The Native Craft Artist Readiness Program (NCARP) is a six-month capacity building program that provides 20 Native craft artists with training, resources, and financial support to build sustainable art practices. Craft artists are defined as someone who works with their hands to create unique, functional, and/or decorative items.

Participating craft artists receive: 

• 18 hours of online training 
• Personalized coaching 
• Access to a network of peers and resources  
• Financial assistance of up to $10,000 each upon completion of the Program 

Participating craft artists commit to: 

• Develop a business and marketing plan following the templates provided.
• Attend training sessions and complete assignments.
• Participate in a community-building event. 
• Use the skills gained during the program to submit a request for the financial award.

 Participating craft artists must meet these eligibility requirements: 

• Enrolled member of a U.S. federally recognized tribe, a state-recognized tribe, Alaska Native Village, or Native Hawaiian Homestead 
• Be at least 18 years old and have a Social Security number 
• Practice a craft art form that has the potential for reaching a broad market

Cohort Communities: 

Each selected craft artist will be part of a local, regional, or national cohort community. Artists will be selected into the following cohorts: 

• Four artists identified by the Mvskoke Arts Council  
• Four artists identified by the Woshka - Ioway Tribe of KS & NE Arts & Culture Committee 
• Four artists identified by the Virginia Native Arts Alliance
• Eight national artists identified by the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums 

Timeline: 

• September 30, 2023, 12 midnight (Eastern) - Application Deadline
• October 16, 2023 - Applicants informed of status of application
• October 26, 2023 - Public announcement at the ATALM Conference
• November 16, 2023, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET –  Kick-Off Meeting & Networking Event  
• December 7, 2023, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET – Webinar #1  
• January 4, 2024, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET – Webinar #2  
• January 18, 2024, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET – Webinar #3  
• February 1, 2024, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET – Webinar #4  
• February 15, 2024, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET – Webinar #5  
• March 7, 2024, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET – Webinar #6  
• March 21, 2024, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET – Webinar #7  
• April 4, 2024, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET – Webinar #8  
• April 25, 2024, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET – Webinar #9  
• May 2, 2024, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET – Final Meeting - Program Concludes, Evaluation Survey
• May 3, 2024 - Artists completing the program request the $10,000 financial award

**Webinars will be recorded for those unable to attend.**

The project is administered by the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums in partnership with the Craft Emergency Relief Fund and is funded by the Ford Foundation and Windgate Foundation. 

 BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

1. Have up to 20 photos of your craft art ready to upload.
2. Have a one-paragraph artist statement ready to upload.
3. Have a one-paragraph artist biography ready to upload.
4. Have a headshot or photograph of yourself to be used in promotional purposes.
5. The Submittable platform works best on Google Chrome, Firefox, current versions of Microsoft Edge, and Safari.
6. Save a draft of your work if you would like to complete it later. More information may be found here. 
7. If the information you submitted changes after the deadline, you may request authorization to edit the submission. More information may be found here.
8. Once you submit your form, you will receive automated emails from Submittable confirming your submission. Please be sure to safelist emails from notifications@email.submittable.com. More information may be found here.