The Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (NACF), a national organization, has announced the 2013 winners of its second annual Artist Fellowships awards, including two Alaskan artists and one with deep ties to the state.
The foundation, which describes itself as "a national charity dedicated to the revitalization, appreciation and perpetuation of Native arts and cultures," has awarded 12 American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian artist in six different disciplines with fellowship money to put toward their work.
The Alaskans include Tlingit Teri Rofkar of Sitka and Iñupiat Joan Kane of Anchorage. Rofkar was awarded $20,000 in the Traditional Arts category and Kane was a co-winner, one of two writers awarded the same amount ($20,000) in this year's Literature category. (Read more about the artists.)
Along with the two current Alaskans is well-known Iñupiat filmmaker Andrew Okpeaha Maclean, now of New York, N.Y. Maclean was awarded $20,000 in the film category. He's the mastermind behind the 2011 Sundance Film Festival darling, and his breakout film, "On the Ice." (Read more about "On The Ice")
Artists from across the country apply for the foundation's fellowship awards. Applications are reviewed and selected by a panel of experts in the fields applied for. According to NACF, "The $10,000 and $20,000 awards are unrestricted and through the fellowship the artists are provided the opportunity for study, reflection, experimentation, and discovery."
The six categories include dance, film, literature, music, traditional arts, and visual arts. The total allotment of fellowship money awarded to this year's 12 artists comes to $200,000 collectively.
Read more about this year's fellows.