In 2022, Grand Ronde Cultural Resources established a new Indigenous Place Keeping Artist Fellowship program (IPKA). As part of these fellowship awards, selected Indigenous artists with an Indigenous connection to Western Oregon from the Lower Columbia River to the Klamath River receive annual stipends of $20,000 commensurate with a season of work to allow for full artistic immersion.
As part of their awards, IPKA Fellows receive multi-week Residencies at Sitka during their fellowship year. IPKA Fellows receive private lodging and studios on Sitka's Oregon coast campus, resident talk participation and other interactive opportunities. Residencies at Sitka offer the opportunity for Fellows to immerse themselves in the Cascade Head landscape and engage in cultural exchange with other residents from diverse backgrounds and fields.
"Art by Indigenous people is one of the most effective and recognizable ways that we as Indigenous people of place can hold a place in our homelands and further our own recognition and persistence.” -David Harrelson, Cultural Resources Department Manager of Grand Ronde
The desired outcome of this partnership between the Grand Ronde IPKA Fellowship Program and Sitka is Indigenous Place Keeping: the creation of new work by Indigenous artists exploring ecological, historical, and cultural relationship to place through their creative practices with future-looking focus.
Read about the 2023 IPKA Fellowship recipients in a recent Smoke Signelz article, written by Danielle Harrison.
Visit the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde website.
Current and Past IPKA Fellows
