2018 National Artist Fellowship Archives - Native Arts and Cultures Foundation

Writer Michael Wasson (Nimíipuu) sees poetry as his calling to create space for Indigenous artists – not merely in the Western canon, but as a counterweight to its violence and legacy.

Luci Tapahonso

2018 National Artist Fellowship2018, Artist, Dine, Literature, National Artist Fellowship, Navajo, New Mexico

Writer Luci Tapahonso (Diné [Navajo]) is the inaugural Poet Laureate of the Navajo Nation and uses language to honor the rich legacy of the Diné people.

Heid E. Erdrich

2018 National Artist Fellowship2018, Artist, Literature, Minnesota, National Artist Fellowship

Writer, storyteller, poet and multidisciplinary artist Heid E. Erdrich reaches audiences through her voice as a woman from both Ojibwe and American cultures.

Marques Hanalei Marzan

2018 National Artist Fellowship2018, Artist, Hawaii, National Artist Fellowship, Native Hawaiian, Traditional Arts

Fiber artist Marques Hanalei Marzan has dedicated his career to continual exploration, perpetuation, and innovation around Native Hawaiian arts.

Pōhaku Kaho`ohanohano

2018 National Artist Fellowship2018, Artist, Hawaii, National Artist Fellowship, Native Hawaiian, Traditional Arts

Pōhaku Hano Kaho`ohanohano, a practitioner and preservationist of traditional Native Hawaiian weaving, weaves and teaches from his studio on family land in Kahakuloa.

Melissa S. Cody

2018 National Artist Fellowship2018, Arizona, Artist, Dine, National Artist Fellowship, Navajo, Traditional Arts

Melissa S. Cody is a fourth generation Navajo weaver and textile artist who pushes the boundaries of a traditional art form with vivid colors and sharp geometric overlays.

Frank Waln

2018 National Artist Fellowship2018, Artist, Illinois, Music, National Artist Fellowship, Performing Arts, Sicangu Lakota, South Dakota

Frank Waln (Sicangu Lakota) is an Indigenous American rapper, songwriter and activist from the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota.

Bently Spang

2018 National Artist Fellowship2018, Artist, Montana, National Artist Fellowship, Northern Cheyenne, Visual Arts

Installation, performance and video artist Bently Spang blends the sacred and seemingly mundane to interpret contemporary life as an Tsistsistas (Northern Cheyenne) man from his studio in Billings, Montana.

Ciara Leina`ala Lacy

2018 National Artist Fellowship2018, Artist, Film, Hawaii, National Artist Fellowship, Native Hawaiian

Filmmaker Ciara Leina`ala Lacy (Kanaka Maoli) is driven by her commitment to social justice, representation, and Native Hawaiian culture.

Anthony Hudson

2018 National Artist Fellowship2018, Artist, Grand Ronde, National Artist Fellowship, Oregon, Performing Arts

Performance Artist Anthony Hudson’s work powerfully confronts social constructs through drag, performance, video and theater.

Allison Akootchook Warden

2018 National Artist Fellowship2018, Alaska, Alaska Native, Artist, Inupiaq, Music, National Artist Fellowship, Performing Arts

Interdisciplinary hip-hop artist Allison Warden of Anchorage, Alaska engages her audience with stories of the Iñupiaq people, putting a contemporary spin on tradition.

Jeff Peterson

2018 National Artist Fellowship2018, Artist, Hawaii, Music, National Artist Fellowship, Native Hawaiian, Performing Arts

Jeff Peterson is a slack key guitarist, composer, and educator. He studies and shares the rich history of Hawaiian music across generations.

Kalani Pe’a

2018 National Artist Fellowship2018, Artist, Hawaii, Music, National Artist Fellowship, Native Hawaiian, Performing Arts

Kalani Pe’a is a songwriter and vocalist who celebrates his Native Hawaiian language and heritage through music and visual arts.

Cary Morin

2018 National Artist Fellowship2018, Artist, Assiniboine, Colorado, Crow, Music, National Artist Fellowship, Performing Arts

Cary Morin (Crow) is a songwriter, fingerstyle guitarist, vocalist, and recording artist who excels in live performance and storytelling.

Courtney M. Leonard

2018 National Artist Fellowship2018, Artist, National Artist Fellowship, New Mexico, Shinnecock Nation, Visual Arts

The works of ceramicist and multimedia artist Courtney M. Leonard are a response to ongoing issues of environmental sustainability and cultural viability.