• Nominations are open to educators, mentors, program leaders, and community members who know the student well.
•  Students must be Wyoming residents, ages 15–19, and enrolled in high school (or equivalent) for the 2025–2026 academic year.
•  You may nominate more than one student, but each nomination must be submitted separately.
•  Please provide as much detail as possible to help us understand why this student would be a strong addition to the Youth Arts Council. 
•  Submitting a nomination does not guarantee the student’s acceptance. The student must complete and submit their application to be considered for the Youth Arts Council. After receiving your nomination, we will contact the student directly with information on how to apply.
•  Nominations must be submitted by August 22, 2025. Students will be contacted directly and encouraged to apply.

Native Art Fellowships are unrestricted $5,000 awards of merit, based on the artist’s portfolio, honoring the work of contemporary Native American artists at any stage of their career who live in Wyoming. This fellowship supports diverse creative disciplines and artists working in any medium including, but not limited to, visual, performing, literature, multidisciplinary, film and video, or folk and traditional, may apply. Applications are juried by noted Native artists from outside the state. Two fellowships will be given this year and jurors may also select honorable mentions. The deadline to apply is May 15, 2025. 

ELIGIBILITY
 

• Applicants must be an enrolled/citizen member or lineal descendant of a federally recognized tribe, a state recognized tribe, or be an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian. If selected for the fellowship, you may be asked to provide a copy of a Tribal ID, letter of descendancy, or Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB). If your tribe is not federally or state recognized you will be asked to provide more detailed information.
• Must be at least 18 years of age at time of application.
• Must not be a full-time student pursuing high school, college, or university art-related degrees.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or have legal resident status (evidence of U.S. citizenship, resident status and state residency may be required).
• May not be affiliated with the Wyoming Arts Council either as a board member or staff member, including their families, whether full-time, part-time or contractual.
• May not be an employee of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources.
• Must be a Wyoming resident, living in the state for at least 10 months of the year.
• May receive a total of two fellowship awards in your lifetime.
• You may choose to be automatically considered for the WAC fellowships in Creative Writing, Visual Arts, and Performing Arts, but you can only receive one Fellowship per year. 
• You may enter the competition only once by the deadline.

WHAT IF YOU WIN AN AWARD?
 

• You’ll receive $5,000 up front.
• You’ll sign a contract that verifies you’re eligible to receive this award.
• You’ll need to supply a bio and a photograph for publicity.
• The Arts Council will work with you to find an appropriate venue or showcase to publicly share your work.
• You will retain all rights to this work and the work you produce during the grant period.
• You must create an impact statement, due August 31, 2026, sharing how this award helped you and what you accomplished during the year you received it.
• You may be asked to provide a copy of a Tribal ID, letter of descendancy, or Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB). If your tribe is not federally or state recognized you will be asked to provide more detailed information.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
 

• Your name must not appear anywhere on your application. 
• Do not send supplementary materials (letters, resumes, etc.)
• You may submit up to 10 work samples. Samples can be a combination of multiple art forms. Image, video, audio, and document files will be accepted.
• If submitting a writing sample, you may only upload ONE manuscript, up to 25 pages in length, typed, double-spaced using a 12-point standard font. If submitting poetry, only one poem is allowed per page and the double-spaced requirement is waived. For a book excerpt, you may provide a synopsis, but it will be included in the 25-page limit. You may submit more than one piece of writing, as long as you don’t exceed the 25-page limit. Pages must be numbered; include title of work and page number on each page.
• If submitting performance-based work, you may submit original works or performances of other works (not original). Fellowships are awarded to an individual; however work samples of group performances will be accepted for demonstrative purposes as long as the individual applicant is clearly identified in the description.
• Other work samples can include: experimental (conceptual/new media), graphic (printmaking/book arts), painting, sculpture, installation, photography (includes experimental, color, black & white, photocopy and computer), clay, fiber, glass, leather, metal, paper, plastic, wood, mixed media, film or video, beadwork, quillwork, regalia, ledger art, other traditional forms. Up to two images may be detail images, if appropriate. Jurors will only be required to watch up to 10 minutes of a film/video submission.

