OUR HISTORY
Promoting Tribal Art And Supporting the Peoples That Create It
The origin of the ATADA Foundation can be found in an informal program developed by the Antique Tribal Art Dealers Association (ATADA). The membership of ATADA wanted to go beyond the association’s immediate goals of preserving and promoting Tribal Art. ATADA members wanted also to give back to the various cultures and peoples that create the art. To that end, a scholarship fund was established for young Native American students of traditional art or art history. The awards were made to The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe and to the American Indian College Fund. Shortly thereafter, additional funding was approved to serve as a museum endowment.
The ATADA Foundation was incorporated in 2001 as a stand-alone, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Since that time, we have made grants to museums and organizations throughout the country that are actively involved in the preservation and public education of Tribal Art. With that goal in mind, the foundation has aided in the funding of numerous projects such as:
The Dublin Fellowship through the School of American Research
The Bill Holm Center for the Study of Northwest Coast Art at the Burks Museum
The Wheelwright Museum’s new wing is dedicated to the study of Southwest Jewelry
The improvement of storage facilities at the Museum of Northern Arizona
The Millicent Rogers Museum’s educational project aimed at young Native American students
Additionally, we have been proud to assist in programs to keep Navajo weaving arts alive in local high schools and to help reintroduce a lost basket weaving technique in the Northwest.
Some of our most rewarding efforts have involved finding and providing an untanned buffalo hide needed for a ceremony by a group of Sioux; and funding a trip to the Heard Museum for Sarah Leekya, who had never seen the collection of her father’s carvings housed there. Her visit and comments were recorded and are preserved at both the museum and in our archives.
We have also aided the Zuni in their efforts to maintain the integrity of their native arts in the face of ever-increasing forgeries appearing on the market. Additionally, we provided aid to the Himalayan Stove Project, bringing heat and comfort to earthquake victims.
The Foundation also funded a three-year scholarship in the name of ATADA Lifetime Achievement Award recipients, Jim and Lauris Phillips, which was awarded through the Heard Museum’s Young Artists Program.
