Honoring Story and Belonging: 12 Artists Awarded the Native Arts + Heritage Fund

Twelve artists have been selected as the inaugural recipients of the Native Arts + Heritage Fund.

Created to uplift story, connection, and creativity through an equitable and trust-based approach, this grant recognizes that authentic support helps artists deepen community ties, share cultural knowledge, and spark meaningful change.

With this first cohort, the Fund is not just offering support—it is cultivating a living process rooted in belonging. These 12 artists will engage in reflective, community-centered experiences meant to honor authentic stories, creative voices, and shared learning. In the coming months, they’ll be invited into processes that value democracy, wellness, and cultural memory, while building connections that help communities thrive.

A Fund Rooted in Story, Care, and Relationship

From the beginning, the Native Arts + Heritage Fund was envisioned as more than a grant program. It’s an offering grounded in listening, trust, and accountability.

Support from the Fund goes beyond dollars. It creates space for reflection and relationship-building, honoring the many ways artists carry knowledge and help shape the future.

The 12 artists embody this spirit. Each brings a unique creative practice and relationship to community, reflecting the power of art to hold a story, affirm identity, and strengthen connection. 

Awardees will have the opportunity to:

• Take part in story-based conversations and creative reflection
• Honor cultural knowledge and practice in authentic ways
• Strengthen relationships within and across communities
• Explore new forms of creative expression
• Connect their practice to shared values of care and collective well-being

These processes are designed to center the artist as a whole. Creativity is both personal and communal, shaped by memory, exchange, and care.

The Native Arts + Heritage Fund affirms that artists are vital to the heart of community life. They help keep language, tradition, and imagination alive, remembering the past and inspiring the future.

By investing in these artists, we aim to support the wider networks of family, culture, and place that nurture their work. This impact will reach beyond individual practice—rippling through conversations, gatherings, and acts of expression that span generations.

We look forward to the new connections and creative pathways that will unfold and reaffirm our commitment to supporting artists, centering authentic stories, and shaping grantmaking rooted in trust, care, and belonging.

We warmly welcome these artists into the Native Arts + Heritage Fund, honoring their voices, their work, and the communities they serve.

Learn About the Awardees