#USA #Chicago #Walker Youngbird #Chelsea Bighorn #Native Arts Grant

Chelsea Bighorn's Sculptural Expansion Supported by Grant

In a significant advancement for contemporary Indigenous art, Chelsea Bighorn has recently been recognized as a recipient of the Emerging Native Arts Grant, awarded by the Walker Youngbird Foundation. This nonprofit organization is dedicated to uplifting emerging Indigenous artists, and Bighorn's acceptance of the grant marks a pivotal moment in her career.

The grant, which amounts to $15,000 and is awarded semi-annually, is not only financial support but also promises structured guidance for artists to foster their independent practices. Chelsea Bighorn's proposed project resonates profoundly with her rich cultural heritage and her observations of urban landscapes. Her aim is to explore the interplay of Native garments and the architecture she navigates during her daily commutes on the train.

Born in Tempe, Arizona, Chelsea identifies with Lakota, Dakota, and Shoshone-Paiute backgrounds. She intricately weaves her personal experiences with cultural memory into a unique sculptural language that reflects a material rigor. Borrowing from both her Native American and Irish-American ancestry, Bighorn skillfully reinterprets Indigenous design, transforming ceremonial elements into contemporary artistic expressions through textiles, canvas, and beads.

She recently stated, “This grant gives me the opportunity to push myself further in the realm of pleating and explore what I can accomplish with the right support behind me.” This sentiment echoes the journey many artists experience, as financial constraints can often impede creative visions. Thanks to the Emerging Native Arts Grant, Bighorn has the opportunity to realize her ambitious concepts into a monumental form.

Bighorn completed her MFA in Fiber and Material Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2024 and is a proud alumna of the Institute of American Indian Arts. Her works have been exhibited in prominent institutions, such as the Museum of Contemporary Native Art and the Center for Native Futures. Each of these spaces provides a crucial platform for Indigenous art, allowing Bighorn to showcase her evolving artistic identity.

Reid Walker, the founder of the Walker Youngbird Foundation, praised Bighorn’s artistic vision, noting that her work captures a clear ambition that examines place—how it is remembered and reconstructed. Her current project aims to expand the tactile exploration of her materials, where the dimensionality of pleating will not only bring forth beauty but will also forge connections between cultural history and contemporary narratives.

The integration of beads will serve as a visual language in Bighorn's new work, tracing themes of structure, movement, and creative process. She seeks to engage with traditional Native garments and the urban environment of Chicago, using her hands to craft a narrative that bridges her identity with the modern city experience. This endeavor speaks to a larger conversation about the preservation of cultural memory amidst encroaching urbanization.

As this year progresses, Chelsea Bighorn looks forward to the transformative journey that this grant provides. Emerging artists like her are essential to the rich tapestry of the art world, reminding us of the importance of storytelling, memory, and cultural dialogue in the ever-evolving contemporary landscape. With the support of the Walker Youngbird Foundation, she is poised to make significant contributions to the realm of Indigenous art, one bead and pleat at a time.

For more details about the Walker Youngbird Foundation and the Emerging Native Arts Grant, visit Walker Youngbird Foundation. For additional insight into Chelsea Bighorn's work, you can find her portfolio at Chelsea Bighorn's Website.