Programs offered at each campus may vary, so be sure to check other campus offerings for the course you are most interested in.
Yukon School of Visual Arts (SOVA)/ Yuhke Zho is a post-secondary art school located culturally vibrant community of Dawson City, Yukon Territory. Dawson City is situated within the traditional territory of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, who have lived and travelled in a large area of the Yukon River valley for millennia. The fundamentally different relationships with the land for the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and settler populations, brought together by the iconic Gold Rush at the turn of the last century, continue to shape the cultural landscape today.
SOVA offers students a rigorous eight-month Foundation Year Program, equivalent to the first year of a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree. Upon completing the Foundation Year Program, SOVA graduates may elect to transfer directly into the second year of a BFA at a number of SOVA-affiliated Canadian art schools.
SOVA is part of the Applied Arts Division of Yukon College, and receives its academic accreditation through the College.
We offer a dynamic visual arts education in a culturally vibrant northern environment.
SOVA is a collaboration between Yukon College, Dawson City’s arts organization (KIAC) and the local First Nation (Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in) to provide a foundation for creative exploration. We offer an academic credit from Yukon College, block transfer to specific institutions, an active arts-oriented community, an interactive relationship with the First Nation and an exceptional contemporary facility.
The Yukon School of Visual Arts (SOVA) is overseen by a Governance Council composed of members from the Dawson City Arts Society (DCAS), the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation (TH) and Yukon College (YC). Each of these partner organizations selects two representatives to participate in monthly meetings that review the school’s pedagogical activities, community positioning, financial reports, recruitment efforts, and human resources, as directed by the Program Chair. The Governance Council partners also contribute to regular strategy sessions regarding SOVA’s long-term direction as well as external program evaluations. Each Governance Council partner contributes something essential to SOVA’s unique qualities and ongoing success.