NATIVE ARTS AND CULTURES FOUNDATION AWARDS THE 2015 REGIONAL ARTIST FELLOWSHIP TO SEVEN NOTABLE AMERICAN INDIAN ARTISTS

VANCOUVER, Wash., Oct. 21, 2015 – Seven American Indian artists from the Upper Midwest—Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Wisconsin—have been awarded Regional Artist Fellowships from the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (NACF). This is the second consecutive year that the NACF has awarded the fellowships, which recognize American Indian artists for artistic vision, development and impact to community and culture in the traditional and visual arts categories.

This year’s Traditional Arts Fellows are Amelia Cornelius, April Stone Dahl and Pat Kruse. The Visual Arts Fellows are Bennett Brien, Jim Denomie, Dyani White Hawk Polk and Maggie Thompson.

Starting with a call for entries earlier this year, a panel of art professionals with an in-depth knowledge of the region’s Native history and cultures recommended the finalists for awards. “To work with a panel who truly understood and know this area’s Native arts and cultures, and history, was vital for the selection process,” said NACF’s Director of Programs Francene Blythe. “Thus, this year’s fellowships honor both deeply committed community-oriented artists and artists reaching the art world nationally and internationally. We are extremely pleased with the outcome.”

Regional Artist Fellowship recipients receive a monetary award that supports the completion of a project and pursuit of professional development, both of their choice within the Fellowship term.

2015 Regional Artist Fellows:

Visual Arts

· Bennett Brien, Large-scale Sculpture, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa

· Jim Denomie, Painter, Annishinabe, Lac Courte Oreilles

· Dyani White Hawk Polk, Contemporary Art, Sicangu Lake (Rosebud Sioux)

· Maggie Thompson, Textile Fiber Art, Fond du Lac Band of Minnesota Chippewa

Traditional Arts

· Amelia Cornelius, Cornhusk Doll Maker, Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin

· April Stone Dahl, Black Ash Basket Maker, Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (Ojibwe),

· Pat Kruse, Birch Bark Art, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and descendent of Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe

The Native Arts and Cultures Foundation’s mission is to promote the revitalization, appreciation and perpetuation of American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian arts and cultures through grant making, convening and advocacy. To date, NACF has supported more than 160 artists and projects throughout Native country, including Alaska and Hawai’i. To read more about the Regional Artist Fellows or to support NACF’s work—nurturing the passion and power of creative expression, visit: http://www.nativeartsandcultures.org