Role: Senior Development Consultant for on-going project to establish an educational institute in downtown Grand Rapids.
Challenge:
Develop a self-sustaining post-secondary educational institution focused on Native American art.
Background:
While Native communities have had a rich tradition of art, they have increasingly faced challenges about making art an economically viable choice for individuals. Federal studies estimated a national market for natie American art of $1 to $2 billion. Yet in the Great Lakes the number of indivduals pursuing art was shrinking as it found increasing dificulty connecting with its market. Traditionally, individuals learned Native arts through a self-funded apprenticeship, leaving them in turn vulnerable to the appeal of steady jobs in the casinos and other economic opportunities. For those in the arts field, they have faced the same difficulty as other artists: the lack of an easy market for their work. Given that Native Americans attend college at a lower rate than majority culture, and at a later age, art seemed to provide an economic alternative and a doorway to higher education.
Although members of the Natie American community had seen the possibility of an arts program, previous efforts had difficulty finding support.
Vision and Approach:
Project would bring together a work space for native artists, develop a longterm market and build a wider constituency. Core to this project was identifying key academic and native stakeholders for participation. The project explored what such an institute might look like, how it might be affiliated (and so gain academic accreditation), and how such a program might be perceived by Indian artists and tribal communities.
Outcome:
Project met with strong response in the non-profit and Indian community throughout the Great Lakes region, including Canada. Initial grants of over $60,000 were allocated for exploration of project feasibility.
Tasks:
Audience identification, market analysis, creation and administration of surveys, identification and consulting with stakeholders, development of promotional and institutional documentation, project up-date blog, and limited grant writing.
