Fellowships to USA, Canada, and Mexico Native American Artists to Develop and Expand Their Artistic Practice is a fellowship from First Peoples Fund that funds Native American artists through three programs: the Artist in Business Leadership (ABL) Fellowship, the Native Performing Arts (NPA) Fellowship, and the Community Spirit Award.

The ABL Fellowship provides $10,000 toward a business-related project supporting the artist's work in their community. All applicants must be enrolled tribal members or provide proof of lineal descendancy from a U.S. federally recognized tribe. Applications are open to artists at all career stages.

The deadline is January 15, 2027.

Fellowships - First Peoples Fund Through grants and awards, FPF provides monetary support and connects Native artists and culture bearers with financial services and training to flourish as entrepreneurs and community leaders. ABL Application CC Application First Peoples Fund offers three unique fellowship opportunities designed to support Native artists at different stages of their creative and professional journeys.

All opportunities can be found on this page: Artist in Business Leadership (ABL) Native Performing Arts (NPA) Artist in Business Leadership Fellowship The Artist in Business Leadership (ABL) Fellowship is 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. The ABL Fellowship offers $10,000 in grant funding towards a proposed project that supports the artist or culture bearer's work in their community. Applications are open to artists at all stages of their career.

All applicants must be enrolled tribe members or provide proof of lineal descendancy of a U.S. federally recognized tribe, a state recognized tribe, or be an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian.

ABL fellowship application Applications period: June 9 at 8am MT-July 16, 2025 at 6pm MT A Native artist who either owns or is launching an active art-centered business, or who is seeking to grow and improve business aspects of their income-producing creative practice. Must be at least 18 years of age at the time of application Must reside and be based within the U.S. Applicants who reside outside of the U.S. are ineligible to apply.

Applicants must be an enrolled member of, or provide proof of lineal descendancy from, a U.S. federally-recognized or U.S. state-recognized tribe, or be able to provide proof of ancestry as an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian. For more information about acceptable documents, please click here . Applicants may not be enrolled in any academic, degree seeking program.

Native artists working in a wide variety of mediums are welcome to apply. Artists whose primary mediums are within the performing arts field should apply to the Native Performing Arts (NPA) Fellowship. This includes theater, music, dance, live performance, spoken word and more.

Recipients of any 2025 First Peoples Fund (FPF) fellowships are not eligible to apply for the 2026 ABL Fellowship. Previous grantees with any First Peoples Fund programs must have submitted a final report for any awarded FPF grants. Please note: Current 2025 FPF Fellows are ineligible to apply.

A best practice when applying for any opportunity is to read through all of the information provided before starting to fill out an application. Applications must be completed online in Submittable and received before the listed due date and time. Applications sent via email or postal mail will not be considered.

For an overview of the application questions and attached files please click here Below is a list of the files you will need to upload for a completed application: Proof Of Tribal Affiliation Artwork Sample Descriptions Must be at least 18 years of age.

Applicants must be an enrolled member of, or provide proof of lineal descendancy from, a U.S. federally-recognized or U.S. state-recognized tribe, or be able to provide proof of ancestry as an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian. Native practitioners of all creative mediums are welcome to apply.

This includes painting, drawing, printmaking, music, dance, theater, clothing design, basket weaving, beading, storytelling, writing, culinary arts, and much more, in both traditional and contemporary forms. Proposed projects may not be affiliated with or sponsored by universities or colleges. They also may not include work to be completed for academic credit, or as part of an academically supported project, program, or residency.

Artists and culture bearers may not apply to the same program in succession. For example, if you were a 2024 ABL Fellow, you are not eligible to re-apply to the ABL Fellowship program in 2025. If you are a previous grantee with First Peoples Fund (FPF), you must have submitted a final report for any previously awarded FPF Grants.

The number of ABL fellowships awarded each year is based on available funding. Selected artists will be expected to attend an annual fellowship convening where all FPF fellows are brought together for a multi-day event. This is normally held in the spring and past convening locations have included Santa Fe, Phoenix, and Minneapolis.

Disbursement schedule: If selected, 90% (or $9,000) will be paid once initial paperwork and orientation measures are completed. The remaining 10% (or $1,000) will be paid in December 2025 upon completion of closing measures. Your proposed ABL Fellowship project and budget should be grounded in arts business needs and goals rather than providing financial support toward a new or existing creative project.

