Native Art Fellowship
James Dewey. N Arapaho Beadwork. Casper, WY.
What is a Native Art Fellowship?
The Native Art Fellowship is a $3,000 unrestricted award of merit, based on the artist’s portfolio, honoring the work of Native artists based within Wyoming. Artists working across any artistic discipline or medium (visual, literary, performing, folk & traditional, etc.) may apply. This fellowship is designed to raise the profiles of the highly talented Native artists in Wyoming and celebrate their artistry. Applications are juried by noted Native artists outside the state. One fellowship will be given each year. Jurors may also select honorable mentions.
Recipients of the Native Art Fellowship will also be given support to find a venue to showcase their work. The Wyoming Arts Council is now accepting applications for the Native Art Fellowship.
2022 Native Art Fellowship Recipient
Colleen Friday | Arapahoe, WY
Colleen Friday is a Northern Arapaho artist and ecosystem scientist from Arapahoe, Wyoming. She traces her first artistic influences to her mom and older sisters’ beadwork and the intense discipline of sorting and stitching tiny beads during evening hours grouped around a table and the laughter of Native women. Colleen works in many mediums, from beads to stencils to aerosol mural painting. She mixes elements of contemporary art and street art with geometric Arapaho symbols and portraits of historical figures. Her studies in rangeland ecology, environment and natural resources have become more interwoven in her creative work. Her most recent project focuses on beadwork as data visualization representing geography, water, and the biodiversity of plants harbored in tribal lands.
An honorable mention was awarded to Marcus Dewey of Arapahoe, WY.