JURORS

TahNibaa Naataanii

By way of introduction, I am a traditional Diné woman, representing the Many Hogan Clan and Coyote Pass Clan. My maternal and paternal grandfathers are the Mexican Clan and the Steep Rock Clan. I hail from Table Mesa and Toadlena, New Mexico. As a young girl my paternal grandmother bestowed on me my Navajo name: TahNibaa Atlohiigiih. Translated, it means “Going into Battle with Weaving.” I was introduced to Navajo Weaving by my mother, Sarah H. Natani at 7 years old. I learned to weave stripes first, then advanced to complex patterns. I actively wove during adolescence, however took a hiatus to enlist in the U.S. Navy. In 2000, hearing a sacred call from the weaving deities, I enthusiastically returned to weaving. As a spiritual and cultural practice, I delight in the many stages of weaving: washing the wool, carding, hand spinning, wool dyeing and the weaving stage. Advancing in fulfilment of this calling, I am learning to create traditional Twill weave patterns together with various sacred weaving songs. I ranch heritage Navajo Churro sheep, following the legacy of my grandparents. I often weave utilitarian pieces such as Shoulder blankets, Ponchos, Navajo Woman garments (“biil ee”), wall hangings, and contemporary works. I created a special weaving garment, given the name, “TahNibaa Shawl”, in honor of my weaving ancestors. Numerous accolades are found in my Resume, however, uniquely blessed, to have received two special honors worthy of mentioning here: Recognition as “Culture Bearer” from the First People’s Fund (2020), and recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts, “National Heritage Fellow” (2022). 

Jackie Sevier

As an enrolled member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe, she is proud of her Native American and Wyoming heritage. Jackie (Allen) Sevier was born in Riverton, Wyoming. For the past fifty years, she has resided with her husband and together raised their children in the small rural sandhills community, Seneca, Nebraska.

Awards include honors at the Santa Fe Indian Market, Santa Fe, NM; Heard Fair, Heard Museum, Phoenix, AZ: Cherokee Art Market, Tulsa, OK; Northern Plains Indian Art Market, Sioux Falls, SD; Red Earth Festival, Oklahoma City, OK; Cahokia Contemporary Indian Art Show, Collinsville, IL; Inter-Tribal Ceremonial, Gallup, NM; Artesian Arts Festival, Chickasaw Nation, Sulphur, Ok.

Jackie's works have been included in “Let the Spirit Speak”, Pope VI Institute of the Arts, Washington, DC: “Our Way Continues”, Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO, The Sioux Indian Museum, Rapid City, SD, Museum of Anthropology, Lawrence, KS; “Influences of our Grandparents”, Oscar Howe Museum, Mitchell, SD; and “Heart Dreams and Legends”, a joint indigenous exhibit that toured the US and Australia.  Her works were also included at the Bradford Brinton Memorial Museum, Sheridan, WY: “The Cowboy, Rodeo & WYO Rodeo”, “West of the Mississippi”, “Ladies’ Choice.”

The Youth Arts Council is your chance to help shape the future of the arts in Wyoming. As part of a statewide cohort, you'll connect with artists and changemakers, explore careers in the creative sector, and build real-world skills in communication, collaboration, advocacy, and event planning. You’ll get hands-on experience bringing creative projects to life, work alongside others who care about the impact of the arts, and lead a youth-driven project that leaves a mark on your community. Council members receive a stipend for their participation. 

Along the way, you’ll dive into topics like arts advocacy, grant writing, building stronger communities through the arts, and what it means to make an impact. 

Applications and nominations open May 5, 2025, and close August 22, 2025. Selected applicants will be notified in September, and the first cohort will kick off in October 2025.

This is a selective leadership opportunity open to students of all artistic disciplines, including visual arts, music, theatre, dance, writing, media arts, and more. To apply for consideration, please complete the application form and submit it no later than August 22, 2025.

Applicants will be selected based on:

Youth Arts Council members will be selected based on:

•  Artistic Commitment — Active engagement with an art form through practice, study, or community involvement.
•  Emerging Leadership Skills — Demonstrates initiative, responsibility, collaboration, and a willingness to contribute to group efforts.
•  Community Awareness — Understands the role of the arts in strengthening the community and values collaboration and service.
•  Readiness to Participate — Willing and able to commit to meetings, activities, and a creative project for 9 months.