Overview:
The American Indian College Fund and Pendleton Woolen Mills are accepting submissions for their seventh annual Tribal College Blanket Design Contest, offering Native students the opportunity to showcase their artwork, earn scholarships and cash prizes, and have their designs featured in Pendleton’s internationally distributed wool blanket collection.
The American Indian College Fund and Pendleton Woolen Mills are inviting American Indian and Alaska Native students attending tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) to showcase their artistic talents through the seventh annual Tribal College Blanket Design Contest. Submissions open November 15, 2026, with a deadline of January 15, 2027.
The annual contest celebrates emerging Native artists by providing an opportunity to have their original designs featured in Pendleton’s renowned wool blanket collection. The first-place winner will see their design incorporated into Pendleton’s American Indian College Fund blanket collection and distributed on products internationally. Second- and third-place winners will also receive scholarships and cash prizes.
American Indian and Alaska Native students enrolled at a TCU are eligible to submit up to two designs. Applicants do not need formal artistic training or previous textile design experience to participate.
Scholarships and Cash Prizes
The 2026 contest offers significant financial awards to support students in their educational journeys:
- Grand Prize: $5,000 scholarship, $2,000 cash prize, and six blankets.
- Second Place: $2,500 scholarship and $500 cash prize.
- Third Place: $1,500 scholarship and $250 cash prize.
Winning designs are selected by a committee composed of Native American artists and representatives from the American Indian College Fund and Pendleton.
A Partnership Supporting Native Education and Art
Pendleton Woolen Mills has partnered with the American Indian College Fund since 1995, providing more than $1.5 million in scholarship support for American Indian and Alaska Native students attending tribal colleges and universities.
Often located on Indian reservations and in remote rural communities, TCUs play an essential role in expanding access to higher education, career opportunities, and Indigenous knowledge. The American Indian College Fund provides millions of dollars in annual support to thousands of TCU students. The blanket design contest builds on that commitment by combining educational assistance with opportunities to celebrate Native creativity, culture, and storytelling.
2025 Winning Design Celebrates Love, Healing, and Remembrance
The 2025 grand prize winner, Belle Brings Plenty, a citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and 2025 graduate of United Tribes Technical College, created the Journey blanket in honor of her late brother, Cole Brings Plenty.
The design incorporates geometric shapes commonly found in traditional Lakóta artwork, with a dragonfly at its center representing healing medicine. The Lakóta word for “journey,” Oómani, also appears in the design’s ledger art elements.
Brings Plenty hopes the blanket will offer comfort and connection to those who encounter it.
“I just want people to be able to connect with this blanket in their own ways. I hope people can be able to wrap themselves in this blanket and feel loved,” she said.
How to Apply
Eligible American Indian and Alaska Native students attending a tribal college or university may submit up to two original designs. Formal art education and textile design experience are not required.
The submission period opens November 15, 2026, and all entries must be received by January 15, 2027.
CLICK for complete contest guidelines, eligibility requirements, and application.
Through this longstanding partnership, the American Indian College Fund and Pendleton continue to create opportunities for emerging Native artists while investing in the education, cultural expression, and future of Indigenous communities.