Preserving & promoting
American Indian art
for generations to come.
Little Eagle Arts Foundation (LEAF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting American Indian art by cultivating the entrepreneurial spirit of American Indian/First Nations artists in order to achieve success and promote a cycle of economic security in Indian Country.
Goals
Incubating new & emerging Native artists for successful careers in the arts
LEAF maintains an artist roster of Native artists in the Western Great Lakes area working in visual, performing, and culinary arts. Programs include LEAF Fellows — pairing emerging artists with professional mentors — Professional Development Workshops in partnership with First Peoples Fund, and educational programs connecting artists with museum-quality collections and professional studio environments.
Maintaining a gallery, gift shop, cafe & cultural education programs
LEAF develops and maintains a retail gift shop featuring products from American Indian–owned companies and art education materials. The Native Presence Gallery presents curated exhibits of LEAF affiliated artists alongside the Roger and Bernadine Tallmadge Memorial Art Collection. LEAF’s Indian Art Market events are building a national reputation as the “Santa Fe of the Midwest.”
Building community through cultural preservation & a professional studio center
Free and fee-based art classes and workshops are open to LEAF members and visitors — American Indian and non-Indian, youth through adult. Studio experiences emphasize art forms indigenous to American Indian/First Nations people while integrating traditional and contemporary Western fine and folk art forms, with professional teaching artists featured throughout the year.
Developing a replicable model for any Native community in Indian Country
Art is a proven vehicle for economic stability in communities across the United States. The LEAF business model is designed to be accessible and transferable to any American Indian community interested in developing an incubator for emerging artists — contributing to the betterment of the broader community for generations to come.