Teegatha’Oh Zheh artist licenses artwork for local craft product
Published 4:45 pm Wednesday, October 7, 2026
A painting by Yukon artist Ernest Chua will be featured on a label from Whitehorse craft brewery Winterlong Brewing this fall, supported by Teegatha’Oh Zheh progressive art studio.
The project involves a commercial licensing deal for Chua’s artwork, featured in his “Without Saying” exhibition at the Yukon Arts Centre, with $2 from every four-pack sold going directly to him.
The collaboration formally debuts on Friday, Oct. 16, during a launch event running from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Winterlong’s Mount Sima Road tasting room.
Staff at Teegatha’Oh Zheh, a non-profit organization supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 1989, acted as intermediaries to connect Chua with Winterlong Brewing.
After reviewing images of Ernest’s work from the exhibiton, Phoebe Rohrbacher, art studio coordinator at Teegatha’Oh Zheh, told the News Winterlong’s graphic design team selected a painting for the label. Brewery co-owner Meghan Marjanovic later visited the studio and saw the canvas in person.
“Meghan came here to the studio and saw this piece in person and was really drawn to it,” Rohrbacher said.
Discussions began roughly a year ago after Chua’s mother initiated preliminary conversations with the brewery.
Chua, who is autistic and non-verbal, communicates directly through his expressive visual language. Rohrbacher noted his family is “extremely proud” of his blossoming art career, which follows his achievements as an international Special Olympics medalist.
The licensed artwork is a large-scale 48-by-60-inch acrylic painting on canvas that presents densely layered human figures and vibrant portraits.
Chua’s artistic process involves building visual reference catalogs from collected books, magazines, photographs, and personal observations, which he reworks and layers into finished pieces.
Organizers plan to display the original canvas inside the brewery’s tasting room during the release event, giving community members an opportunity to view the physical creation up close. Following the launch celebration, the painting will return to Teegatha’Oh Zheh, where it will remain available for purchase.
Winterlong Brewing noted in a blog post that staff were drawn to the canvas’s bold colors and portraits of people, which provided a vibrant, community feel for the collaboration.
“The show was called “Without Saying” because it was kind of about the power of art to be a form of communication,” Rohrbacher said.
The collaboration marks the first time an artist from Teegatha’Oh Zheh’s studio has had an image licensed by a local business.
Chua, who has been creating at the art studio space since its inception three years ago, continues to build a body of work using acrylics, oils, and oil sticks. His portfolio includes work in the Yukon Permanent Art Collection, alongside reproductions believed to be displayed within the territorial legislative building.
Rohrbacher said fellow studio artist Zachary Louis is set to follow with a solo exhibition at the Yukon Arts Centre Community Gallery on Oct. 31.
Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com