This information was originally featured in the twelfth edition of Creative Copy, a service of the Wisconsin Arts Board.
Creative Copy serves artists and arts organizations in Wisconsin, and we want to connect you with useful, timely, and important resources. If you have suggestions, comments, or questions, let us know. Make sure to subscribe to Arts News and Creative Copy!
Indigenous Artist Resources
There are over 145,000 Indigenous Americans living in Wisconsin, and there are 11 federally recognized Tribal Nations who share boundaries with the State of Wisconsin, each having their own cultures and traditions. This week, we're focusing on Indigenous Artists, and we're sharing resources with that focus in mind. Thanks to help from our very own Kaitlyn Berle, Folk and Traditional Arts Specialist at the Wisconsin Arts Board, and our dear Board Member Karen Ann Hoffman, this is a lengthy resource list!
P.S. Don't miss the LEAF Native Art Market on August 2nd, the Red Magic Art Festival on August 10th, and the Arts + Literature Laboratory Native Art Market on November 8th! More information is below.
Organizations that offer fellowships, grants, and other support for Indigenous artists
First Peoples Fund: Provides many resources, including fellowships and professional development workshops.
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Native Artist Professional Development: Offer two-day (8 hours/day) workshops in communities everywhere, designed to give artists real-world tools and detailed resources to navigate the arts industry and become successful entrepreneurs.
Fellowships
Artists in Business Leadership Fellowship: A yearlong program that helps independent Native artists pursue art as a way to build a business to support themselves and their families. The program provides them with network-building, professional development guidance and funding towards business needs. Offers $10,000 in grant funding towards a proposed project that supports the artist or culture bearer's work in their community.
Cultural Capital: The CC Fellowship offers $10,000 in grant funding to artists and culture bearers to support their cultural work in their community through the arts. This fellowship is open to artists at any stage of their career.
Native Performing Arts: The Native Performing Arts Fellowship (NPA) supports Native performing artists, emerging and established, to develop and enhance their skills and knowledge of their craft, providing grants of up to $10,000 for Native individuals who practice/work within the performing arts landscape (theater, dance, music, etc.).
Community Spirit Award: The program offers grants of $50,000 to Native artists who have worked selflessly throughout their lives to share their cultural knowledge and ancestral gifts with their communities. The award is designed to support these essential bearers of cultural practice to carry forward their wisdom and help Native communities heal and thrive.
Native Arts & Cultures Foundation: The Native Arts + Cultures Foundation advances equity and cultural knowledge, focusing on the power of arts and collaboration to strengthen Native communities and promote positive social change with American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native peoples in the United States.
Resources for Artists: Check to see what resources are applicable to Wisconsin-based artists.
The LIFT–Early Career Support for Native Artists program: A one-year award for emerging Native artists to develop and realize new projects. LIFT provides a comprehensive suite of services, including $15,000 awards, artist professional development, mentorship, project evaluation, documentation, and communications/marketing support – designed to nurture the growth and potential of emerging Native artists as they refine their craft, advance their careers, and establish their place as vital creative voices in their communities. – April 2026 Deadline
The SHIFT – Transformative Change and Indigenous Art program: Supports innovative community-driven projects created in partnership with an organization that uplift Native communities, promote self-determination, and drive transformative change, paving the way for a resilient and thriving Indigenous future. SHIFT provides multi-year support, including $100,000 two-year awards, professional development, project evaluation, documentation, and marketing support. – May 2026 Deadline
NDN Collective: NDN Collective provides the most ambitious systemic approach to empowering Indigenous communities in the history of philanthropy and impact investing.
Changemaker Fellowship: The fellowship provides direct support to 21 individual Indigenous Changemakers’ vision, personal and professional development, and leadership.
Community Action Fund: A grant for Indigenous frontline organizations, groups, and individuals for direct action initiatives.
UCross Foundation: The mission of Ucross Foundation is to foster the creative spirit of deeply committed artists and groups by providing uninterrupted time, studio space, living accommodations, and the experience of the majestic High Plains while serving as a responsible steward of its historic 20,000-acre ranch.
Fellowship for Native American Visual Artists: The open call for applications for Spring 2026 (January through early June) will open May 1, 2025, with a deadline of July 15, 2025. The open call for applications for Fall 2026 (August through early December) is open from November 1 to January 15.
Eiteljorg Museum: The Eiteljorg Museum explores the intersection of the arts, histories and cultures of the past and present by sharing the diverse stories of the American West and the Indigenous Peoples of North America.
