Sinew Fund Grants

Sinew Fund Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Racing Magpie
Amount: US $5,000 - US $10,000
Last Updated: July 19, 2025

Summary

The Sinew Fund Grants, supported by Racing Magpie, empower Oceti Sakowin visual creatives in the U.S. to engage their communities through innovative, artist-led projects. Focused on the rich cultural heritage of Lakota communities, these grants foster collaborative, community-based initiatives that enhance cultural dialogue and creative expression. Eligible applicants must be connected to an Oceti Sakowin tribe and aim for projects that prioritize public engagement within current-day Western South Dakota.

Overview

About Sinew Fund Program The past, present, and future of Lakota communities are held and led by Oceti Sakowin visual creatives, which include artists, makers, and culture bearers. This grant program is designed to support them and the community by funding collaborative, artist-led, community-based projects by Oceti Sakowin visual creatives in Lakota communities. Oceti Sakowin visual creatives can apply individually and in teams to fund innovative projects that will engage with Lakota community in exciting ways rooted in place and land. These projects will continue building relationships with human and non-human relatives, enhance the collective dialogue needed for cultural growth and strengthening, and contribute to the continuum of Oceti Sakowin creative expression and practices. Sinew Fund is designed to fund Oceti Sakowin visual creatives based anywhere in the United States to do project work in Lakota communities. Because of the importance of place and land, funded projects will occur within Lakota communities in current-day/so-called western South Dakota. Please visit our Awarded Projects page to learn more about our awarded projects. Fund Partnership In 2023, Racing Magpie became a partner in the Andy Warhol Foundation’s Regional Regranting program. This partnership has brought the Sinew Fund to life. The Regional Regranting Program partners with local arts organizations nationwide to make grants to artists and collectives for projects that chart new creative territory in their communities; participation is by invitation only. Each network partner creates a program tailored to its region's specific needs and artistic identity. Established in 2007, the Regional Regranting Program is active in 32 cities and regions, supporting artists whose work falls outside the scope of traditional presenting organizations and/or funding opportunities. Projects supported by these grants have included queer zines, living room galleries, radical seafaring events, and virtual reality film screenings, among other public-facing experimental activities. The Regional Regranting Program is established to recognize and support the movement of independently organized, public-facing, artist-centered activity that animates local and regional art scenes but that lies beyond the reach of traditional funding sources.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Applicant must be an enrolled member of, or prove descendancy of a Oceti Sakowin tribe, AND hold active community connections.Applicant must be at least 18 years old by the application deadline.Projects can have interdisciplinary elements but must have a strong and primary basis in the visual arts.Projects cannot charge admission or other fees to the public or participants.Projects must be completed within a year or less after being awarded.Projects must occur within Lakota communities in current-day so-called Western South Dakota.Projects can be submitted by an individual Oceti Sakowin visual creative or as a collaborative group with a lead organizer who is a Oceti Sakowin visual creative.We encourage projects that happen in community spaces.Projects are meant to be accomplished and completed with grant funds given, not partial funding for a larger project.Sinew Fund is especially interested in projects that include:Collaborations, collectives, and partnerships between artistsArtistic activities outside the studioArtistic activities that further the continuum of Oceti Sakowin visual arts practices.Lead Organizers:If the project involves a group of artists working together, please choose one person to act as the lead organizer. The lead organizer will oversee the project and must play a vital role in the creation and execution of the project. This contact person will also be responsible for receiving grant funds, communicating with Racing Magpie, and submitting the final report. You may work with as many collaborators and artists as you wish.What We Fund:Projects that have a publicly accessible component Projects could include exhibitions or installations held in temporary spaces, new publications, a series of events or performances, digital initiatives, public art projects, and other activities that are related to the visual arts

Ineligibility

Organizations such as nonprofits are not eligible for fundingWhat We Do Not Fund An individual artist presenting their work exclusively (e.g., an artist presenting a solo exhibition in a gallery) Projects that are part of the programming of a 501(c)3 non-profit arts organization Projects at a commercial gallery Projects that do not offer an opportunity for free public engagement