Call for Applications: Fall 2025 Foundation Year Program at the Yukon School of Visual Arts

Artwork (far right): Jove Boutin, 2024-25 Foundation Year Student. Photos: Yukon School of Visual Arts.

Places still available for the 2025-26 Foundation Year Program at the Yukon School of Visual Arts

Thinking about attending art school? Now’s your chance!

Join our 2025-26 cohort of Foundation Year students in the sub-arctic community of Dawson City, Yukon, for a unique 8-month visual arts program at the Yukon School of Visual Arts. The Foundation Year program emphasises land-based learning and what it means create art in the specific context of Dawson City and within Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin Territory.

Designed and run by artists, for artists, disciplines in the Foundation Year Program include painting, drawing, printmaking, bookmaking, photography, video, sculpture, installation, and performance. Students participate in field trips to important Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin culture and heritage sites and attend lectures and workshops by local and visiting artists.

We offer:

• small class sizes with a maximum of 15 students in the program
• individual studio spaces in a shared environment
• multiple exhibition opportunities
• world-renowned faculty.

Photos: Yukon School of Visual Arts

The Foundation Year program is equivalent to the first year of art school OR a stand-alone visual arts certificate. YSOVA is part of the Faculty of Applied Arts at Yukon University, and graduates can go on the complete an arts degree at our partner schools across Canada.

The Foundation Year program may be for you if:

• You have an arts practice but haven’t attended art school and would like to evolve your visual arts skills and gain a more comprehensive understanding of contemporary art and artists.
• You have always wanted to spend a winter in a small, sub-arctic, artist community and you are open to learning about how to be a respectful guest on Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin Territory.
• You are serious about studying art and are considering applying to a college or university art/design program but would like a first-year experience in a small, attentive program, before attending a larger institution.

Application Deadline: We are accepting applications on a rolling basis until July 15, 2025.

For more information on how to apply, visit our Admission Requirements page.

New to putting together a portfolio? We are happy to offer portfolio reviews, simply email us and we can set up a virtual meeting.

Yukon School of Visual Arts
994 Third Avenue
Dawson City, YT Y0B 1G0
YSOVA Foundation Year Program
info@yukonsova.ca
867-993-6390
@yukonsova