Developing or completing a creative project can be a component of your proposed ABL Fellowship project, but should not be the primary goal or outcome.

Examples of business needs to consider as you develop your proposed project can include (but are not limited to): consultation with legal and financial professionals, creation of retail/promotional websites and marketing materials, purchasing or repairing needed equipment, sourcing supplies and materials, developing or refining products/services for retail sale, coursework or mentoring related to professional development, travel costs related to attending art markets, merchandise production, professional networking opportunities, rental of studio space or equipment, and more.

Think about what resources you need in order to start or grow your arts business, what you will be able to accomplish with the grant funding provided. This is a one-year program and we expect that your application clearly details your proposed project within a one-year timeframe. Can student work completed for academic credit or as part of an academically supported residency, fellowship, or project be submitted for consideration?

Are members of a collective or community-based arts group eligible to apply? Can I apply for more than one First Peoples Fund fellowship per year? Fox Spears , Program Manager of Fellowships, fox@firstpeoplesfund.

org Colville Confederated Tribes | Okanogan + Lakes Cherokee Nation, Penobscot Nation Blackfeet & Shoshone-Paiute Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota White Earth Ojibwe, Moose Factory Cree Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, Spirit Lake Dakota Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Onondaga Fox Spears , Program Manager of Fellowships, fox@firstpeoplesfund.

org Cultural Capital Fellowship The Cultural Capital (CC) Fellowship is a yearlong program that offers financial support and guidance to culture bearers and artists who are deeply rooted in their communities and committed to passing on ancestral knowledge within their Native communities. 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. All applicants must be enrolled tribe members or provide proof of lineal descendancy of a U.S. federally recognized tribe, a state recognized tribe, or be an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian. CC fellowship application KEY INFORMATION Applications window: June 9, 2025 at 8am MT-July 30, 2025 at 6pm MT Must be at least 18 years of age at the time of application.

Applicants must be an enrolled member of, or provide proof of lineal descendancy from, a U.S. federally-recognized or U.S. state-recognized tribe, or be able to provide proof of ancestry as an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian. Native practitioners of all creative mediums are welcome to apply.

This includes painting, drawing, printmaking, music, dance, theater, clothing design, basket weaving, beading, storytelling, writing, culinary arts, and much more, in both traditional and contemporary forms. Proposed projects may not be affiliated with or sponsored by universities or colleges. They also may not include work to be completed for academic credit, or as part of an academically supported project, program, or residency.

Artists and culture bearers may not apply to the same program in succession. For example, if you were a 2024 CC Fellow, you are not eligible to re-apply to the CC Fellowship program in 2025. If you are a previous grantee with First Peoples Fund (FPF), you must have submitted a final report for any previously awarded FPF Grants.

The number of CC fellowships awarded each year is based on available funding. Selected artists will be expected to attend an annual fellowship convening where all FPF fellows are brought together for a multi-day event. This is normally held in the spring and past convening locations have included Santa Fe, Phoenix, and Minneapolis.

Disbursement schedule: If selected, 90% (or $9,000) will be paid once initial paperwork and orientation measures are completed. The remaining 10% (or $1,000) will be paid in December 2025 upon completion of closing measures. Applicants should be active within their Native community and/or live within their tribal community.

Proposed projects may work with traditional or contemporary art mediums. If a contemporary medium, make sure to explain how the work is connected to cultural knowledge and/or values. Projects do not need to include an immediate intergenerational component, but you should be thinking about the impact they may have on future generations.

This is a one-year program and we expect that your application clearly details your proposed project within a one-year timeframe. Can student work completed for academic credit or as part of an academically supported residency, fellowship, or project be submitted for consideration? Are members of a collective or community-based arts group eligible to apply?

Can I apply for more than one First Peoples Fund fellowship per year? Fox Spears , Program Manager of Fellowships, fox@firstpeoplesfund. org An artist or culture bearer who lives within or is clearly active with and connected to their Native community.

Must be at least 18 years of age at the time of application. Must reside and be based within the U.S. Applicants who reside outside of the U.S. are ineligible to apply. Applicants must be an enrolled member of, or provide proof of lineal descendancy from, a U.S. federally-recognized or U.S. state-recognized tribe, or be able to provide proof of ancestry as an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian.

