Across the Flathead Valley, local nonprofits are creating opportunities for people of all ages to learn, explore and connect through arts and culture. With support from Whitefish Community Foundation's grant programs, Authors of the Flathead and Glacier Art Museum are bringing these experiences to life.
In September, approximately 100 writers gathered in Kalispell for Authors of the Flathead's 36th annual Flathead River Writers Conference. This year's theme, Thresholds & Frontiers: Writing Your Next Best Story, invited writers of all ages and genres to develop their craft, exchange ideas, and learn from accomplished authors.
The three-day conference featured workshops and presentations by literary professionals, including former poet laureate Mandy Smoker, author and professor Robert Petrone, and Michael Punke, author of The Revenant. A $1,000 Micro Grant from Whitefish Community Foundation helped bring in speakers and provide educational programming for aspiring and established authors. Sessions covered everything from self-publishing and marketing to writing poetry and narratives inspired by memory and personal experience.
While Authors of the Flathead helps writers tell their own stories, Glacier Art Museum is bringing the art, history and cultural traditions of the Blackfeet Nation directly into classrooms.
The museum's Traveling Medicine Show is a mobile art exhibition and educational program developed in collaboration with artists and educators of the Blackfeet Indian Nation. Designed for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, the program features more than 150 ancient, traditional and contemporary artworks and artifacts selected in partnership with Blackfeet community members.
After the sudden loss of federal funding forced the museum to cancel several Indigenous programs and speakers in 2025, a $6,000 Community Grant from Whitefish Community Foundation helped sustain the Traveling Medicine Show. The grant allowed the museum to offer the program at reduced rates, reaching more than 1,500 students at 14 public schools and counting.
Grant funding also supported presentations by Smokey Rides at the Door of Browning and Mary Ellen Little Mustache of Lethbridge, Canada. In July, the museum hosted a free public Traveling Medicine Show event featuring traditional Native games and a ledger art demonstration by Blackfeet artist and curator John Isaiah Pepion of Browning.
“We are excited to continue this important cultural program in partnership with the Blackfeet Nation and provide critical educational experiences directly with in-person and hands-on art experiences shared directly by Blackfeet artists and elders,” said Alyssa Cordova, Executive Director of Glacier Art Museum.
Though their programs look different, Authors of the Flathead and Glacier Art Museum share a commitment to making arts and cultural education accessible and meaningful. Whether through a writing workshop or a classroom presentation, both organizations create opportunities for learning, connection and a deeper understanding of the world around us.
These are just two examples of how Whitefish Community Foundation's grant programs support experiences that enrich life in the Flathead Valley. Made possible through the generosity of our Circle of Giving donors, these grants help local nonprofits share knowledge, inspire creativity and strengthen our community.
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