ODD Gallery - Dawson City, Yukon

Francesca K.

I just came back from the fantastic fiber arts showing "Weaving the Midnight Sun" featuring beautiful, unique work from members of the Northern Fibres Guild. The pieces were staged and mounted beautifully. A couple of the longer pieces were hung from simple organic twig circles. The exhibit included beautiful woven pieces with various weights of fiber from rugs to throws to linen clothes as well as some complex and original designs with hand carded and dyed fibers; traditional quilting to different colored and textured fabric creating pictures and landscapes; complex patterns in beautiful knitted pieces; whimsical to gracious felted pieces using wool, silk, and other materials. Seeing this range of beauty and creativity was a highlight of my visit to Dawson.

Francis H.

The Odd Fellows Hall, located in central Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada, is a historic structure originally constructed in 1901 by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF), a fraternal organization established in 1819. The IOOF, focused on charity, recreation, and societal improvement, expanded the building by 1910 to include facilities such as a meeting hall, dance floor, and dining areas. However, the organization operated under exclusionary policies, restricting membership based on race, gender, and other factors until later reforms. The IOOF occupied the hall until the 1950s and surrendered its local charter in 1964.

In 1980, the Klondike Visitors Association acquired and stabilized the property. By 1998, the Dawson City Arts Society, now known as the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture (KIAC), obtained the building and transformed it into a cultural hub. In 2019, the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Elders’ Council bestowed upon it the Hän name Dënäkär Zho, translating to "Mixed Colours House," symbolizing reconciliation with its segregated history.

Presently, Dënäkär Zho serves as the home of KIAC, featuring a public art gallery and performing arts venue. It hosts a variety of events, including exhibitions, performances, workshops, the Dawson City Short Film Festival, and community programs such as youth art enrichment and public meetings. The building stands as a significant landmark in Dawson City's cultural landscape, blending historical preservation with contemporary artistic endeavors.

Fred C.