Dennis Shorty: antler and copper jewelry demonstration
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Yukon Artists @ Work Cooperative 4129 4 Avenue, Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 1H7
Dennis Shorty will be demonstrating in the Yukon Artists @ Work window July 22-24, 11-2 pm. You can also register for a Zoom artist talk with him, Thursday July 23 at 6:30 pm. Drop by YA@W, call 393 4848, or email yaaw@artlover.com to register.
Shorty is one of two guest artists, not currently members of YA@W, who will showcase their work in the not for profit gallery’s windows. Because Arts in the Park has helped support our summer program, we wanted to open up two of the slots to the wider art community. We are delighted that Dennis is able to travel in from Ross River to share his art. Yukon Arts Fund’s support for travel costs and commitment to making arts programming more accessible for people outside Whitehorse make that possible.
Dennis Shorty is inspired by growing up outdoors in the land around Ross River. His art is also part of his healing journey from residential school.
A multi-media artist, Shorty works in ink, oil and acrylic, as well as carving wood, moose and caribou antler, sheep and muskox horn. He has recently also been working in mammoth ivory, gifted to him by fellow artist Mark Preston.
The land inspires him. When he carves animals, he means to honour them. If a piece of antler speaks to him, he carves it. If not, he leaves it alone. For him, carving is a spiritual act. He puts a lot of energy into each of the pieces he creates.
Since the beginning of Covid, Shorty has been offering a series of antler carving video lessons on his Facebook page, Dennis Shorty Arts. So far he has four short videos out, that follow the process of making an antler carving step by step, starting with looking for the antler, inviting the audience to guess what it’s going to be.