Share Your

Story

with the World

Promoting, digitizing, and distributing Indigenous Art, ensuring cultural preservation and equitable compensation for artists.

100%

ARTIST VERIFIED

FPOC

CONSENT FIRST

Fair

ARTIST VERIFIED

Global

ARTIST VERIFIED

SHOWCASE YOUR WORK

Becoming an Artist with MMDA

At Miskwaadesi M’Nauhan Decorative Arts Inc. (MMDA), we believe Indigenous art carries story, identity, teaching, beauty, and presence. Our role is to help create meaningful pathways for Indigenous artists to share their work, expand their reach, and receive fair value for what they create. MMDA was founded to support Economic Reconciliation, improve access to markets, and help address the underrepresentation of authentic Indigenous art in corporate, professional, and private spaces.
Becoming an artist with MMDA is designed to be clear, respectful, and artist-centered. We work with both emerging and established Indigenous artists, and we approach every relationship with cultural respect, reciprocity, and Free, Prior, and Informed Consent.

"This platform gave my art a voice beyond my community — and honored every piece of its story."

TALA WHITEFEATHER · CREE ARTIST, SASKATCHEWAN

SHOWCASE YOUR WORK

Who Can Apply

MMDA is focused on working with Indigenous artists whose work reflects their own creativity, knowledge, and lived connection to community, culture, land, story, or contemporary Indigenous expression.

We welcome a broad range of artistic practices, including both traditional and contemporary forms. Whether you are just beginning to share your work publicly or have been creating for many years, MMDA is interested in artists whose work is authentic, original, and ready to be presented professionally.

ACCEPTED MEDIUMS

PHOTOGRAPHY

DRAWINGS

PAINTING

SCULPTURE

TRADITIONAL

CARVING

THE PROCESS

How It Works

01

Complete Your Artist Information Profile

The first step is to complete the Artist Profile Information Form. This gives MMDA the information needed to understand you as an artist and to build a public-facing profile that may accompany the sale and promotion of your work.

  • Your name, contact information, and community affiliation
  • Your artistic styles, mediums, and years of practice
  • What inspires your work — the message, teachings, or story behind your art
  • A short biography for public use
  • Any cultural protocols or guidance that should be respected
  • Your consent for MMDA to use this information in your public artist profile

02

Confirm Indigenous Identity

Because MMDA is committed to supporting Indigenous artists through Indigenous-specific opportunities, artists are asked to complete a Certification of Indigenous Status Form. This form is used to verify Indigenous identity for participation in programs, services, or opportunities reserved for Indigenous Peoples.

This process is intended to protect the integrity of the space, ensure authenticity, and support the proper advancement of Indigenous artists.

03

Review and Consignment Agreement

Once your information has been reviewed, accepted artists enter into MMDA’s Standard Consignment Sale Agreement. This agreement is structured to protect both the artist and the artwork.

  • MMDA receives the exclusive right to sell consigned artwork for the duration of the agreement
  • Sale options may include original works, digital image rights, prints, reproductions, and exhibitions
  • The artist retains full copyright and moral rights unless otherwise agreed in writing
  • Any reproduction or licensing must respect attribution and cultural protocols

04

Artwork Intake and Presentation

Each piece of artwork accepted through MMDA is documented through an inventory schedule. MMDA takes responsibility for the professional presentation of the work, which may include:

  • Storage, promotion, and digitization
  • Display, packaging, and shipping
  • Platform hosting and sales reporting
  • Insurance and risk while the artwork is in MMDA’s possession

05

Sales, Compensation, and Reporting

When artwork is sold, MMDA retains a commission based on the sale value, with net proceeds remitted to the artist within 30 days of the completed transaction. The standard commission structure is:

  • 50% for sales from $1 to $1,000
  • 40% for sales from $1,001 to $2,500
  • 30% for sales of $2,501 and above

 

This structure is part of a broader effort to promote fair market pricing, expand artist visibility, and help support long-term sustainability for Indigenous creators. MMDA’s stated intention is not only to facilitate sales, but also to help artists access professional opportunities, business resources, and broader audiences.

MISSION & VISION

Our Approach

MMDA’s work is grounded in the understanding that Indigenous art has always been far more than decoration. Indigenous artistic traditions carry law, memory, identity, relationship, and story. At the same time, Indigenous artists have long faced barriers to fair access, visibility, compensation, and control over how their work is represented. The broader resurgence of Indigenous art reflects both cultural strength and a continuing movement toward reclamation, recognition, and justice.

That is why MMDA approaches artist relationships as more than transactions. We see this work as part of a larger commitment to:

supporting Indigenous artists

We provide professional infrastructure so artists can focus on creating, not navigating complex market systems alone.

Equitable Market Access

Improving access to markets that have historically excluded or undervalued Indigenous creative work.

Authentic Engagement

Helping buyers engage with authentic Indigenous work respectfully — understanding context, story, and cultural significance.

Cultural Vitality

Creating spaces that reflect Indigenous presence and cultural vitality — not as a trend, but as enduring truth.

Reconciliation in Action

Contributing to Reconciliation in practical, visible ways.

FPIC Always

Free, Prior, and Informed Consent governs every interaction. Artists remain in control of their work and its meaning.

WHEN YOU JOIN

If You Join MMDA

When you become an artist with MMDA, you are joining a platform that aims to honour your work, respect your rights, and help create meaningful opportunities for your art to be seen and valued.

We want artists to feel confident that their work will be handled professionally, presented respectfully, and shared in alignment with their voice and cultural guidance.

We welcome artists who are ready to share original work and build visibility through a platform committed to integrity, reciprocity, and Indigenous artistic excellence.

APPLY TODAY

Interested in Becoming an MMDA Artist?

Complete the artist intake process by submitting your Artist Profile Information Form and Certification of Indigenous Status Form. Once reviewed, eligible artists will be contacted regarding next steps, including consignment and artwork intake.

Share your work. Share your story. Let MMDA help bring your art to new spaces with respect and purpose.