The Walker Youngbird Foundation supports Native artists through pivotal moments of development, transition, and institutional engagement, with an emphasis on infrastructure, access, and permanence.
Artists
We support Native artists across disciplines through funding, visibility, and long-term investment in their creative and cultural work.
Meet the artists →Programs
Our programs empower Native artists to preserve tradition, spark innovation, and lead projects in their communities and beyond.
Explore programs →Partnerships
We work with museums, galleries, and institutions to open doors for Native artists and their work.
See partnerships →Collection
The Walker Family Collection preserves and shares works by Native artists across generations.
View the collection →Community
Join us at gatherings, openings, and conversations that bring Native artists, partners, and community together.
Learn More →
Our Programs
Emerging Native Arts Grant
Direct funding for early-career Native artists who honor tradition while boldly shaping the future of Indigenous art.
Núhi Grant
Support for Indigenous artists working in community-based contexts across the United States, its territories, and Canada — at any career stage.
Native Neon Residency
A residency with Lite Brite Neon Studio giving Indigenous artists hands-on instruction, collaborative fabrication, and full production support in neon.
Native Artist Residency
A new residency with the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown: four weeks in a private studio and apartment, a $2,500 stipend, and a public culminating event. Applications open October 26.
A Native-led foundation
The Walker Youngbird Foundation supports Native artists through pivotal moments of development, transition, and institutional engagement, with an emphasis on infrastructure, access, and permanence.
Since our founding in 2024, we have provided direct funding in the form of grants, fellowships, and residencies alongside mentorship, institutional partnerships, and acquisitions.
In the News
Coverage of our grants, residencies, and the artists we support.
Walker Youngbird grant invests in emerging Indigenous artists
The Walker Youngbird Foundation is helping Native artists move ambitious projects from concept to public presentation through its Emerging Native Arts Grant...
Sarah Rowe Will Light Up Native Neon Residency in Kingston, NY
The Native Neon Residency will be hosted at Lite Brite studio in Kingston, NY. Sarah Rowe (Ponca Tribe of Nebraska) will complete an artwork...
New residency in upstate New York will give Indigenous artists access to neon fabrication studio
A partnership between Lite Brite Neon Studio and the Walker Youngbird Foundation, the residency will launch with the artist Sarah Rowe in...
A Bead On It: Chelsea Bighorn On Earrings and Architecture
The Chicago-based artist, who just won the Walker Youngbird Foundation award for emerging Native American artists, discusses her artmaking...
Kingston-based Lite Brite Neon Studio, non-profit partner for Indigenous artist residency
KINGSTON, N.Y. — Midtown-based Lite Brite Neon Studio and the Walker Youngbird Foundation announced on Thursday the launch of “Native Neon,”...
Native Neon Residency Launches in Kingston
The Walker Youngbird Foundation and Lite Brite Neon launch Native Neon, a $50000 residency expanding Indigenous access to neon art in...
Walker Youngbird Foundation’s $15,000 Grant Elevates Emerging Native Artists
Walker Youngbird Foundation's $15,000 Grant Elevates Emerging Native Artists. Providing financial resources and tailored opportunities, the...
The Artist Reviving a Native Hawaiian Clothmaking Tradition
Lehuauakea, one of the few kapa practitioners under the age of 30 working in the art form today, is the recipient of a Walker Youngbird...