yukon Film Society, Yukon Arts Centre, Music Yukon and Jazz Yukon with support from other arts and cultural organizations, sponsors and donors, as well as the Yukon Arts Fund and the City of Whitehorse.
In April, the Jenni House celebrated 10 years of operations with an open house that involved the unveiling of some interpretive panels and brochures funded by Yukon 125 and the Yukon Heritage Resources Fund. The event also celebrated the Jenni House’s support of over 175 participating artists who engaged in month-long residencies and delivered an array of more than 185 workshops, open houses and other community engagement events attended by 6,000 Yukoners.
“I’m delighted, of course!” said Patterson, speaking about how it feels to reach this milestone.
“This residency is possible because five non-profits came together to make this happen—ArtsNet, Yukon Arts Centre, Music Yukon, Jazz Yukon, Yukon Film Society. In that way, Jenni House is unique. Running programs like this always has its financial challenges, so I hope we can continue to run the Jenni House residency program for many years to come.”
As of now, the Jenni House building can only be used in the warmer months because of issues with freezing water pipes, Patterson explained. In the winters, they have been moving next door to the Chambers House, which the Frostbite Society generously lets them use.
“We are working with the city to see if money can be found to upgrade the water pipes in hopes that we could use Jenni House on a year round basis,” Patterson said. “That would be a game changer for us! It’s great to have the option of using the Chambers House in winter, but it is a smaller, shared space that doesn’t work for all disciplines.”
For Patterson, her favourite part of working with the Jenni House is getting to know the artists and their work.
“The talent in this territory is remarkable!” she said. “In terms of highlights, there are many artists who have gone on to make an impact on the national and international stage. Krystle Silverfox comes to mind right away for instance. She was shortlisted for the 2022 Sobey Art Award and has shown at the National Gallery of Canada among other prestigious galleries.”
All kinds of artists are encouraged to apply for the Jenni House Artist Residency. Selected artists are awarded a one-month residency and a $1,000 CAD honorarium and $100 material allowance for public engagement such as supplies for workshops or refreshments for receptions. Artists from rural communities outside Whitehorse and outside the Yukon can also apply for travel, accommodation and living allowances. The Jenni House Artist Residency has two application deadlines annually, on February 14 and August 14.
“It might seem like a simple thing to provide free studio space to an artist for a month, along with a $1,000 stipend, but I think the power of that support can be quite extraordinary,” said Patterson.To learn more about the Jenni House Artist Residency or to submit an application, visit https://yukonartscentre.com/opportunities/jenni-house-artist-residency/
