The Kansas Arts Commission (KAC) is dedicated to expanding its services and outreach to all constituents across Kansas. Recognizing that the state has historically underserved four federally recognized tribes in Kansas, KAC has worked to build long-term partnerships that are cognizant of and serve the needs of artists living in these communities. In addition, the agency offers professional development and shared learning through its Indigenous Arts Initiative.

KAC works with Native communities through targeted outreach. The Commission has hired two field liaisons to assist in network building between KAC and Native artists, tribal nations and other Native-serving organizations across Kansas. The field representatives work with artists and organizations to encourage applications to KAC programs and highlight available services. As part of this work, KAC strives to communicate its flexibility in assisting with grant applications, especially when working with first-time applicants.

KAC also seeks to better understand how it can serve Native artists and community members through open dialogue. A 2023 Native Roundtable was held in Topeka as part of a series of discussions to better connect with underserved artists from multiple demographic and geographic groups. Each roundtable serves as a vehicle for mapping existing assets, as well as a space for community members to discuss their current artistic practices and set boundaries for where KAC does not need to be involved.

This maquette was produced as part of the 2022-2023 Indigenous Arts Initiative, led by artists Reyna Hernandez, Sonia Hernandez and Amber Hansen in collaboration with Kansas University and Haskell Indian Nations University students. The initiative hopes that the full mural will eventually be installed on the exterior of the Haskell Tommaney Library at the Haskell Indian Nations University. Photo courtesy Sydney Pursel

KAC works in tandem with the University of Kansas (KU) Film and Media Studies program, KU’s Spencer Museum of Art, and the university’s Lied Center to highlight Native art forms and support collaborative learning and professional development for Native artists through the Indigenous Arts Initiative (IAI). The program focuses on mentor based workshops that provide space for emerging Native artists to interact with established Native artists as teachers and mentors.

The initiative began as a two-week residency based on KAC’s lab model in which professional artists worked in small groups to collaborate on projects with developing artists. Sydney Pursel, one of the first artist participants in the program, now helps run its current format, in which the IAI prioritizes community accessibility, and artists are invited to hold shorter workshops and lectures with local community members.

Artists for the IAI are selected by representatives from KU’s Lied Center, Spencer Museum of Art, and Film and Media Studies program, drawing on both informal and formal relationships with Native artists and community members. Additional program guiidance has come from the University of Kansas First Nations Student Association, Haskill Indian Nations University students, local Native community members, Indigenous Community Forums hosted by the Spencer Museum, and KU professors and staff.

The selected artists host and mentor small-group, three- to four-day workshops that are open to the public. To ensure a wide range of artists from local and national arts scenes are able to work as teaching artists, KAC commits to funding travel and lodging for the artists. Recently, applications to participate in the workshop were simplified in multiple ways, such as removing the need to use a grant management system to make the program more accessible and remove barriers for artists.

In conjunction with the Indigenous Arts Initiative, the selected teaching artists are invited to present at KU’s annual Powwow and Indigenous Cultures Festival. The event is planned by the University of Kansas and KU First Nations Student Association. The 2023 festival brought in nearly 7,000 attendees. This work reinforces both formal and informal networks of Native and non-Native artists, community members and organizations, and helps to grow opportunities naturally. KAC considers this long-term work to be important because it:

• creates partnerships that connect Native practicing artists with community members and brings them back to engage over a long period of time;
• promotes opportunities to strengthen both mentor and mentee artists, building capacity across the community of practitioners;
• commits nonmatching funds without the expectation of reciprocity; and
• prioritizes relationship building as the first part of working with Native communities.

Through all KAC’s work, the agency stresses that programming must be committed, deep and ongoing. For more information, contact Kansas Arts Commission Assistant Director Kate Van Steenhuyse, Spencer Museum of Art Curator for Public Practice Sydney Pursel or Lied Center Engagement/Education Director Anthea Scouffas.