Southern Cultural Treasures: Supporting BIPOC-Led and-serving Arts and Cultural Organizations

The Southern Cultural Treasures initiative is modeled on the Ford Foundation’s “America’s Cultural Treasures” initiative. This national initiative aims to support arts and culture groups “that have been historically marginalized, underfunded and underrepresented in the narrative of American culture.”

Donor Name: South Arts

States: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee

Counties: All Counties

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 12/10/2021

Size of the Grant: $7,500

Grant Duration: 2 Years 11 Months

Details:

South Arts’ purpose in developing the Southern Cultural Treasures Program (SCT) is to acknowledge and honor the diversity of artistic expression and excellence of arts and cultural organizations led by and serving people of color in the South Arts region.

Through this initiative, South Arts will provide critical funding and resources that lead BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) organizations to stability and success, and enhance their ability to expand their impact on the regional cultural landscape. South Arts has, through a generous matching gift from the Ford Foundation, a unique opportunity to leverage funding to catalyze increased funding support for arts and cultural organizations led by and serving people of color in the South Arts region.

Goal

The goal is to provide financial capital and other resources to BIPOC led and serving arts and cultural organizations, such that these organizations are positioned to achieve self-determined success.
South Arts envisions a future in which everyone has equitable access to the arts regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, ability, geography, religion, and thinking/communication styles. Only by creating a more equitable arts landscape can we meet South Arts’ mission of advancing Southern vitality through the arts. This initiative addresses the South Arts strategic goal of advancing impactful arts-based programs that recognize and address trends and evolving needs of a wide range of communities in the South.

The Southern Cultural Treasures Initiative is a four-year initiative to support their nine-state region’s BIPOC-led and -serving arts and culture organizations.

The Southern Cultural Treasures Program will support the long-term stability and resiliency of organizations that contribute to the history, culture, and vitality of the nine-state South Arts region. They anticipate that the grant period will run between April 2022 until March 2025 and support 12 -15 organizations by providing each:

General operating grants of up to $300,000 distributed over three years
Project grants of up to $7,500
Support to achieve stabilization and growth, and
Networking, cohort building, and knowledge sharing

Southern Cultural Treasure Organizational Characteristics

A Southern Cultural Treasure grantee is expected to represent artistry, cultural heritage, and creative expression of their respective communities, be located within the 9-state South Arts region, and have one or more of the following characteristics:

Mission statement is primarily focused on the arts or cultural heritage creative expression in any arts discipline(s).
Legacy of stewarding and sustaining artistry, cultural heritage, or creative expression rooted in a community of color
History of producing or presenting artists/creatives of color in performances, exhibitions, or other artistic or cultural production
Preservation of artistic and/or cultural heritage traditions rooted in a community of color
Positive impact on the community of color served

For the purposes of this program, the term “community of color” can refer to a group of people, geography, or community/communities of creative practice. The term “BIPOC led and serving arts and cultural organizations” are defined as at least 51% of the staff and/or board is composed of communities of color and more than 51% of the organizations’ activities are related to and/or engage communities of color.

Participation Eligibility and Expectations

The following is a list of expectations of applicants who want to participate in this initiative:

Located/reside/operate in South Arts’ nine-state region of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee.
Mission is primarily focused on the arts or cultural heritage creative expression in any arts discipline(s).
Have stakeholders (i.e., audience, organization leadership, and Board) with a high-level of BIPOC representation. (BIPOC led and serving arts and cultural organizations are defined as at least 51% of the staff and/or board is composed of communities of color and more than 51% of the organizations’ activities engage communities of color).
Hold a 501(c)3 tax status in good standing or work with a fiscal agent.

South Arts welcomes letters of interest from BIPOC led and serving arts and cultural organizations to include but not limited to:

Performing arts, including dance, music, theater, musical theater and opera;
Literary arts, including fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry;
Visual arts, including craft, drawing, experimental, painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media;
Film or media;
Traditional and folk arts, including music, craft, storytelling, dance; Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary forms; and,
Artistic and/or cultural production, presentation, or preservation production rooted in communities of color.

Ineligible organizations include: