Yuko Taniguchi was inspired by how fisherwomen in her native Japan used art to heal from the devastating grief and trauma of a tsunami. That inspiration fuels her work with the Arts at the Bedside Program at the Mayo Clinic, where she helps patients
As co-artistic director of Penumbra Theatre Company, Sarah Bellamy imagines a future where Penumbra is not only the nation’s leading African American theater troupe but also a beacon for reigniting a shared civic passion and responsibility for
As a college student, Chris Francis learned personally the power of one effective teacher to inspire a student as both an artist and community member. Today, he is an artist, advocate and administrator deeply embedded in his South Dakota community
When Tawanna Black thinks about the future of North Minneapolis, where she is director of the Northside Funder Groups, she sees possibility in the collective impact that African American leaders in the 1930s and ‘40s used to create stable communities
Chris Stewart has served on the Minneapolis School Board and is the founding director of the African American Leadership Forum. He will use his Fellowship to research, design and prototype a new model for a networked, intergenerational black
Charlie Thayer wants to make it easier for stories about Native culture to be told in the voice of Native people. Particularly stories of healing from historical trauma or its aftermath. His vision is to create a platform from which the voices of the
For Laura Zabel, creativity is a natural resource. As executive director of Springboard for the Arts, she has helped ensure the region maintains an abundance of creativity by connecting artists with the resources they need to make a living and a life
In 1999, my home community created the Sioux Falls Arts and Culture Plan. In the time since, funding for arts and culture has become tighter just at a time when the city could benefit from strengthening itself as a creative, innovative community that
Since 1997, the Fargo-Moorhead area has been an important refugee resettlement center. The influx of these new residents, most of whom don’t speak English, presents them and the community with significant challenges. I will use my Bush Fellowship to
Although the Bismarck-Mandan off-reservation American Indian population is significant, their socio-economic realities and negative community perceptions separate them from full participation in the community. My goal is to utilize comprehensive data
The Mississippi River and its community face many threats to health, ecology, economy and spirit. These include the threat of pollution, flooding, changes to the navigation system, short-sighted economic development, displacement and disconnection
My work links the diverse worlds I live in—hip hop, community organizing and racial justice—and creates a dynamic and interdependent intersection of music, art and democracy. I will engage, educate and equip a new generation of artists, organizers