Contemporary Art Fellowship: Each Fellowship, the Eiteljorg Museum honors a selection of fellowship artists (Fellows) and an invited artist for their contributions to the world of Native contemporary art. Support includes: monetary grants, purchasing art for the permanent collection, and sharing their art and stories worldwide.
Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, & Museums (ATALM): ATALM is an international non-profit organization that maintains a network of support for Indigenous programs, provides culturally relevant programming and services, encourages collaboration among tribal and non-tribal cultural institutions, and articulates contemporary issues related to developing and sustaining the cultural sovereignty of Native Nations.
First Nations Development Institute: Provides direct financial grants, technical assistance & training, and advocacy & policy for Native Americans.
Indigenous Nations Poets: A national Indigenous poetry community committed to mentoring emerging writers, nurturing the growth of Indigenous poetic practices, and raising the visibility of all Native Writers past, present, and future.
Wisconsin-Specific Organizations, Resources, and Events
Oneida Nation Arts Program (ONAP): The Oneida Nation Arts Program mission is to promote diverse artistic expression within the community reflecting our heritage and spirit of future generations.
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Dollars for Art Program: The Dollars for Art Program (DAP) was created in 1999 with a continuing grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board (WAB). DAP Grants are awarded for artistic endeavors and projects in both traditional and contemporary styles of visual arts, literature, music, theatre, and dance. DAP has funded over 266 arts projects to 130 unique artists, arts organizations, and community groups. Complete pre-registration via
Jotform OR notify Arts Programming Coordinator Sadie of intent to apply by
July 21st, 2025. DAP applications are due on
July 25th, 2025.
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Ignite Your Passion (Life Purpose Coaching Event): This interactive three-hour coaching workshop on
July 26th, 2025 supports creatives, culture workers, and purpose-driven professionals in exploring meaningful alignment and igniting their passions through their work. Through guided coaching conversations, journaling, and partner activities, participants will connect to their deeper motivations, recognize their values, and walk away with greater clarity and confidence.
Woodland Indian Art, Inc.: A non-profit organization created to expand the awareness and appreciation of Woodland Indian art and culture through education, events and markets.
Woodland Indian Arts Grant Program: A Wisconsin Arts Board grant program that promotes and develops a foundation of cultural and economic support for traditional and contemporary Native American arts in Wisconsin.
Corn Husk Collective: An artist collective that supports artists, strengthens cultural ties, and contributes to the healing and vitality of The Oneida Nation of Wisconsin.
Little Eagle Arts Foundation (LEAF): A nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting American Indian art by cultivating the entrepreneurial spirit of American Indian and First Nations artists to achieve success and promote a cycle of economic security.
Native Art Market: The Little Eagle Arts Foundation (LEAF) will be hosting their 7th Annual Native Art Marketplace, an invitational showcase of Native art, on Saturday, August 2, 2025, at Taliesin’s Hillside School (6604 Hwy 23 Trunk, Spring Green, WI 53588) from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This celebration of the art and culture of Wisconsin's First People is a partnership between LEAF of Wisconsin Dells and Taliesin Preservation of Spring Green. See graphic below.
Other Native Art Markets
Red Magic Art Festival is the largest Native American Art Festival in the state of Wisconsin and dedicated to the advancement of Native American arts, artists, culture & community. This year it takes place on
August 10th, 2025, and will be held in Milwaukee. More information about the festival can be found
here.
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2025 Native Art Market, founded and curated by Dakota Mace and Paige Skenandore, will take place at Arts + Literature Laboratory on
Saturday, November 8, 10am-6pm. In addition to the all-day market, workshops and other special events will be scheduled in the weeks leading up to the market. Applications for the Art Market close on
July 15, 2025.
General (and very helpful) Resources
CERF+: For 40 years, the Craft Emergency Relief Fund has provided emergency relief for craft artists.
Arts Midwest: Arts Midwest supports, informs, and celebrates arts organizations and creative communities in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, the Native Nations that share this geography, and beyond.
Midwest Culture Bearers Award – Applications due July 21
Investing in Artists: Tools & Equipment - Arts Midwest is partnering with the Center for Cultural Innovation to spread the word about Investing in Artists: Tools & Equipment, a $5,000 grant that helps craft artists purchase tools and equipment needed to create their work. The Midwestern states eligible this year include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Applications are due August 8 at 1:59 p.m. CT.
Springboard for the Arts: Springboard for the Arts' mission is to support artists with the tools to make a living and a life, and to build just and equitable communities full of meaning, joy, and connection.