For more information about acceptable documents, please click here . Applicants may not be enrolled in any academic, degree seeking program. Native artists working in a wide variety of mediums, including traditional and contemporary, are welcome to apply.

Recipients of any 2025 First Peoples Fund (FPF) fellowships are not eligible to apply for the 2026 CC Fellowship Previous grantees with any First Peoples Fund programs must have submitted a final report for any awarded FPF grants. Please note: Current 2025 FPF Fellows are ineligible to apply. A best practice when applying for any opportunity is to read through all of the information provided before starting to fill out an application.

Applications must be completed online in Submittable and received before the listed due date and time. Applications sent via email or postal mail will not be considered. For an overview of the application questions and attached files please click here .

Below is a list of the files you will need to upload for a completed application: Proof of Tribal Affiliation Artwork Sample Descriptions Member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Red Lake Anishinaabe Nation of Minnesota niimíipuu (Nez Perce), Cayuse, Walla Walla, Yakima Fox Spears , Program Manager of Fellowships, fox@firstpeoplesfund.

org A Native artist who either owns or is launching an active art-centered business, or who is seeking to grow and improve business aspects of their income-producing creative practice. Must be at least 18 years of age at the time of application Must reside and be based within the U.S. Applicants who reside outside of the U.S. are ineligible to apply.

Applicants must be an enrolled member of, or provide proof of lineal descendancy from, a U.S. federally-recognized or U.S. state-recognized tribe, or be able to provide proof of ancestry as an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian. For more information about acceptable documents, please click here . Applicants may not be enrolled in any academic, degree seeking program.

Native artists working in a wide variety of mediums are welcome to apply. Artists whose primary mediums are within the performing arts field should apply to the Native Performing Arts (NPA) Fellowship. This includes theater, music, dance, live performance, spoken word and more.

Recipients of any 2025 First Peoples Fund (FPF) fellowships are not eligible to apply for the 2026 ABL Fellowship. Previous grantees with any First Peoples Fund programs must have submitted a final report for any awarded FPF grants. Please note: Current 2025 FPF Fellows are ineligible to apply.

A best practice when applying for any opportunity is to read through all of the information provided before starting to fill out an application. Applications must be completed online in Submittable and received before the listed due date and time. Applications sent via email or postal mail will not be considered.

For an overview of the application questions and attached files please click here Below is a list of the files you will need to upload for a completed application: Proof Of Tribal Affiliation Artwork Sample Descriptions Native Performing Arts Fellowship The Native Performing Arts Fellowship (NPA) supports Native performing artists, emerging and established, to develop and enhance their skills and knowledge of their craft.

The Native Performing Arts Fellowship provides grants of up to $10,000 for Native individuals who practice/work within the performing arts landscape (theater, dance, music, etc.) . This is not a project based grant. Developing or completing a creative project can be a component of the fellowship, but does not need to be the primary goal or outcome.

This fellowship also includes professional development opportunities such as a tailored Native Arts Professional Development (NAPD) curriculum that provides a variety of tools and resources for performing artists’ needs, guidance from industry professionals, and access to FPF’s annual multi-day fellowship convening to network with other artists across various mediums.

All applicants must be enrolled tribe members or provide proof of lineal descendancy of a U.S. federally recognized tribe, a state recognized tribe, or be an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian. Applications window: June 9 at 8am MT-July 16, 2025 at 6pm MT 90% (or $9,000) will be disbursed once initial paperwork and orientation measures are completed.

The remaining 10% (or $1,000) will be disbursed in December 2025 upon completion of closing measures. Application Opens: August 12, 2024 Application Closes: September 23, 2024 Award year: January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025 . Selected artists should expect to attend an annual fellowship convening where all FPF fellows are brought together for a multi-day event.

This is normally held in the spring and past convening locations have included Santa Fe, Phoenix, and Minneapolis. Must be at least 18 years of age at the time of application. Applicants must be an enrolled member of, or provide proof of lineal descendancy from, a U.S. federally-recognized or U.S. state-recognized tribe, or be able to provide proof of ancestry as an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian.

