USArtists International Grantee Big Dance Theater.

The Foundation's USArtists International program awarded $189,600 in the second of three grant rounds to be conducted in the current fiscal year. The program, dedicated to ensuring that the impressive range of expression in the performing arts in the United States is represented abroad, works to strengthen the creative and professional development of American dance, music and theater artists by providing grants to support their performances at significant international festivals and engagements representing extraordinary career opportunities.

Second round grants will support 29 ensembles and solo artists at 37 different festivals in 21 countries across six continents. The grantees span a wide variety of performing genres and styles, and range from the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra to the Taylor Ho Bynum Sextet from New Haven, Connecticut and Cleo Parker Robinson Dance in Denver, Colorado to Elevator Repair Service in New York. A complete list of grantees and festival engagements can be found here.  Questions concerning USArtists International should be directed to Sara Nash at saran@midatlanticarts.org.

The 2011 Middle Atlantic Folklife Association ("MAFA") conference, entitled "Heritage and the State," will take place April 7-9, 2011 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Open to professional folklorists, community scholars and students, the conference will feature individual paper, film, and panel presentations from scholars throughout the mid-Atlantic region. A complete conference agenda can be found online here. The registration deadline is Wednesday, March 23rd. The conference is a joint meeting of MAFA, the Middle Atlantic American Studies Association, and the Pennsylvania Political Science Association. For more information, contact Sally Van de Water at sally@midatlanticarts.org or 410-539-6656 x107.