Last month, three Native American artists from South Dakota initiated steps to connect their artwork to their communities and the global art market. For a Pine Ridge native, it is one more step toward becoming this century's Andy Warhol, M.C. Escher or Pablo Picasso.

Sandy Swallow, 59, of Spearfish is one of the artists who will take part in the year-long project of the 2009 Cultural Capital and Artist in Business Leadership Fellowships provided by First Peoples Fund, a Rapid City-based Native arts fund supporting the work of indigenous artist nationwide.

"It helps in my growth as an artist," Swallow said.

Swallow and Arthur Short Bull, originally from Pine Ridge and now of Alma, Kan., and four other artists received the 2009 Artists in Business Leadership Fellows, and Mike One Star Sr. of Rosebud was honored with nine other 2009 Cultural Capital Fellows in April.

The 16 artists participated in a three-day training session to advance their business skills and further cultural work in their communities at workshops in Denver.

They received professional development, financial education and planning training, along with sessions on art law, copyright issues, Internet and Web site development. They also had the opportunity to view select collections of Native art at the Denver Art Museum.

Basically self-taught, Swallow began her artwork after her children entered high school.

"I was a little bit of a late bloomer, but it worked out for me," she said.

Swallow has worked as a professional artist for 20 years, working with acrylic painting, but her specialty is block printing. She carves images from blocks of linoleum, then, using different inks, creates a layer upon layer of images.

"I saw this block print and became intrigued," she said.

Swallow sent to the state library in Pierre for information, read up on it and never looked back. She created her traveling business, The Swallow's Nest, and for 15 years, she traveled all over the United States to promote her work. From Washington, D.C., to California, she showed her art to potential galleries, art shows and art festivals, creating a following of customers and fans.

She then, with her husband, Wayne Morgan, opened her own gallery four years ago in Hill City.

Sandy Swallow Gallery offers artwork by local Black Hills artists Don Montileaux, Martin Red Bear, Gerald Yellowhawk, Randall Blaze and Del Iron Cloud, as well as quillwork and beadwork by Native American crafters.

"It was important to me to have authentic Native American-made items. Some shops, you realize the items aren't made by Native Americans," she said.

Yet there was plenty of room to improve marketing her own work, which pushed her into trying for the fellowship.

"I think this is truly an honor to be selected to be a part of this group. I thought this was so far above me, I was surprised that I got it," she said.

The money that was awarded with the fellowship will help pay for creating and designing a Web site.

"My next phase is Web site development. I want to get more into that," she said.

First Peoples Fund announces fellowships

The First Peoples Fund of Rapid City recently announced the following winners of its 2009 Cultural Capital and Artist in Business Leadership fellowships:

• Artist in Business Leadership Fellows: Sandy Swallow, Oglala Lakota, a painter from Spearfish; Beverly Moran, Standing Rock Sioux, a traditional bead and quill worker from Lone Tree, Colo.; Darrell Norman, Blackfeet, a painter and sculptor from Browning, Mont.; Jeannette Parker, Passamaquoddy, a traditional basket maker from Princeton, Maine; Arthur Short Bull, Oglala Lakota, a watercolor painter from Alma, Kan.; and Monte Yellow Bird Sr., also know as Black Pinto Horse, Arikara-Hidatsa, a mixed-medium artist from Great Falls, Mont.
• Cultural Capital Fellows: Sadie Buck, Seneca, and traditional singer and cultural preservationist from Ohsweken, Ontario, Canada; Anna Brown Ehler, Tlingit-Chilkat tribal member and a traditional Chilkat weaver from Juneau, Alaska; Richard Horn, Blackfeet, and a traditional artist from Browning, Mont.; Chloe French, Tlingit, and a Chilkat and Ravenstail weaver from Bellingham, Wash.; Linley Logan, Onondowaga-Seneca, and a ceremonial music archivist from Bremerton, Wash.; Nora Naranjo-Morse, Tewa, of Santa Clara Pueblo, a traditional potter and filmmaker from Espanola, N.M.; Mike One Star Sr., Sicangu Lakota, a traditional Lakota archer and bow maker from Rosebud; Ronald Paquin, Ojibwa, traditional canoe builder and artist from Sault St. Marie, Mich.; David Shorey, Ojibwa, a playwright from Kayenta, Ariz.; and Edward Wemytewa, Zuni, a traditional storyteller and visual artist from Zuni, N.M.

  For information or to apply for one of its grants, contact First Peoples Fund at P.O. Box 2977, Rapid City, SD 57709-2977, go to www.firstpeoplesfund.org, or e-mail info@firstpeoplesfund.org.

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com.