White Hawk was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and moved with her husband and oldest daughter to the Twin Cities in 2011. Her mother had moved earlier, “so the Twin Cities have been home base for over two decades.” The Sicaŋgu Lakota artist believes Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund gives local artists an edge. “I am really proud to share that Minnesota has funding for the arts written into legislation,” White Hawk says. “The statewide buy-in for the arts is really apparent here, especially once you’ve had the opportunity to speak with artists and those in the field who live in states that don’t have such integral support. The fact that we have many available studio buildings and that these are often full demonstrates our collective commitment to creation and the commitment to artists and makers.” In addition, she sees “a wave of growth” in the arts “toward increased equity, inclusiveness, the celebration of diversity, and the dismantling of unhealthy racial, economic, and societal hierarchies. The strength of generations of activism that has culminated in the Twin Cities and tribal nations of Mni Sota is significant and continues to contribute to our world in profoundly important and influential ways.”
 
Even so, there are challenges to working out of a studio in Minneapolis. “First, I want to acknowledge, there are challenges in life no matter where you are or what you’re pursuing or dreaming toward,” White Hawk says. “I love our community, the land, the connection and proximity to family, my studio, and those who work with me. The greatest challenges are that our field is still very coast-centric and most people still have very little understanding of and exposure to Native history, communities, and people.”

dyaniwhitehawk.com | @dwhitehawk

ARTISTS WHITE HAWK ADMIRES:
Textile and beadwork artist Jennie Kappenman; textile artist and designer Maggie Thompson of Makwa Studio; beadwork artist Jessica Gokey; multidisciplinary artist Cole Redhorse Taylor; fashion designer and beadwork artist Delina White; quillwork and beadwork artist Melvin Losh; birch bark and quillwork artist Pat Kruse; and photographer and beadwork artist Jaida Grey Eagle (see her portrait of Maggie Thompson here).