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Supporters

The Wakpa Triennial exists because of those who believed that art belongs in public spaces, to be accessible without negotiating walls or gates, that Indigenous voices must lead cultural work on Dakota land, and that artists deserve to be paid fairly for their vision. The funders, sponsors and supporters below made that belief material. They transformed intention into over forty artist commissions, into a month of activation on the riverfront, into poetry read aloud, into freshwater work, into Dakota presence celebrated openly in the heart of Saint Paul. They understood that supporting artists is not charity—it is an investment in what a community can become when it gathers around beauty, reflection, and each other.

Funders + Sponsors

Americans for the Arts,
Barr Engineering Co.,
Capitol Region Watershed District,
F. R. Bigelow Foundation,
Fourth Dimension Signs,
Minnesota Humanities Center,
Prairie Island Indian Community,
RBC Foundation USA,
Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation,
Securian Foundation,
Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc.

Special Thanks

Angie Tillgis, Benay McNamara, Charlie Ernst, Christine Podas Larson, City of Saint Paul Department of Parks and Recreation, City of Saint Paul Department of Public WorksColleen Sheehy, Dáithí Sproule, Davu Underwood Seru, Deanna Rae StandingCloud, Dipankar Mukherjee, Jake Vainio, Jessica Bromelkamp, Jessica Larson Johnston, Jodi Massey, John Gwinn, Iyekiyapiwiƞ Darlene St. Clair, Kalie Gasner, Ken Losso, Laura LeBlanc, Lyndsay Schwantez, Mariusz Kujawski, Marz Lovejoy, Matt Hankerson, Maya Garrity, Michael-jon Pease, Ramsey County, Rebecca Hunter, Saint Paul Art Collective, Saint Paul Parks Conservancy, Seitu Jones, Shannon Brunette, Sophia Phillips, Strong Buffalo (Tatanka Ohitika), Taṡuƞka Wakiƞyaƞ, Victor Pascual, Watogla (Ryan Dixon), Trish Cook, Union Depot, Wayfinding LLC.

Stylized city skyline with tall buildings, a dome, and trees in the foreground. Orange birds perched on branches and a winding river running through the scene. An orange sun in the sky, with blue clouds.
Stylized city skyline with tall buildings, a dome, and trees in the foreground. Orange birds perched on branches and a winding river running through the scene. An orange sun in the sky, with blue clouds.

We are thrilled to be bringing Wakpa back, but we can’t do it without your help.

When you donate, you enable:

  • Twin Cities based BIPOC artist commissions

  • Indigenous and community-led programming and mentorship

  • Accessibility and education initiatives that engage residents across the city

  • A movement where public art, belonging and dialogue flow together to uplift our community and inspire hope.

DONATE