Anishinabe Arts Initiative

Gallery + Past Awarded Grants

The Anishinaabe Arts Initiative grants program is supported by a grant from the McKnight Foundation.

Current AAI Council members are Debra Warren, Shawna Bullen-Fairbanks, Delana Smith, Lori Dakota, Mary Ringhand, and David Ben White.

Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Grant Awards:

2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Open to artists who are enrolled tribal members and descendants. Must reside in the following counties: Becker, Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Hubbard, Itasca, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, or Roseau. All arts disciplines welcome. This grant offers funding for costs associated with the exhibition, performance, or production of a creative work, purchase of materials or equipment to create works of art, educational opportunities in the arts (excluding academic credit), and proposals for projects or opportunities to enhance the career of an individual artist. Eligible proposals must be adaptive to restrictions that exist during the current global pandemic.

Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Fellowship:

2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

The goal of the annual Region 2 Arts Council AAI Fellowship Program is to assist the region’s most talented artists who are enrolled tribal members and descendants, in furthering and innovating their work by awarding substantial financial support to fund creative time and/or arts experiences that facilitate depth and advancement in their art form. Through such support, the R2AC aims to raise the profile of artistic work in the region and create a strong community of Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Fellows. Each fellow’s artwork will be featured in R2AC’s annual AAI exhibit.

Typically one $5,000 award will be granted, but in 2022 we will award two AAI Fellowships. The funds can be used for, but not limited to: