Meet the People Behind the Walker Youngbird Foundation Mission

Our Team

Reid Walker

  • Reid Walker

    I'm Mandan and Hidatsa, an enrolled citizen of the MHA Nation (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara) in North Dakota.

    I built my career in communications, policy, and corporate affairs, in the private sector and in the United States Senate. Art was the thread that ran alongside the work, and over time, it became the work. I serve on the boards of the Phillips Collection and the Institute of American Indian Arts Foundation; on the Collectors Committee at the National Gallery of Art; and on the North American Acquisitions Committee at the Tate Americas Foundation.

    The foundation grew out of what I kept noticing in boardrooms, at institutions, and closer to home. A visit to the MHA Nation Interpretive Center brought it into focus. The work was as rigorous and compelling as anything hanging in a major collection, made by artists with almost none of the support that surrounds their peers. One artist I met had stopped painting because she couldn't afford to continue.

    The talent was never the issue. Too few people inside the right institutions were pushing for it.

    That is what the Walker Youngbird Foundation exists to do: help Indigenous artists sustain their practice and reach the galleries, collectors, and institutions that shape who gets seen, and who doesn't.

    Reach me directly at rw@walkeryoungbird.org

Nina O’Neil

  • Nina has been matching collectors & art for over a decade. She founded the art advisory firm Monochrome Collective to help clients create focused, style-driven, visual experiences in their homes and businesses through art. Her work can be seen throughout DC and has been recognized in the Washington Post, Washingtonian Magazine, and Washington Life.

    Nina has held curatorial roles at many public and private museums including a decade at the National Gallery of Art.

    Her deep passion for the arts will forever be tied to her first museum job, at The Museum of the Great Plains in her home town of Lawton, Oklahoma. The Walker Youngbird Foundation’s mission to provide support to native artists directly aligns with her continued interest and support of Native American artists.

    Preserving Native heritage and allowing artists to tell their stories through their own voices is priceless, and Nina is proud to use her expertise and experience to supporting this mission.

Taylor Colby

  • Taylor (Mandan, Hidatsa) is an accomplished fundraising and client success professional with a decade of experience in nonprofit development and relationship management. From health care to cultural heritage, she has spent her career driving resources and support to organizations that create meaningful change.

    Taylor’s connection to her heritage has always been an important part of her life. From childhood days spent on the reservation, to celebrating her son’s naming ceremony, Taylor’s native roots have shaped her personal journey.

    Now at the Walker Youngbird Foundation, Taylor is committed to uplifting and empowering Indigenous artists, blending cultural preservation with modern creativity to create lasting impact within Indian Country.

The Walker Youngbird

Advisory Council

G. PETER JEMISON | (Strawberry Moon), 1985

Meet the leaders in Native and contemporary art who guide our mission and support the next generation of Indigenous artists. The council plays a vital role in our organization, offering guidance on programming and grant selection while mentoring recipients as they navigate their artistic practice and professional growth.

  • Jodie Archambault

    (Hunkpapa and Oglala Lakota)
    Former Special Assistant to the President for Native American Affairs, White House Domestic Policy Council (Obama administration); artist, advocate, and board member of several leading institutions

  • Kathleen Ash-Milby

    (Navajo Nation)

    Curator of Native American Art, Portland Art Museum

  • John Lukavic

    Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Native Arts, Denver Art Museum

  • Anya Montiel

    (Tohono O'odham)

    Curator, National Museum of the American Indian (Washington, DC)

  • Stuart Morrison

    Managing Director, Hales Gallery (New York)

    Visit Website

  • Wanda Nanibush

    (Anishinaabe-kwe, Beausoleil First Nation, Canada)

    Independent Curator

  • Jessica Silverman

    Owner, Jessica Silverman Gallery (San Francisco)

    Visit Website

  • James Trotta-Bono

    Owner, Trotta-Bono Contemporary (Los Angeles)

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  • Leslie Wheelock

    (Onieda)
    Trustee at SWAIA, Phillips Collection, and National Museum of the American Indian (Washington, DC)

Reid Walker

Chairman

Mary Pavel

Vice-Chair

Board of Directors

Nathan Hart

Treasurer

Taylor Colby

Secretary