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FORGE PROJECT ASSOCIATION
ANCRAM, NY · EIN 932518698 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A20 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Medium ($1M-$10M) · forgeproject.com
revenue
$7.3M
expenses
$1.2M
net assets
$17.1M
employees
8
volunteers
6
program ratio
62%
mission · from form 990

FORGE PROJECT IS A NATIVE-LED NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WHOSE MANDATE IS TO CULTIVATE AND ADVANCE INDIGENOUS LEADERSHIP IN ARTS AND CULTURE. LOCATED ON THE ANCESTRAL HOMELANDS OF THE MOH-HE-CON-NUCK PEOPLE, FORGE IS SITUATED ON A 60-ACRE CAMPUS IN THE MAHICANNITUCK (HUDSON RIVER) VALLEY. A CHANGE-MAKING MODEL FOR NATIVE CULTURAL SELF-DETERMINATION AND LEADERSHIP, FORGE FUSES TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES TO BUILD COMMUNITY, PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND COLLECTIVE ACTION. THIS WORK INCLUDES A FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM, WORKING ART COLLECTION AND EXHIBITIONS, EDITORIAL PROGRAMS INCLUDING AN ONLINE JOURNAL, ONGOING LAND REMEDIATION WORK, AND AN ARRAY OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS FOR BOTH IN-PERSON LOCAL AND VIRTUAL WORLDWIDE AUDIENCES.

profile · synthesized from sources

Forge Project is a Native-led nonprofit organization based in the Hudson River Valley on the ancestral homelands of the Moh-He-Con-Nuck people. It advances Indigenous leadership in arts and culture through a fellowship program, exhibitions, public programs, and land-based initiatives. The organization supports Indigenous artists and cultural practitioners across North America while engaging local and global audiences through residencies, exhibitions, and educational programming.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $34K
    FORGE PROJECT FELLOWS REPRESENT A BROAD DIVERSITY OF CULTURAL PRACTICES, PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH, ORGANIZING MODELS, AND GEOGRAPHICAL CONTEXTS THAT HONOR INDIGENOUS PASTS AS WELL AS BUILD NATIVE FUTURES. TWO OF THE FELLOWSHIPS ARE AWARDED TO ENROLLED TRIBAL MEMBERS, FIRST- AND SECOND-LINE DESCENDANTS OF THE STOCKBRIDGE-MUNSEE BAND OF MOHICAN INDIANS IN RECOGNITION OF THE PEOPLES ON WHOSE HOMELANDS FORGE PROJECT IS SITUATED AND TO ENCOURAGE SITE-SPECIFIC AND RELATIONAL PROJECTS. FOUR FELLOWSHIPS ARE AWARDED TO INDIGENOUS LEADERS IN ARTS AND CULTURE ACROSS DISCIPLINES IN THE US AND CANADA.EACH OF THE SIX FORGE PROJECT FELLOWS RECEIVES A TOTAL OF $25,000 TOWARD THEIR PRACTICE AND HAS ACCESS TO THE FORGE PROJECT SITE, LIBRARIES, AND LENDING COLLECTION OF LIVING INDIGENOUS ARTISTS DURING A RESIDENCY STAY OF UP TO THREE WEEKS. FELLOWS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THEIR WORK TO THE LOCAL FORGE PROJECT AUDIENCE ON SITE AS WELL AS A WIDER INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE VIA FILM AND SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS.
named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Exhibitions Program
Curatorial initiative producing exhibitions of contemporary Indigenous art, including off-site presentations such as Marilou Schultz's retrospective at CCS Bard's Hessel Museum of Art.
Forge Project Fellowship
Annual fellowship program awarding six Indigenous artists and cultural practitioners with $25,000 each, access to a 60-acre campus, libraries, and a lending collection of contemporary Indigenous art during a three-week residency.
Land Remediation Work
Ongoing ecological stewardship and land-based practices on Forge Project's 60-acre campus in the Hudson River Valley.
Public & Relational Programs
On-site and virtual public programs including talks, dialogues, and gatherings that connect fellows, knowledge holders, and the public to advance Indigenous cultural leadership.
activities · 7 groups

What they do

  • Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 1 activity
    • Administers annual fellowship program for Indigenous artists and cultural leaders
      Awards six $25,000 fellowships annually to Indigenous leaders in arts and culture, including two specifically reserved for enrolled members and descendants of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians. Fellows receive financial support and access to a 60-acre campus, libraries, and a lending collection of works by living Indigenous artists during a residency of up to three weeks.
  • Indigenous and Diaspora Cultural Preservation 1 activity
    • Advocates for Indigenous sovereignty and decolonization
      Advocates for the autonomy and sovereignty of the Stockbridge-Munsee Community in their homelands and promotes public discourse on decolonizing artistic and cultural narratives, including through exhibitions like “Confronting the colonial gaze.”
  • Literary and Cultural Publishing 1 activity
    • Conducts and publishes research on Indigenous cultural practices
      Publishes critical essays, features, and how-to guides on topics including Indigenous fashion, cultural continuity, coca traditions, Ohlone culture, Rotuman textiles, and Murui-Muina art, often tied to fellowship cohorts or thematic programming like Seed.
  • Public Garden Tours and Events 1 activity
    • Hosts seasonal public programs and site visits
      Offers ticketed two-hour site visits on select Fridays from March through October, along with seasonal public events such as Meadow Work Days, Open Houses, Artist Talks, Seasonal Tables, and shared meals focused on Indigenous food sovereignty and skill-building. Programs are hosted on-site and occasionally co-hosted with partner organizations.
  • Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
    • Provides curatorial leadership and organizes exhibitions
      Organized and provided curatorial leadership for the exhibition "Replica of a Chip: The Weaving Technology of Marilou Schultz" at CCS Bard's Hessel Museum of Art, including co-publishing an illustrated exhibition catalogue with CCS Bard and Dancing Foxes Press.
  • Emerging Filmmaker Support Programs 1 activity
    • Supports public presentation and professional development of fellows
      Provides mentorship and logistical support through senior staff to help fellows develop public programming, build professional networks, and present their work to local audiences on-site and to international audiences via social media and film platforms.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Funds construction of Stockbridge-Munsee Cultural Center
      Equally splits all revenue from site visit fees with the Stockbridge-Munsee Community to support the construction of their new Cultural Center, representing a direct grantmaking partnership.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$7.35M
Contributions & grants$7.29M99%
Program service revenue$15K0%
Investment income$14K0%
Other revenue$27K
expenses
Total expenses$1.24M
Program expenses62%
Admin / overhead27%
Fundraising11%
Salaries & benefits$610K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$17.29M
Cash$2.05M
Investments$0
Liabilities$191K
Net assets$17.10M
Liquid reserves19.8 mo
2 years on record · 2023–2024 · YoY revenue -42.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
CANDICE HOPKINS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CHIEF CURATOR 40 $188K
board members · 6
  • JOHN HAWORTH — TREASURER
  • JOLENE RICKARD - DIRECTOR VICE — CHAIR OF INDIGENOUS STEERING COUNCIL
  • KENT MONKMAN — DIRECTOR
  • KERRY SWANSON — DIRECTOR
  • MIMI JOH-CARNELLA — PRESIDENT
  • SKY HOPINKA - SECRETARY VICE — CHAIR OF INDIGENOUS STEERING COUNCIL
relationships · 19

