This post is part of Americans for the Arts' Excellence and Equity in Arts for Change blog salon.
Indigenous artists have long used art as a means of pushing back on colonial actions, ideas, and ways of being. It is not only a powerful vernacular in which to communicate about the persistence of Indigenous peoples and who they are today, but also an effective means of questioning dominant worldviews and inspiring social change.
In 2014, to both celebrate and promote these valuable aspects of contemporary Indigenous art, the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (NACF) launched a new initiative, the Community Inspiration Program (CIP). The basic program strategy was to identify and fund unique projects that were led by Native artists, spoke to socially important issues, and engaged communities.
Additional Information
Jorgensen, Miriam. Evaluating the Social Impact of Indigenous Art Projects by Way of Aesthetic Impact. July 26, 2017. Excellence and Equity in Arts for Change. Blog post. Americans for the Arts. Retrieved from https://blog.americansforthearts.org/2019/05/15/evaluating-the-social-impact-of-indigenous-art-projects-by-way-of-aesthetic-impact