Grants for Organizations

A projection of a black silhouette human figure against a white background is shown on the wall of an empty stage. The audience is full and everyone is sitting down towards the stage.

Oswego Middle School students and teachers enjoy a special matinee performance by Hamid Rahmanian: Feathers of Fire at Oswego College through ArtsCONNECT 2018. Credit: James Russell.

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation’s grant programs for organizations strengthen the region’s presenter network, give communities access to high quality artistic experiences, build audiences, and provide opportunities for greater understanding and appreciation of the arts.

ArtsCONNECT
About
Camille A. Brown & Dancers are performing on a bare stage against a red wall. The dancers and musicians are playing percussion instruments; some of sitting down, while others are standing up.

Camille A. Brown & Dancers performed at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY through ArtsCONNECT 2018. Credit: Kevin Colton.

ArtsCONNECT supports touring projects developed by presenter consortia based in the region that includes public performances and community engagement activities. Presenters must be located in DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, USVI or WV.

The program recognizes that offering funding support for a variety of well-coordinated, collective booking efforts increases routing opportunities, leverages access for smaller markets, and benefits the region as a whole. To that end, ArtsCONNECT facilitates an open process of sharing touring project ideas amongst presenters and encourages active participation for presenters of all sizes.

ArtsCONNECT projects are supported in three funding tiers: Projects with artist fees of $5,000 or below; Projects with artist fees between $5,001 and $15,000; And projects with artist fees of $15,001 or above.

For more information about how ArtsCONNECT works, please see program guidelines.

Questions? Contact Haowen Wang, Program Officer, Performing Arts, at haowen@midatlanticarts.org.

ArtsCONNECT is made possible through support from the National Endowment for the Arts’ Regional Touring Program.

Guidelines

COVID-19 Coronavirus: We recognize this is a fluid and rapidly developing situation. At this time, artists are encouraged to apply to MAAF programs as normal. Applications can be withdrawn at any point without any penalty or negative impact on future applications. Our goal is to provide maximum flexibility to applicants and grantees.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your program officer.

Guidelines and the application form for the 2021-2022 program cycle will be announced in Fall 2020.

The application deadline for ArtsCONNECT 2021 was Wednesday, March 25, 2020. The guidelines below are for information purposes only..

Download ArtsCONNECT Guidelines as a PDF (link opens in a new window)
Download ArtsCONNECT Guidelines as an accessible Word document (click link to download)

Download a preview copy of ArtsCONNECT Application as a PDF (link opens in a new window)
Download a preview copy of ArtsCONNECT Application as a as an accessible Word document (click link to download)

Projects in Development

The Projects in Development listing is a user-generated, one-stop information hub that includes all of the consortia projects currently in development for ArtsCONNECT.

Presenters can seek potential presenting partners by submitting artist and project information to the listing, and learn about other developing consortia to possibly join.

Submission to the Projects in Development listing is required. Applications for artists that have not been submitted to the listing will not be eligible for funding.

The final date to submit an artist to the listing is typically weeks prior to the application deadline.

Portals to submit to the Projects in Development Listing for the 2021-2022 season will open in Fall 2020.

Current Grantees & Tours

2020-2021

Due to COVID-19 disruptions, many funded projects are being rescheduled into the next seasons. MAAF is actively working with our grantees to find suitable solutions to support these projects. Please check with the performance venue to confirm dates and times, and for ticket information.

Alarm Will Sound (NY, USA)

A small orchestra plays on a stage bathed in blue and white light. The conductors back is to the audience and we can see their silhouettes in the image foreground.
Credit: Michal Ramus.

American Patchwork Quartet (NY, USA)

Four musicians, three men and a women, pose with their instruments against a white background. (l-r) Standing bass, guitar, hand percussion, and standing snare.
Credit: Courtesy of the artist.

Cirque Kalabante (Montreal, Canada)

Two female acrobats face each other upside down. Their faces are turned to the camera. They are doing matching split handstands.
Credit: Courtesy of the artist.

Far From the Norm (Kingston Upon Thames, UK)

A person, dressed in a hooded animal suit, sits cross legged. They wear a shiny gold paper crown in their head. The stage is lit in dark blue with a white spot.
Credit: Courtesy of the artist.

Fifth House Ensemble (IL, USA)

A large group of musicians is posed against a white background with children's instruments. Balloons and confetti cover the floor in the foreground.
Credit: Courtesy of the artist.

Jane Comfort and Company (NY, USA)

Four women face the camera, their bodies tilted in slight profile. They are all wearing pageant swimsuits and smile and wave at the camera.
Credit: Courtesy of the artist.

Kaneza Schaal and Christopher Myers (NY, USA)

A group of five people sit on stage around and in an inflatable raft
Credit: Elman Studio.

Red Sky Performance (Toronto, Canada)

A group of dancers in white pull and move around a central male dancer. Some of the dancers are marked with white paint. In the background, a bright half circle glows on a dark background.
Credit: David Hou.

Xenia Franca (Sao Paolo, Brazil)

Head shot of Xenia Franca in slight right profile. She wears a burgundy blouse and flowered wallpaper can be seen in the background.
Credit: Courtesy of the artist.

