A portrait of Native artist Chanelle Gallagher (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) throwing pottery in her studio.

Fellowships

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.

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PROGRAMS > FELLOWSHIPS

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.

A portrait of Native artist, Luzene Hill (Eastern Band of Cherokee), hanging art in a gallery space.
A portait of Native musician Shanon Two Shields Hale (Three Affiliated Tribes Mandan) standing on a bridge at sunset holding an acoustic guitar.
A portait of Caitlin Newago (Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) harvesting birch bark in a forested area.

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

KEY INFORMATION

Grant amount: $10,000

Applications window: Jun. 17 - Aug. 5 (2024)

Award Year: 2025

  • 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.

FAQ

Can student work completed for academic credit or as part of an academically supported residency, fellowship, or project be submitted for consideration?

No.

Are members of a collective or community-based arts group eligible to apply?

No.

Can I apply for more than one First Peoples Fund fellowship per year?

No.

QUESTIONS?

Fox Spears, Program Manager of Fellowships, fox@firstpeoplesfund.org

2024 ABL Fellows

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.

A portrait of Native artist, Alison Bremner (Tlingit)
A portait of Native artist Deborah A. Jojola (Isleta and Jemez Pueblo) sitting inside a doorway to an old adobe dwelling.
A portait of Native artist Kelly Looking Horse (Oglala Lakota)

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

Award amount: $10,000

Applications window: Jun. 17 - Aug. 5 (2024)

Award Year: 2025

APPLICANT Requirements

  • 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.

FAQ

Can student work completed for academic credit or as part of an academically supported residency, fellowship, or project be submitted for consideration?

No.

Are members of a collective or community-based arts group eligible to apply?

No.

Can I apply for more than one First Peoples Fund fellowship per year?

No.

QUESTIONS?

Fox Spears, Program Manager of Fellowships, fox@firstpeoplesfund.org

2024 CC Fellows

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.

A portrait of a Native performing artist on stage holding a microphone speaking to an audience.
A portait of Native performing artist, Natalie Benally (Navajo) holding a piece of blue fabric in the wind
A portrait of a Native performing artist playing guitar.

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.

KEY INFORMATION

Grant amount: $10,000

Applications window: Aug. 12 - Sept. 23 (2024)

Award Year: 2025

Fellowship application

Disbursement

Grant amount: $10,000.

  • 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.

Timeline

Application Opens: August 12, 2024

Application Closes: September 23, 2024

Award year: January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025.

Convening

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:

  1. Application
  2. Proof of Tribal Affiliation
  3. Two Letters of Reference (Examples: Professional or community reference; current mentor)
  4. Career Goal/Milestone Budget
  5. Resume
  6. Artwork Samples (5 to 10 examples of your recent artwork)
  7. Description of Artwork Samples
  8. 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.

Work Samples

  • 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.
Fellowship application

Our Fellows & Honorees

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.

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.

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SORT DIRECTORY BY:
NAMEYEAR

Cultural capital Fellows

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.

A close up photograph of a star quilt
SORT DIRECTORY BY:
NAMEYEAR