Your guide to arts and culture in Yukon

Here's what's happening in Yukon:

CypherFest 2016

What: Breakdancing Yukon presents CypherFest. The 6th annual festival has showcases, competitions and workshops. There will be breaking and all styles dance battles outside at the Whitehorse Waterfront Wharf for dancers of all ages. Battles are free. The more people that come, the more fun the event will be. 

Sunday, Cypherfest moves inside for two shows at the Yukon Arts Centre. The matinee show features hip-hop, krump, and breaking pieces created by local dancers. You can also see an excerpt of a piece from the main show by Yukon's Borealis Soul. The main show includes original performances by Montreal-based duo called Tentacle Tribe and Vancouver-based OURO Collective.

As well, Borealis Soul will showcase its new show, The Call, that's loosely based on Jack London's Call of the Wild. 

When & Where: Friday and Saturday, 4 to 8 p.m. Whitehorse Waterfront Wharf, Sunday 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Yukon Arts Centre, Whitehorse

Arts Up Front

What: The Yukon Art Society's summer festival, Arts Up Front, features an open gallery outside on the wharf on the Whitehorse waterfront. There are workshops, artist demonstrations and live music.

Lara Melnik will demonstrate how she makes colourful treasures out of polymer clay. Patrick Royle will be making pottery. Dennis Shorty will be carving antler. Cathy Routledge will be doing some watercolour painting and Sarah Overington will be hand spinning. That's just a sampling of the free demonstrations that you can see. You can register for various workshops each day too.

As for the live music, Paris Vagabond Gypsy will be on the Wharf on Friday at 2 p.m. Dena Zagi will be there at noon Saturday, as part of the Fireweed Community Market. Sunday, Rob Dickson will on the wharf at 3 p.m. There will also be street art and breakdancing Friday and Saturday evenings. More details here.

When: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. 
Where: Whitehorse Waterfront Wharf

Created at the Canyon

What: Art will be "Created at the Canyon" this weekend in Whitehorse. The Yukon Conservation Society is hosting live art and performances that are inspired by the natural and cultural history of Miles Canyon and Canyon City. 

Five local artists will set up along the trails near the canyon and the Yukon River. They are: poet kjmunro, multi-media artist Leslie Leong, photographer Pat Bragg, free-hand pencil artist Dustin J.L. Sheldon and musician Steve Slade.

The public is invited to stop by and talk to the artists to learn how they go about their creative process. They'll be creating original work that will be on display in August at the Northern Front Studio in Whitehorse.

Visitors can also take an interpretive tour of the trails and make their own art in the YCS tent. 

When: Friday, 2 to 8 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Miles Canyon and Canyon City, Whitehorse

Art Gallery in Carcross

What: Yukon's newest art gallery has opened in Carcross. Art House Carcross officially opened Thursday, July 14. The gallery is featuring the diverse works of Yukon Artists.

The current exhibit includes works by Keith Wolfe Smarch, Sandra Grace Storey, Donald Watt, Margriet Aasman, Helen O'Connor, Suzanne Paleczny, Jeanine Baker, Barb Hinton, Leslie Leong and Lawrie Crawford.

The Yukon Arts Centre is working with the Carcross/Tagish First Nation, the Southern Lakes Artists Collective and Carcross/Tagish Management Corporation to showcase Yukon artists' work to the visitors to Carcross in the summer.

When: daily 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Carcross Commons, Carcross

Going with the Fluō

​What: Lindsey Tyne Johnson's show Fluō has opened in the SOVA (School of Visual Arts) Gallery in Dawson City. She explores her relationship with water in a "fantastical way."

Tyne Johnson is a preschool teacher, writer, podcaster and artist living in Dawson City. She also performs slam poetry and ukulele covers on the side.

Her exhibit is part of Confluence, which is a DIY community series offering a space during the summer for members of the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture to show their art.

When: Fridays & Saturdays, 3 to 7 p.m. until August 6
Where: Confluence at the SOVA Gallery, Dawson City

Other events:

• Sarah MacDougall plays the Village Bakery in Haines Junction on Friday.
• The Root Sellers are releasing a new cd. Daniel and Galen Ashley are holding a cd release show Friday night at Antoinette's Restaurant in Whitehorse.
• The Whiskey Dicks play Lizards in Whitehorse on Friday, with local band The Steiner Recliners opening the show
• Arts in the Park at the Watson Lake Farmer's Market features Rick Sward this Saturday 12 to 2 p.m. at Wye Lake Park.
• Steve Slade plays Antoinette's Restaurant Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m.
• Yukon Women in Music play another Cook Shack Session, this time as part of Parks Day at campgrounds across the Yukon. This weekend, they'll be performing at the Johnson Lake campground near Faro.
• Adventure photographer Dan Hudson continues his trek on the Chilkoot Trail. He'll share his photography skills with hikers Friday at Lindeman City.
• At Arts in the Park in Whitehorse next week, the visual artist is Françoise La Roche. Musically, Joey O'Neil is on stage Monday. Tuesday, it's Lucie D4. The double header Wednesday at noon features Nadine Landry and Sammy Lind. At 7 p.m., it's Major Funk and the Employment. Thursday, it's Steve Slade followed by Ed Peekeekoot on Friday. Arts in the Park is held every weekday from noon to 1 p.m. at LePage Park in Whitehorse.
• Next week: It's the Dawson City Music Festival, July 22-24, 2016.

Know of an arts or cultural event coming up in the Yukon? Call (867) 668-8460, email [email protected] or message CBC Yukon's Facebook page.