2026 Cultural Capital Application

2026 CULTURAL CAPITAL FELLOWSHIP GUIDELINES 

The Cultural Capital (CC) Fellowship Program strengthens the Collective Spirit of artists who perpetuate generosity, wisdom and integrity within their communities as they further their important cultural work. The fellowship is intended for Native artists who have strong community ties and are dedicated to preserving and transmitting ancestral traditions.
 

Cultural Capital Fellowships offer $10,000 grants to artists and culture bearers dedicated to community outreach and cultural preservation through the arts.
 

Cultural Capital Fellowships will be awarded to artists who:

• Are active within and connected to their Native or Tribal community. 
• Demonstrate a commitment to passing on ancestral knowledge and practices within Native communities. 
• Are actively working to sustain cultural sharing as a way of life within Native communities.

TIMELINE

• Application Opens: Monday, June 9, 2025 at 8:00 am MDT
• Application Closes: Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at 6:00 pm MDT
• All applicants will be notified if they have been invited to participate in the 2026 CC Fellowship Program by (or on) Monday, December 1, 2025.
• 2026 CC Fellowship recipients will be publicly announced in January 2026.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

• Proposals: For this self-directed fellowship, applicants are asked to create a proposal centered around two (2) primary goals that they would like to accomplish during their fellowship year. They should be able to describe the activities, resources, and costs related to achieving their primary goals. 
• Funding: 90% (or $9,000) will be disbursed once initial paperwork and orientation measures are completed. The remaining 10% (or $1,000) will be disbursed in December 2026 upon completion of closing measures. 
• Convening: Selected artists should expect to attend an annual fellowship convening where all FPF fellows are brought together for a multi-day event. This is normally held in the spring. Past convening locations have included Santa Fe, Phoenix, and Minneapolis.
• Reporting: Fellows are asked to complete Orientation Measures and Closing Measures near the beginning and end of their fellowship year and can anticipate having at least two calls or virtual meetings with program staff to discuss their fellowship activities.  
• Resources: While this is a self-directed fellowship, program staff is available to offer support and guidance upon request, and can potentially provide fellows with internal FPF professional development materials if applicable, as well as direct them to additional external online resources. Occasional virtual presentations and networking opportunities may also be offered during the fellowship year. 
• Award year: If selected, all fellowship proposal activities must take place between January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2026.
• Number of Fellowships: The number of CC fellowships awarded each year may vary based on available funding. In 2025, eleven CC fellows were selected from over 60 applications received.

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants for the Cultural Capital Fellowship must meet the following criteria:

• An artist or culture bearer who lives within or is clearly active with and connected to their Native community.
• Must be at least 18 years of age at the time of application.
• Must reside and be based within the U.S. 

          -  Applicants who reside outside of the U.S. are ineligible to apply. 

• Applicants must be an enrolled member of, or provide proof of lineal descendancy from, a U.S. federally-recognized or U.S. state-recognized tribe, or be able to provide proof of ancestry as an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian.

          -  For more information about acceptable documents, please click here. 

• Applicants may not be enrolled in any academic, degree seeking program.
• Native artists working in a wide variety of mediums, including traditional and contemporary, are welcome to apply. 
• Recipients of any 2025 First Peoples Fund (FPF)  fellowships are not eligible to apply for the 2026 CC Fellowship. 
• Previous grantees with any First Peoples Fund programs must have submitted a final report for any awarded FPF grants.

APPLICATION PROCESS

A best practice when applying for any opportunity is to read through all of the information provided before starting to fill out an application.     

Applications must be completed online in Submittable and received before the listed due date and time. Applications sent via email or postal mail will not be considered. 

For an overview of the application questions and attached files please click here.

Below is a list of the files you will need to upload for a completed application:  

• Proof of Tribal Affiliation
• Reference Letter 
• Artist Resume or CV
• Up to 8 Artwork Samples
• Artwork Sample Descriptions* (see note below)
• Artist Photo or Headshot 

*UPDATE - The Artwork Sample Descriptions is no longer required as a separate document. Instead, applicants will be asked to enter four pieces of information about each file uploaded: Title, Medium, Year, and Description.

SELECTION PROCESS

• Program staff will conduct a technical review of applications.
• A national selection committee will review applications that meet program requirements and eligibility. 
• Committee members are typically Native artists and/or culture bearers, past CC Fellowship alumni, and other members of the Native arts and culture field. 
• The final number of ABL and CC Fellowships awarded is determined based on total available funding and number of applicants. 
• Final CC Fellowship award decisions are based on selection committee recommendations and any relevant funding restrictions. 

SELECTION ANNOUNCEMENT: Applicants will be notified in December 2025

QUESTIONS?

Contact Fox Spears via email at: fox@firstpeoplesfund.org