Yukon School of Visual Arts (SOVA) is a post-secondary art school located in Dawson City, Yukon Territory. SOVA is part of the Applied Arts Division of Yukon College, and receives its academic accreditation through the College. SOVA offers students a rigorous 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.
Located in a 7, 800 square foot facility, SOVA provides students with access to top-of-the-line studio equipment, new media technologies, and world-class instruction. Students are assigned individual studio spaces within an open studio environment, as well as a personal laptop computer and digital still camera. In addition, students have access to all SOVA’s facilities and equipment six days per week.
| | # Beds | Lowest | Highest |
| Homestay: | | Lowest: $500 | Highest: $1,000 |
Shared houses or apartments, winterized cabins and long-term bed and breakfast units are among the available housing options. Rental rates are slightly higher in Dawson than in many southern communities.
The SOVA building, located on the corner of 3rd Avenue and Queen Street in downtown Dawson City. The school is located in a 7500 square foot historic building in downtown Dawson City, Yukon. This two-storey structure accommodates the needs of the Foundation Year program with workspaces for each student, common studio facilities, a lecture room, library, audio-visual lab, indoor/outdoor common areas, gallery, Art Supply Store and a student lounge. Storage areas for projects and supplies are provided. SOVA students enjoy state-of-the-art facilities and world-class instruction situated within the personalized learning environment of a small school and supportive northern community.
The combination of academic and practical experiences that students acquire at SOVA provide excellent preparation for applied artistic endeavours, or for pursuing Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees. Those students who wish to continue on to BFA programs will benefit from SOVA’s articulation agreements with top art schools across the country. These agreements give graduates the opportunity to transfer directly into the second year of BFA programs at Emily Carr University of Art+Design (Vancouver), OCAD University (Toronto), NSCAD University (Halifax), or the Alberta College of Art+Design (Calgary).
The Recreation Centre is run by Dawson City’s Recreation Department and is located on 4th Ave. The Rec Centre is home to Dawson’s curling club, men and women’s ice hockey, and numerous public skating programs. Skating equipment can be rented at the arena for a very reasonable fee.
Laptop computers and digital still cameras are assigned to each student for use in both their academic and studio coursework. Wireless Internet access is available throughout the facility.