Heard Museum receives $2.5 million for Native American engagement

PHOENIX — The Heard Museum in Phoenix was granted $2.5 million that will be used to showcase and inform visitors about Native American religions, according to a news release.

The grant was received from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative. The initiative was launched in 2019 by Lilly Endowment to support museums and showcase works that present the role religion makes in the U.S. and the rest of the world. 

“We are deeply grateful for this Lilly Endowment grant that will enable us to deepen our engagement with Native American communities by investing in work that explores the role that spiritual knowledge plays in their creative practices,” Heard Museum Dickey Family CEO David M. Roche said in the release. “Our deep conviction is that sharing this knowledge fosters tolerance and understanding, while shedding light on our shared humanity.”

The Heard Museum previously received $2.5 million through the initiative in 2020, which was used for the Substance of Stars, an art exhibit inspired by stories from Native American tribes including the Haudenosaunee, the Yup’ik, the Navajo and the Akimel O’odham. 

“The United States is widely considered to be one of the most religiously diverse nations today,” Lilly Endowment’s vice president Christopher L. Coble said in the release. “Many individuals and families trust museums and other cultural institutions and visit them to learn about their communities and the world. We are excited to support these organizations as they continue to develop their capacities to help visitors understand and appreciate the diverse religious beliefs, practices and perspectives of their neighbors and others in communities around the globe.”