Forge Project is a Native-led non-profit organization whose mandate is to cultivate and advance Indigenous leadership in arts and culture. 

Located on the ancestral homelands of the Moh-He-Con-Nuck people, Forge is situated on a 38-acre campus in the Mahicannituck (Hudson River) valley. 

A change-making model for Native cultural self-determination and leadership, Forge fuses traditional and contemporary knowledge and practices to build community, public education, and collective action. 

About the Fellowship

Forge Project is seeking a 2026 cohort of six Indigenous individuals that represent a broad diversity of cultural practices, participatory research, organizing models, and geographical contexts that honor Indigenous pasts as well as build Native futures. 

Two of the fellowships are awarded to enrolled tribal members, First- and Second-Line Descendants of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians in recognition of the peoples on whose homelands Forge Project is situated and to encourage site-specific and relational projects. 

Each Forge Project Fellow receives a total of $25,000 toward their practice and will have access to the Forge Project site, libraries, and lending collection of living Indigenous artists during a residency stay of up to three weeks. 

The Forge Project space consists of two structures designed by Ai Weiwei in collaboration with HHF Architects. The larger of the two buildings consists of four equal-sized boxes, where Forge Project hosts its public programming, including special-topic talks with Fellows. Parallel to the main building is a Y-shaped building; the upper floor features a circular skylight that illuminates a central art gallery, and houses a fluid living and studio space for Fellows.

Fellows have the opportunity to present their work to the local Forge Project audience on site as well as a wider international audience via social media. Fellows have the opportunity to work one-on-one with Director of Indigenous Programs and Relationality, Sarah Biscarra Dilley (yak titʸutitʸu yak tiłhini [Northern Chumash]) and Public and Relationship Programs Coordinator, Monica Sekaquaptewa (Diné & Hopi) to develop public programming, to make connections and build contacts, and for support or mentorship during their stay. 

About the Jury

The Forge Project Fellowship 2026 applications will be reviewed by a juried panel of four distinguished Native cultural practitioners, artists, writers, scholars and former Fellows. The two Fellows from the Stockbridge-Munsee Community will be selected in a parallel process by a separate juried panel of three Native experts in their fields including a former Fellow.

2026 General Fellowship Jury

• Skye Tafoya (Eastern Band of Cherokee and the Santa Clara Pueblo Tribes) 
• Lou Cornum (Diné)
• Jeanette Jemison (Mohawk)
• Brittani Orona (Hupa)

2026 Stockbridge-Munsee Fellowship Jury

• Joleece Pecore (Ho-Chunk, Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican, Oneida, and Menominee)
• Kristi Leora Gansworth (Kitigan Zibi Anishnaabeg, Onondaga)
• Nicole Wallace (Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe Descendant)

Application & Eligibility

Applicants must be an enrolled member, citizen, or descendant with verification from the enrollment office of a state or federally recognized American Indian tribe or Alaska Native corporation, or of Native Hawaiian ancestry, a Canadian First Nations (status or non-status), Métis or Inuit to apply for the 2026 Forge Project Fellowship. At least two Fellows will come from the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians. 

For full details, selection criteria, and key dates, visit forgeproject.com/fellowship

• 2026 Forge Fellowship Informational Webinar, Thursday, January 15, 2026 from 6 - 7:30 PM EST. 
• Applications are due Sunday, February 15, 2026 by 11:59 PM EST
• The 6 individuals will be announced in Spring 2026

Electronic Submissions 

• Forge Project uses Submittable to collect applications. This web-based tool helps Forge Project make grant processes more streamlined and transparent.
• To submit an application, you will need to create a Submittable account. All you need is an email and password to create your account, it's that simple. For further instructions, visit the following help center article How to submit.
• Supported internet browsers include: Google Chrome, Apple Safari, & Mozilla Firefox.
• If you have any technical issues, please contact Submittable through the following link: Submittable technical support