Minneapolis American Indian Center
Minneapolis, Minnesota
First Nations established the Native Arts Initiative (NAI) in 2014 to provide direct grantmaking, networking opportunities, and training and technical assistance (TTA) to Native-led arts and cultural hubs who are working to preserve and advance traditional Native arts through programming focused on supporting artists and intergenerational sharing of artistic skills and knowledge.
Under the NAI, First Nations provides awarded grantees with organizational and programmatic resources, including direct grants and technical assistance and training. Since 2014, First Nations has awarded more than $3.5 million in grant funds to a variety of eligible Native-controlled nonprofit organizations and tribal government programs under the NAI.
Minneapolis American Indian Center
Native Arts Donor-Funded Campaign: 2023-2026
The Two Rivers Art Gallery – Many Generations Project is aimed at building capacity among young Native community members (youth/young adults) to learn traditional art forms, such as basket weaving, star quilt making, and beadwork, from established and emerging Native artists and Native elders.
We seek to increase capacity in the community by providing opportunities for 45 Native youth and young adults to work directly with Native elders and artists to learn traditional arts skills, and to retain these lessons through digital documentation and sharing. By marrying these traditional practices with digital documentation, we retain the knowledge to share across generations.