Native practitioners of all performing arts mediums are welcome to apply. This includes theater, music, dance, theater, music, spoken word and more, in both traditional and contemporary forms. Artists and culture bearers may not apply to the same program in succession.

For example, if you are a 2025 NPA Fellow, you are not eligible to re-apply to the NPA Fellowship program in 2026. If you are a previous grantee with First Peoples Fund (FPF), you must have submitted a final report for any previously awarded FPF Grants.

A completed Fellowship application includes: Proof of Tribal Affiliation Two Letters of Reference (Examples: Professional or community reference; current mentor) Career Goal/Milestone Budget Artwork Samples (5 to 10 examples of your recent artwork) Description of Artwork Samples One high-quality photograph of yourself, either a professional headshot or a clear picture of your performing/creating your art medium.

If selected, this image may be used for FPF promotion and announcement materials. You may upload video, audio, and/or photo files, or a document listing links to files. Please limit video and audio files to no longer than two minutes or indicate a two minute section for each sample that the selection committee should review.

Your Description of Artwork Samples should include the following for each file: a) Title; b) Medium; c) Year Created; d) Timestamps for section of the submitted file for selection committee to review (if applicable). If submitted audio/video examples are longer than two minutes and no specific times are called out for review, the selection committee will only review the first two minutes.

Applicants must be at least 18 years of age at the time of application. Applicants must reside and be based within the U.S. Applicants who reside outside of the U.S. are ineligible to apply. Applicants must be an enrolled member of, or provide proof of lineal descendancy from, a U.S. federally-recognized or U.S. state-recognized tribe, or be able to provide proof of ancestry as an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian.

For more information about acceptable documents, please click here . Applicants may not be enrolled in any academic, degree-granting program. Native practitioners of all performing arts mediums, both traditional and contemporary, are welcome to apply.

This includes theater, music, dance, live performance, spoken word and more. Artists whose primary mediums are not within the performing arts field are not eligible to apply for the NPA Fellowship. Any performance based project(s) that involves multiple performers or requires high production demands will not be eligible.

Activities that are part of the applicant's coursework at an institution of higher learning will not be considered, i.e. senior or thesis exhibitions, juried student shows, etc. Film projects, short or feature length, are not eligible at this time. If you received a Performing Artist fellowship, Artist in Business Leadership or Cultural Capital fellowship in 2025, you will not be eligible to apply for the 2026 NPA Fellowship.

Any previous fellows must wait a year before applying to any First Peoples Fund (FPF) fellowship programs. If you are a previous grantee with any First Peoples Fund (FPF program), you must have submitted a final report for any previously awarded FPF Grants. This is a one-year program and we expect that your application clearly details your proposed artistic development within a one-year timeframe.

A completed Fellowship application includes an Application submission in Submittable. Applications sent over email will not be considered. Below are the following components of a completed Fellowship application.

Below is a list of the files you will need to upload for a completed application: About the Artist - Narrative Questions Artistic Career Goals, Description and ActivitiesSupporting Documents (uploads) To view an overview of the NPA Fellowship Application, please click here .

Red Cliff Band of Ojibwe, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin Fon Du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Minnesota Chippewa Tribe United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Dena'ina (Eklutna), Lakota, Black Citizen Potawatomi Nation Nawahineokala'i Lanzilotti Barona Band of Mission Indians Natalie Benally Program Manager of Native Performing Arts Program, natalie@firstpeoplesfund.

org First Peoples Fund’s family of artists includes hundreds of Native artists and culture bearers from across the country who work in a variety of creative mediums. Explore the current and past Native artists and culture bearers who have received FPF fellowships and awards. How conventional arts surveys overlook Native creative practices & the call for more culturally responsive research.

2026 Native Performing Arts Grantees We proudly introduce the 2026 Native Performing Arts Live Production Grantees 2026 Native Performing Arts Fellows We proudly introduce the 2026 Native Performing Arts Fellows, celebrating Native excellence 2026 Jennifer Easton Community Spirit Award Recipients Introducing the First Peoples Fund 2026 Jennifer Easton Community Spirit Award Recipients 2026 Cultural Capital Fellows We are proud to introduce the First Peoples Fund 2026 Cultural Capital Fellows 2026 Artist in Business Leadership Fellows We are proud to introduce the First Peoples Fund 2026 Artist in Business Leadership Fellows artist in business leadership Fellows Immerse yourself in the Artist in Business Leadership Fellows Directory, a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit of Native artists.

