Grace Rosario Perkins Expands Indigenous Art Through 2025 Grant Opportunity

Brooklyn-based painter Grace Rosario Perkins has received the prestigious Walker Youngbird Foundation's Emerging Native Arts Grant, allowing her to push the boundaries of Indigenous abstraction with her monumental project titled "Circles, Spokes, Zigzags, Rivers". This grant, valued at $15,000 and supplemented with mentoring from foundation staff, empowers artists whose work reflects both cultural depth and innovative materiality, particularly those grounded in Native experiences.

Born to Diné (Navajo) and Akimel O'odham parents, Perkins flourished in an artistic environment that spans from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to California and now to Brooklyn. Her techniques combine layers of abstraction formed from texts, found materials, and elements steeped in ritual. Creatively self-taught, Perkins develops artwork that resonates on a deeply personal and collective level, intentionally straying from conventional narrative structures.

With this grant, Perkins aspires to focus on an expansive sculptural work woven through collaboration with friends and family across various Native homelands. Emphasizing the organic relationship between nature and artistic creation, she looks forward to employing a spectrum of materials in her project—some recovered from local areas burdened by environmental damage and social challenges. "This initiative provides the latitude to create a large-scale sculptural installation indubitably linked to familial and communal ties," Perkins explains, prioritizing the essence of collaboration in her artistry.

At the heart of her ambitious project lies a sculptural installation that repurposes found materials like beer cans and fast-food wrappers, unveiling their hidden narratives of addiction and environmental degradation. Cast in concrete, these artifacts are interwoven with medicinal plants, transforming the final work into a powerful act of ritual and community alchemy, evoking memories and connections among spectators.

Particularly noteworthy is the project's inclusion of youth engagement. Perkins has planned workshops aimed at Indigenous and LGBTQ+ teens, encouraging them to explore shared narratives through creativity and storytelling. She acknowledges, "The youth program enables a collective expression, engaging a generation harnessed with cultural pride and innovation."

Perkins's extensive exhibition history reflects her growing influence as a significant voice in contemporary art. She has showcased her works in numerous esteemed venues including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tucson and Bockley Gallery in Minneapolis, alongside prestigious group exhibitions featuring her work at SFMOMA.

Reid Walker, founder of the Walker Youngbird Foundation, emphasized Perkins's distinctive approach, stating, "There's a certain electricity in Grace's work—a blend of memory, ritual, and resistance not often encountered. Her evolving language in art captivates a spectrum of viewers, and we are privileged to back her journey."

The Walker Youngbird Foundation, committed to elevating emerging Native artists through grant support, visibility, and a wealth of resources, facilitates a six-month engagement period, providing mentorship and access to influential networks in the art community. Perkins's achievements mark a significant chapter in her journey, promising a wealth of transformative artistic endeavors.

Keep an eye on Perkins as she dives deeper into her project with the community's spirit and vibrant stories at its core. As her work unfolds, it invites participants to forge their own connections with the layers of Indigenous identity and history or, as Perkins eloquently puts it, to reflect on how abstraction beckons us to engage with our personal experiences in meaningful dialogue.