Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Fellowship Award
for Individuals
Maximum Award: $5,000
-closed until next season-
Due: November 1st 2025
Fellow Selected: December 10th 2025
Earliest Start Date: December 17th 2025
Application is open to artists and culture bearers who are enrolled tribal members or descendants living in the Minnesota counties of Becker, Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Hubbard, Itasca, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, and Roseau.
The Anishinaabe Arts Initiative (AAI) Fellowship is made possible by the generous support of the McKnight Foundation to provide unfettered funding to one Indigenous artist, culture bearer, or creative individual to fuel his/her creative and/or cultural work in Becker, Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Hubbard, Itasca, Mahnomen, Lake of the Woods and Roseau counties in Minnesota. Applications will be scored on the creative vision, creative or cultural experience, and on the proposal for the use of funds.
The goal of the annual Region 2 Arts Council AAI Fellowship Program is to assist the region’s most talented indigenous artists, musicians, writers, culture bearers, filmmakers, dancers, theater artists, and crafts people 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 creative work. Through such support, the R2AC aims to raise the profile of creative work in the region and create a strong community of Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Fellows. Each fellow’s artwork will be featured on our website. Past AAI Fellows: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Typically one $5,000 award will be granted.
The funds can be used for, but not limited to:
Exploring new directions or continuing work in progress
Production costs, materials, or equipment
Marketing your work
Travel, research, or study to further your art
Collaborative or community projects
Eligibility
Download a copy of the application form below and read through the eligibility requirements carefully. If you can answer true to each requirement, then you should be eligible to apply. If you answer false to one of the eligibility requirements, or have questions of your own, contact us to discuss eligibility. There may be another grant or more suited to your needs.
Watch a video about how to create an account
or jump in and create an account and apply online
Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Fellowship Application (Sample only – cannot be submitted – only online submissions are accepted)
Do you have a grant specific question? Are you looking for more assistance?
Send an email straight to our grants manager by filling out the provided form. Let us know what grant you are working on, what you are having issues with, and how to contact you back. We will respond as soon as possible to help sort out your issues.
Need to get into contact with a member of staff immediately?
Call the work phone at: 218-751-5447 where staff are available Tues-Friday.
