Five artists from Northern Russia were officially welcomed to the Yukon last night, during an event at the Arts Underground gallery.

The five artists, who are from the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, are visiting the Yukon as part of a cultural exchange organized through the Canada-Russia Northern Development Partnership Program (NORDEP). NORDEP is a program administered by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, and the Canadian International Development Agency.

'The Yukon government works to foster the development of the arts at the local, national and international levels through a wide range of knowledge, experience and expertise that benefits all involved,' Tourism Minister Elaine Taylor said in a press release this week. 'It gives me great pleasure to welcome these gifted artists to the Yukon.'

The event at Arts Underground, which took place between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., was open to the public and featured slideshow and cultural talk on artwork from the Yamal-Nenets region, as well as several traditional costumes on display.

During their stay in the Yukon, the artists learned and shared ideas about how to promote, market and exhibit arts and crafts, in order to assist them with the development of the District Arts and Crafts Centre in Salekhard. The centre will be the primary location for distribution and display of aboriginal arts and crafts within the region.

'We are excited about the study tour to Yukon,' said artist Sergey Luginin, director of the District Arts and Crafts Centre. 'Northern territories the world over have much in common. I am sure that the knowledge and experience of our Yukon colleagues will be relevant within the Russian context. We hope that this visit will foster long-term cooperation between Yamal and Yukon.'

The group, which features the five artists, a NORDEP representative, and a translator, arrived in Whitehorse on Aug. 11. Their local itinerary included a visit to the Sundog Retreat carving program, tours of Yukon artists' studios, and a visit to the Yukon Artists @ Work gallery.

During their stay, they also traveled to Dawson City to experience the Riverside Arts Festival and Danoja Zho Cultural Centre, as well as a visit to the Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre. These trips gave them the opportunity to meet with curators and art administrators, as well as attend workshops on marketing and promoting art.

The group will return home Friday.

'I hope the experiences gained during their visit enable the artists to return home with a wealth of information to assist them in their endeavours,' Taylor said.