Northwoods Niijii Enterprise Community

Funding for the project will convene artists, arts administrators, master artists, and culture bearers from the NiiJii communities and across the Woodland region for a 2-day gathering. The focus of this convening will be on sharing best practices, professional development training, networking, and the exchange of knowledge and technical skills. For the convening NiiJii will work with First Peoples Fund and contract with two facilitators for a one-day leadership and entrepreneurial development workshop for master artists. On the second day the convening will invite 10 master artists and culture bearers from across artistic disciplines to share their artistic and cultural practices as well as their professional experiences as artists. The project will contract with two master artists from the board of directors at All My Relations Arts gallery in Minneapolis to prompt an exchange of ideas between rural and urban artists as well as arts organizations. The convening will increase the opportunity for collaboration, exchange, and relationship building between individual artists and between artists and arts organizations.