Osiyo,
One of our greatest responsibilities as Cherokee people is to carry our culture forward. Few people fulfill that responsibility more beautifully or more deftly than our Cherokee artists.
The recent opening of the new Ani Art Center in Stilwell is an important milestone that supports our treasured artists and will cultivate new generations of Cherokee artists.
Great societies support their artists. It reminds us of where we came from, reflects our hopes and aspirations, and sometimes challenges us to confront difficult truths. Cherokee art also tells the rest of the world something important about who we are: a people of determination, a people who have overcome hardship, and above all, a people who are still here — working, creating, and moving forward.
Stilwell is a community on the move, and Cherokee Nation is proud to be part of that progress through investments in housing, healthcare, wellness and jobs. The Ani Art Center simply adds another vital dimension to that progress.
The center takes its name from the Cherokee word for strawberry — Ani — honoring Stilwell's nickname as the Strawberry Capital of the World. Just three months ago, nearly 30,000 people gathered for the 79th annual Stilwell Strawberry Festival. I have a deep appreciation for a Stilwell-grown strawberry, but I also believe our investments will help this Adair County community be known as a true center for Cherokee art, creativity and culture.
The Ani Art Center represents the power of our Cherokee Artist Recovery Act. We enacted the law in 2022 when Cherokee artists were still navigating the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, Deputy Chief Bryan Warner, the Council of the Cherokee Nation and other Cherokee Nation leaders knew we needed to put real resources behind our artists. Cherokee art and culture have helped sustain our people through difficult times in our past. Today, our artists deserve the same support in return.
We extended the law in 2025 because our artists community was still getting back on its feet in the midst of tough economic conditions, and because the law was working.
Through the Artist Recovery Act, Cherokee Nation has committed $4 million to purchase Cherokee artwork, expand market access, provide direct artist support, and invest in facilities that strengthen our creative community. Up to $1.6 million is dedicated to artist-related capital projects, including the Ani Art Center. To date, 452 artist applications have received support with more than $550,000 invested in support services and $1.1 million in art acquisitions.
Every piece purchased through the law belongs to Cherokee Nation, held on behalf of the Cherokee people in perpetuity. Those works are displayed throughout the Cherokee Nation Reservation, and the Ani Art Center now gives our growing collection a proper home: 15,000 square feet where works can be assessed, restored, and prepared for display. The center also includes gallery space for rotating exhibits and reservable space for cultural classes. The inaugural exhibit features 84 works by 66 artists.
But the greatest promise for this new center may be in our youngest generation.
We need young Cherokees who aspire to become our artists, teachers, and the Cherokee National Treasures of tomorrow. We need places where they can see Cherokee art firsthand, learn from accomplished artists, participate in classes, and discover their own creative gifts. Whether they grow up in Stilwell, somewhere else within the 14-county Reservation, or hundreds of miles from the Cherokee Nation capital, the Ani Art Center can be a place to learn and inspire.
Cherokee Nation will continue historic advances in other areas like healthcare, education, housing and economic development. But progress is not measured in buildings and budgets alone. If we ever lost the language, art, and lifeways that make us distinctly Cherokee, we would have lost something no amount of investment could recover.
tournament-and-leaderboard-casino-risksWe do not intend to let that happen. In fact, our goal in this century is not only cultural preservation but reaching beyond to cultural revitalization and a Cherokee renaissance. With the opening of the Ani Art Center, that renaissance has found another home in the heart of Stilwell.
With the opening of the Ani Art Center, we enter the sunset period of the ARA. But that simply means we should take inspiration from the power of the ARA and look for new ways to continue making investments in the artists community a national priority.
Wado,
Chuck Hoskin Jr.
Principal Chief
