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). 

TBD