This fall Region 2 Arts Council (R2AC) awarded $3,ooo through the Anishinaabe Arts Initiative (AAI) Program. Monies awarded are for arts activities related to its mission of supporting, maintaining, and promoting traditional and contemporary Native American arts in North Central Minnesota. The Anishinaabe Arts Initiative grants program is supported by a grant from the McKnight Foundation. Current AAI Council members are Tom Buckanaga, Douglas Lee, Genny Lowry, Bernice Mitchell, Audrey Thayer, Debra Warren, Delina White and Harold White, Jr. The grant recipients and information about their projects are listed below.
Karla Joy Bellanger of Ponsford received $1,000 to assist in purchasing supplies to create traditional beadwork for exhibition in the Native Harvest Catalog.
Norma Jean Bakka of Ogema was awarded $1,000 to help develop a professional-looking exhibit for her collection of Anishinaabe American Indian Art in order to display it in educational settings.
James L. Jones, Jr. of Cass Lake received $1,000 to assist in building a 15’ Old Style Algonkin Birch Bark Canoe.
Next deadline for other grants available: R2AC/Mcknight Career Development Fellowships deadline January 19, 2011; Arts and Cultural Heritage Grants, deadline January 19, 2011; Individual Artist Grants, deadline February 10, 2011; Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Grants, deadline March 2, 2011; Arts Project Grants, deadline March 10, 2011; Arts Legacy Designation Grants, deadline March 10, 2011; and Artist Mentor Grants, deadline April 15, 2011.
Applications for these grants will be available in the Region 2 Arts Council Office, 426 Bemidji Avenue, Bemidji, MN 56601, and will be available for download from our website, http//r2arts.org. Please call the Region 2 Arts Council office with any questions at 751-5447 or 1-800-275-5447 or send us an email at staff@r2arts.org.
r2arts.org 