Who they work with

  • Albuquerque Journal Partner — Media partner that published coverage of Forge Project's exhibition "Confronting the colonial gaze."
  • Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College (CCS Bard) Partner — Co-organized and co-presented the exhibition "Replica of a Chip: The Weaving Technology of Marilou Schultz" at the Hessel Museum of Art.
  • Dancing Foxes Press Partner — Co-published the exhibition catalogue for "Replica of a Chip: The Weaving Technology of Marilou Schultz."
  • Dene Couture Partner — Collaborated on a feature exploring Tishna Marlowe’s work in Indigenous fashion.
  • Girlfriend Fund Funder — Fully sponsored one of the 2026 Forge Project Fellowships in support of women artists and contemporary Native artists.
  • Gochman Family Collection Funder — Provided major support for the exhibition "Replica of a Chip: The Weaving Technology of Marilou Schultz."
  • HHF Architects Partner — Collaborated with Ai Weiwei on the design of the Forge Project space.
  • Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Funder — Provided major support for the exhibition "Replica of a Chip: The Weaving Technology of Marilou Schultz."
  • Open Room Partner — Co-hosts public programs with Forge Project, including 'Writing in Relation (Language)' and 'Making the Worlds (Presence).'
  • Performance Space New York Partner — Hosts joint public programs with Forge Project, such as 'Writing in Relation (Language)' and 'Making the Worlds (Presence).'
  • Sky High Farm Partner — Collaborated with Forge Project to design the Outdoor Kitchen and co-developed initial programming featuring guest educators.
  • Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians Partner — Hosted a Fellow from the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans and references the Nation's historical content.
  • Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians Partner — Recognizes the ancestral homelands of this tribal nation by reserving two fellowships for its enrolled members and descendants.
  • Stockbridge-Munsee Community Partner — Developed a multi-year memorandum of understanding for collaboration on place-based research, cultural access, narrative sovereignty, and co-developed programming.
  • Stockbridge-Munsee Community Partner — Forge Project advocates for the autonomy of the Stockbridge-Munsee Community and supports their sovereignty in their homelands.
  • Stockbridge-Munsee Community Partner — Organization advocates in support of the autonomy and sovereignty of the Stockbridge-Munsee Community.
  • Stockbridge-Munsee Community Partner — Receives 50% of all site visit fees from Forge Project to support construction of their new Cultural Center.
  • Stockbridge-Munsee Community Partner — Receives half of all site visit fees from Forge Project to support construction of their new Cultural Center.
  • The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Funder — Provided major support for the exhibition "Replica of a Chip: The Weaving Technology of Marilou Schultz."
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Decolonial Knowledge and Cultural Transmission
    methodology: decolonial_critique
    By fusing traditional and contemporary Indigenous knowledge through mentorship, how-to formats, and interdisciplinary programming, the organization strengthens cultural continuity and public education, because culturally grounded, multidisciplinary transmission resists colonial erasure and advances Indigenous futurity.
  • Food Justice as Integrated Cultural Practice
    methodology: food-justice-centered education
    By integrating foodways, ecological knowledge, and culinary arts into programming through the Outdoor Kitchen, the organization advances food justice as a holistic expression of cultural sovereignty, because food-centered education strengthens community stewardship and access to cultural knowledge.
  • Indigenous Self-Determination Through Native-Led Structures
    methodology: Indigenous_self-determination
    By centering Indigenous leadership, governance, and selection practices, the organization advances cultural self-determination and sovereignty, because Native-led institutions and relational mentorship produce more authentic, sustainable, and empowering outcomes for Indigenous communities.
  • Land-Based Relationality and Reciprocity
    methodology: land-based_relationality
    By grounding programming in recognition of Indigenous land stewardship and interdependence, the organization fosters relational accountability and supports site-specific cultural projects, because sustained kinship and ancestral connection to Moh-He-Con-Nuck homelands are central to ethical practice and decolonial action.
  • Wealth Redistribution as Land and Historical Accountability
    methodology: wealth_redistribution
    By redistributing fees from site visits equally to the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, the organization enacts material reciprocity and counters historical inequities, because financial redistribution is a necessary practice of accountability to the Indigenous peoples of the land.