Governor’s Island
American Indian Community House (AICH) is a community-based organization with a mission to improve and promote the well-being of the American Indian Community and to increase the visibility of American Indian cultures in an urban setting.
In keeping with this mission, we have a home on what is now known as Governors Island, an important place in the lives of the peoples of this region prior to colonization. The Lenape referred to the island as Paggank (“Nut Island”) after its plentiful hickory, oak, and chestnut trees. Like other smaller islands around Manhattan, tribes would visit seasonally, for fishing and gathering.
Today, AICH’s space on Governors Island is used seasonally, to present exhibitions, performances, and other cultural and educational programs, as well as to host artists in residence from May to October.
During the season, visit Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 11am-5pm to meet the artists in residence and view their works in progress.
Indigenous artists may apply for AICH’s Artists in Residence program. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
2024 Artists in Residence
Leilani Panushe Kabbaz
Born to Teresa Ann Carlson and Ajit Dias, Leilani’s upbringing spanned the bustling streets of New York City and the rugged landscapes of Kodiak, Alaska. This diverse background has deeply influenced their artistic perspective and creative expression. Leilani pursued higher education at Brooklyn College and Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), where they honed their skills in fine art and graphic design.
Leilani is a versatile artist who embraces the use of readily available materials to create art that is not only visually appealing but also rich in communal value. Their work aims to enrich the quality of shared experiences, reflecting a commitment to accessibility and inclusivity in the arts. Through their unique blend of mediums and styles, Leilani continues to contribute meaningfully to the collective cultural landscape, inviting viewers to engage with art in new and profound ways.
Drew Woodson
Drew Woodson
Drew Woodson is a Western Shoshone playwright based in New York City. He has had his work read in multiple theaters across New York, including Rattlestick Theater where he was asked to open the first annual Northeastern Native Arts Festival with his play “Your Friend, Jay Silverheels.” For this same work, Drew was named Yale’s Young Indigenous Playwright of 2021 and was workshopped at Yale under the direction of Tara Moses. More recently, Drew completed a two month artists residency on Governors Island for AICH, and had two new works “From Above” and “As We Were, So We Are” read at HERE Arts and The Duke Ellington Room with the Eagle Arts Project. As a writer, Drew seeks to tell stories where Native people are allowed to take up space, be complicated, be the center of attention, and ultimately be more than a storytelling device. Drew is currently completing his MFA in Dramatic Writing at NYU.
Stephanie Soto (June & July)
Stephanie Soto was born in Venezuela and raised in the vibrant cultural mosaic of Washington Heights, New York. At home, art was a family affair. Stephanie’s father, a talented poet with an eclectic taste in music, and her mother, a culinary artist influenced by post-Impressionist masters like Renoir, created a fertile ground for artistic exploration. This vibrant artistic environment helped shape her unique aesthetic, which is deeply infused with her Caribbean heritage and Taino roots.
Stephanie’s artistic talents were publicly acknowledged when, in the third grade, her doodles were chosen to adorn NYC public buses—a moment that underscored her potential to communicate powerful messages and perspectives through her art.
Today, Stephanie continues to explore and celebrate her heritage through her art. Her work is a testament to the transformative power of art in crossing cultural boundaries and expressing the inexpressible.
Ty Fierce Metteba
Ty Fierce Metteba
Ty Fierce Metteba is an artist, mathematician, and educator, known for his distinctive pen and ink art that he has showcased on Instagram during the annual Inktober challenge for the past four years. His approach uses white ink on black paper, creating striking images by emphasizing light emanating from negative space. Ty blends his love for mathematics with art, exploring how each piece can serve as an educational tool in museums to teach mathematical concepts through visual representation.
Beyond his visual art, Ty sees music, math, and art as universal languages and is on a journey to become a polyglot to engage with indigenous communities globally. His goal is to use these universal languages to foster a deeper understanding and connection among diverse cultures, highlighting the intrinsic values that unite us across geographical and cultural boundaries. Ty’s work invites us to rethink the interplay between education, art, and communication in the modern world
Anangookwe Wolf (August & September)
Anangookwe Wolf
Anangookwe (born 1996) is an enrolled member of the Lac Courte Oreilles band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Fort Peck Assiniboine, and Dakota descent. They utilize forms of craft and storytelling to interweave familial narratives concerning cultural inheritance and present-day afflictions. Their focus is to create a visual story of the interpersonal lives of those they’ve known and have never met.
In 2019, Anangookwe obtained their BFA focusing on Jewelry Design from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Since graduating, Anangookwe’s visual work has been exhibited across the United States in galleries such as All My Relations Gallery (Minneapolis, Minnesota); The New Gallery (Clarksville, Tennessee); and Form & Concept (Santa Fe, New Mexico). Anangookwe is the recipient of residencies, grants, and awards through Vermont Studio Center, First Peoples Fund, and Alaska State Council on the Arts. In 2023, they received an honorable mention for the James Welch Poetry Prize and were a 2019 SITE Santa Fe Scholar. Anangookwe currently resides in Lenapehoking and is a 2024 Indigenous Nations Poets fellow.
