The South Arts is pleased to announce the 2026 Emerging Traditional Artists Program.
Donor Name: South Arts
State: Selected States
County: Selected Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/30/2026
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
In These Mountains, Central Appalachian Folk Arts and Culture initiative and, new for 2027, expanded capacity building to emerging traditional artists in Native and Delta Regional Authority communities. This program recognizes and supports a new generation of traditional artists that have demonstrated a high level of skill in, commitment to, and leadership in their traditional art form.
Goals
- For emerging traditional artists who have demonstrated a commitment to their artform and community and exhibit a high skill level, this award will provide resources for learning opportunities that would otherwise be inaccessible.
- Learning opportunities can take many forms. Here are a few examples:
- Online opportunities for continuing education and collaboration.
- Establishing/growing network by traveling within their respective region/tribe or beyond to meet other leaders/potential mentors in your art form.
- Taking courses and purchasing software/hardware needed to build an effective online presence.
- Learning opportunities can take many forms. Here are a few examples:
- Through the series of professional development convenings and peer mentorship, ETAP is designed to build long-term relationships between traditional artists across the region, beyond state and local boundaries, through:
- Building a cohort of emerging traditional artists from Central Appalachia, Delta Regional Authority, and Native communities who are committed to the advancement of folk and traditional arts.
- Encouraging and equipping artists to be advocates for their traditional art forms and for the traditional culture of their communities.
- Deepening participants’ understanding of the importance of public arts support in the United States.
Funding Information
Selected ETAP artists will receive $5,000.
Eligibility Criteria
To apply for the Emerging Traditional Artist Program, you must:
- Be an individual folk or traditional artist.
- Be in the early stages of your career/practice.
- Be at least 18 years of age by the application deadline of September 30, 2025.
- Be a United States citizen, lawfully admitted to the U.S. for permanent residence, or have permission from the Department of Homeland Security to work permanently in the U.S.
- Meet the following:
- Have been a resident of a county designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee for a period of at least two years immediately before the application deadline and expect to maintain residency in an ARC county during the award period.
- Have been a resident of a Delta Regional Authority-designed County in Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, or Tennessee for a period of at least two years immediately before the application deadline and expect to maintain residency in a DRA county during the award period.
- Are a member of a state or federally recognized Native American tribe.
- Eligible artists must meet one of the three criteria:
- Reside in an Appalachian Regional Commission-designated County in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee.
- Reside in a Delta Regional Authority-designed County in Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, or Tennessee
- Be a member of a state or federally recognized Native American tribe
For more information, visit South Arts.