Through the Artist in Business Leadership Fellowship program, these creative individuals receive grants, technical assistance, and professional training to evolve their passion into successful businesses. Explore their stories of entrepreneurship, where creative practices become sustainable realities.

Chemehuevi / koyoomk'awi / Nisenan Anishinaabe, Ojibwe from Fond du Lac Reservation in Minnesota Mohawks of Akwesasne, Turtle clan Cherokee Nation /Muscogee Creek descent Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Eastern Shoshone-Wind River Wyoming Scotti Clifford & Juliana Brown Eyes Citizen Potawatomi Nation Standing Rock Sioux Tribe (enrolled citizen) and Three Affiliated Tribes (descendent) Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Citizen Potawatomi Nation Washoe Of Nevada, Yurok, and Surigaonon Colville Confederated Tribes | Okanogan + Lakes Oneida Nation of Wisconsin Laguna Pueblo, Taos Pueblo, Hopi-Tewa Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Arikara, Hidatsa, Blackfeet and Plains Cree Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota and Diné Nation Chippewa Tribe of Saute Ste.

Marie, Michigan Cherokee Nation, Penobscot Nation Grand Portage Anishinaabe Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Anishinaabe / Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Blackfeet & Shoshone-Paiute Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota Orutsararmiut Traditional Native Council White Earth Ojibwe, Moose Factory Cree Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe Gilbert Kills Pretty Enemy, III Kills Pretty Enemy, III Gilbert Hunkpapa Lakota - Standing Rock Sioux Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Stebbins Community Association Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians Nome Eskimo Community, Inupiaq Diné, Turtle Mountain Chippewa Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa (Ojibwe) Confederated Tribe of Colville Indian Reservation Colville (Sinixt & Methow) Seminole and Muscogee (Creek) yak tityu tityu yak tiłhini Explore the Cultural Capital Fellows Directory, a showcase of devoted artists.

This diverse community of Native creators, nurtured by the esteemed Cultural Capital Fellowship program, embodies the spirit of preserving traditions and nurturing shared humanity. Designed to empower Native culture bearers, this program offers invaluable support, including financial grants and professional development, to catalyze their journey in passing down ancestral knowledge.

Discover their profound stories and the transformative power of cultural stewardship. Fond du Lac Ojibwe and Muscogee Sivuqaghhmii - St.

Lawerence Island Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Cecelia Bernice Bull Bear Bull Bear, Cecelia Bernice Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes Orutsararmiut Native Council Member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Oneida, Anishinaabe Tribal Nations Cheyenne River Lakota/Crow Creek Dakota Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Northen Arapahoe-Seminole Bad River Band Chippewa/Gunflint Lake Chippewa White Earth Anishinaabe/Hupa Stanley Goodshield Hawkins Hawkins Stanley Goodshield Sault Ste.

Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Red Lake Anishinaabe Nation of Minnesota niimíipuu (Nez Perce), Cayuse, Walla Walla, Yakima Taos Pueblo, Yaqui, Chicana Sicangu Lakota Oyate & Athabaskan Tribe of Alaska Seminole Nation/Muskogee Creek Colville Confederated Tribes Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribes of Montana Mandan, Hidatsa, & Arikara Nation or Three Affiliated Tribe Confederate Tribes of Colville Tiśina Ta-till-ium Parker Parker, Tiśina Ta-till-ium Yosemite Southern Sierra Miwuk, Kutzadika’a Mono Lake Paiute, Kashia Pomo, Coast Miwuk Bristol Bay Native Corporation and Tribal Village of Manokotak Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Osage Barona Band of Mission Indians Grand Traverse Band Ottawa and Chippewa, Rosebud Sioux, Huron and Pokagon Potawatomi Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians Haida, Tlingit, Tsimshian Nimiipuu Nation (Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho) Red Lake Nation - Obaashing Community Diné (Navajo)/Kewa (Santo Domingo Pueblo) Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska Kiowa Tribe and Cherokee Nation Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe, Fort Peck Assiniboine, Dakota Collective Spirit Newsletter Thank you for joining us!

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