Latest news with #YukonArtsCentre
CBC
26-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
NDP announce Katherine McCallum as Yukon candidate in federal election
The NDP announced on Wednesday that Katherine McCallum is the party's candidate for Yukon MP in the upcoming federal election, set for April 28. McCallum is new to politics, having worked in the Yukon's theatre and arts community for the past two decades. She previously served on the board of the Yukon Arts Centre and now teaches theatre at Yukon University. "I've been sitting on the sidelines politically for a long time and very involved in my own personal beliefs in the political system," McCallum said. "And with everything that's going on in the world and in North America right now, I just felt like it was time to step up." The NDP is the last of the major federal parties to confirm a Yukon candidate. Liberal Brendan Hanley is seeking re-election, against the Green Party's Gabrielle Dupont, André Fortin of the People's Party of Canada, and Conservative Ryan Leef. McCallum says that if she were elected, addressing affordable housing and mental health would be some of her priorities. "We would definitely need some federal funding to go into various housing initiatives that could ease the crunch and make it easier for people to enter the housing market," she said. McCallum believes that the "mental health crisis" happening across the country is closely tied the housing crisis. "I think that we need to really look at mental health supports for people so that people can then move forward in their day and be functional and get a roof over their heads. I think that those two things are very closely linked." Amid the trade war with the U.S. that has put on a strain on Canada's relationship with its southern neighbour, McCallum says "Canadian sovereignty is a really important issue." "I'm sad that this is happening…it does feel like a bit of a betrayal," McCallum said. She said she does not yet know exactly how she would address the issue. With election day just over a month away, McCallum says she's excited to get out and speak to Yukoners. "That's one of the reasons I want to do this…we live in a small city in a small territory with not a huge population. It can't be that hard to listen to each other and actually just move forward in a positive way." In the last federal election, the party's candidate Lisa Vollans-Leduc finished third in Yukon with 22.4 per cent of the vote. The last time Yukon elected an NDP member of Parliament was in the 1990s. Louise Hardy held the seat from 1997 to 2000, succeeding Audrey McLaughlin, who was MP from 1987 to 1997 and was also the federal NDP leader for some of that period.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
How a Yukon entomologist's fascination with beetle genitalia inspired an art project
A retired Yukon-based entomologist is finding artistic inspiration in the tiniest and most private of places: beetle genitalia. Benoit Godin has been studying aleocharine rove beetles for 18 years. The insects spend most of their time in the litter layer of soil and can be found all across North America, including in the Yukon. In the sub-arctic region alone, there are 238 different aleocharine sub-families. "They're really abundant — but nobody knows them," Godin said. It's a testy situation for entomologists. The lack of knowledge is due to the fact that the insects are one of the most difficult-to-identify groups of beetles in the world. Most aleocharine beetles are roughly the same colours, same shape and same length (around half a centimetre). However, there is one way to accurately identify these insects: by examining their genitals. That's what inspired Godin's idea of depicting some of these beetle bits as large glass sculptures. An exhibition of his collaborative artworks opens in Whitehorse this coming week. The different sub-families of aleocharine beetles have unique genitalia. Godin compares the private parts to neon art. "To me, looking at them all these years, it always looked like neon signs and glasses ... so that's why I thought the medium of glass would be just the perfect one," he said. 'To me, looking at them all these years, it always looked like neon signs and glasses,' said Godin. (Mike Thomas/Yukon Arts Centre) To make the project possible, he enlisted the help of Luann Baker-Johnson who is the co-creator and artist behind Lumel Studios, a glass-blowing studio in downtown Whitehorse. Baker-Johnson said she had no hesitation about collaborating on the project. "When somebody comes to you with such an incredible dream and is so excited about it … there's no question about not saying, 'let's do it.'" 'What glass does not want to do' Although drawn to the medium of glass, Godin does not have the glass blowing skills required to fulfil his creative vision. So, for this collaboration, he has acts as the eyes, while Baker-Johnson and her team serve as the hands. Godin selects which aleocharine genitalia the team will attempt to replicate, and the artists at Lumel Studios then create it — with his careful supervision. A sculpture in progress at Lumel Studios. (Mike Thomas/Yukon Arts Centre) Baker-Johnson says the collaboration has pushed her to try new things with the medium. "We're making glass do what glass does not want to do," she said. A plan is made before they start. Godin creates a large plaster version of the genitals to help the Lumel team visualize how they will recreate it with glass. On one occasion, Godin brought in a microscope and slides of aleocharine genitalia for the artists to examine. The glass blowing team then sketches out the shape of each part in chalk on the concrete floor of the studio, to be referenced throughout the glass blowing process. Each sculpture usually involves multiple pieces of glass being made simultaneously and then fused into one. 'When somebody comes to you with such an incredible dream and is so excited about it … there's no question about not saying, 'let's do it,'' said Luann Baker-Johnson at Lumel Studios. (Mike Thomas/Yukon Arts Centre) Godin hopes to have 15 glass sculptures in total. Once completed, the glass genitalia will be displayed in an exhibit at the Yukon Arts Centre. Mary Bradshaw, director of visual arts for the Arts Centre, said it was Benoit's and Baker-Johnson's "sheer level of enthusiasm" that sold her. "I'm like, this show has to happen, this has to be shared with the public … it is such a cool way to bridge art and science." The exhibition will open on March 6.