Panelists

Panelists

2020-2021 Program Panelists

Kristy Edmunds
Center for the Art of Performance, UCLA
Los Angeles, CA

Tamara Loewenthal
Lotus Education and Arts Foundation
Bloomington, IN

Aaron Shackelford, Ph.D.
Georgia Tech Arts
Atlanta, GA

Anonymous
Chicago, IL

Anonymous
NY/CA

2019-2020 Program Panelists

Viviana Benitez
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
New York, NY

Laura Kendall
Omaha Performing Arts
Omaha, NE

Bonnie Schock
Sheldon Theatre of Performing Arts
Red Wing, MN

Sixto Wagan
University of Houston
Houston, TX

2018-2019 Program Panelists

Paul Bonin-Rodriguez
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX

Adam Fong
Center for New Music
San Francisco, CA

Ben Pryor
American Realness
New York, NY

Dayna Martinez
Ordway Center
Saint Paul, MN

Manage Your Grant

COVID-19 Coronavirus: As you know, this is a rapidly evolving situation, and we recognize the need to be flexible.  We recognize that out of an abundance of caution, grantees may need to cancel grant-supported engagements or activities. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Director of Operations, Phillip Harmon, or the MAAF program officer handling your specific grant program or activity to discuss your concerns or options. You can find staff contact information here.  Please be assured we will not penalize grantees for canceling grants due to COVID-19 coronavirus considerations and will be as flexible as we can within the limits of our own funder limitations.

Virtual Engagement Guidance

As arts presenting organizations evolve in response to a changing landscape, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation will continue to take a flexible approach to our program policies during this time. While we believe that live, in-person performances are hard to replace, we are also open to adaptive approaches that will ensure continued access to these arts experiences. Therefore, we are glad to announce the following policy for virtual engagements as an option for our grantees to fulfill their public performance and community engagement activity requirements.

Please read the full guidance document to understand the requirements of presenting your funded engagement as a virtual presentation. We have also included links to a few resources that may help you guide your decisions around virtual presentation.

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Virtual Engagement Guide as a PDF (link opens in a new window)
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Virtual Engagement Guide as an accessible Word document (Click link to download)

Changes in Project Proposal

Any changes in the content, schedule, or budget of your project as proposed must be submitted in writing for approval prior to being implemented. Requested changes must be submitted to Phillip Harmon, Director of Operations, at phillip@midatlanticarts.org.

Funding Acknowledgement and Crediting

Acknowledgement and Crediting requirements were included as Exhibit A of the Grant Award Agreement.

Grantees must clearly acknowledge support from Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation through use of both the credit language and logo as outlined below. Use of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation logo does not replace the credit language. Copies of the required crediting materials must be submitted as part of the final report.

Credit and Logo Usage Details
The following statement and the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation logo MUST appear in all programs, websites and press releases produced by the funded organization or its agents in relation to the funded project. In addition, the following statement and the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation logo should be included whenever possible, either jointly or separately as necessary, in all flyers and postcards, email communications, season brochures, social media posts and calendars, and any other print or electronic promotional and publicity materials produced by the funded organization or its agents in relation to the funded project.

  • This statement must be used in its entirety and cannot be altered in any way.

This engagement of [ARTIST] is made possible through the ArtsCONNECT program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Website Link
Grantees are required to include a link to the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation website at https://midatlanticarts.org when crediting Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation on their website. This link MUST remain active during the entire length of your grant period with MAAF. You are requested, but not required, to embed the link in MAAF’s logo.

Final Reports

Final report requirements and instructions were included as Exhibit B of the Grant Award Agreement.

Grantees are required to submit a final report which is due thirty (30) days after the end of the grant period on record as listed in the Grant Award Agreement.

Final reports are to be completed online using the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation’s eGRANT system at https://midatlanticarts.egrant.net.  Please read the instructions in the eGRANT system carefully.

The account used to submit the application for the grant must be used to complete the final report. If you do not remember your login and/or password, please use the link on the eGRANT login page to retrieve the information.

For questions about your grant and the crediting or final reporting requirements, contact Phillip Harmon, Director of Operations at phillip@midatlanticarts.org or 410.539.6656 x109.

Folk and Traditional Arts Touring Network
About
A group of men and women stand on the center of a circular group pf church pews and sing. Stained glass windows can be seen behind them.

The Northern Kentucky Brotherhood Singers workshop with Appalachian Ensemble at Davis and Elkins College through the Folk Arts Touring Network. Credit: Andrew Carroll / Augusta Heritage Center.

Established by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation (MAAF) in 2018, Folk and Traditional Arts Network (FTAN) is a presenter based membership network designed to bolster the presentation of folk and traditional arts in the mid-Atlantic region.

Through its members, FTAN aims to provide audiences and communities with direct access to folk and traditional arts and artists, increasing their community’s appreciation and understanding of cultural practice and identity. FTAN engages artists and tradition bearers that represent the breadth and diversity of folk and traditional arts across the United States and beyond, exhibit artistic excellence in their practice and demonstrate the desire to develop and expand their public presentation expertise.

MAAF has partnered with the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) to assist with tour coordination and facilitate collaborative planning between FTAN members and touring artists and tradition bearers.

A list of current FTAN members is available below.

Questions regarding the Folk and Traditional Arts Touring Network should be directed to Jess Porter at jess@midatlanticarts.org.

The Folk and Traditional Arts Touring Network is made possible through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Guidelines

Membership applications for the pilot program were accepted by invitation only.

New member applications are currently closed. Please sign up for the MAAF newsletter to receive updates about the program and application opportunities.

Current Tours

2019-2020 Folk and Traditional Arts Touring Network Engagements

All schedules are subject to change. Please check with the performance venue to confirm dates and times, and for ticket information.

Aurelio Martinez (Plaplaya, Honduras and New York, NY)

Aurelio Martinez stands in a door way by a brightly painted turquiose wall holding his guitar. He wears a white shirt and his hair is in braids.

One of the most extraordinary Central American artists of his generation, Aurelio Martinez is a musical ambassador and champion of the Garifuna, a culturally threatened African Amerindian ethnic minority living primarily along the Caribbean coasts of Belize, Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. Hailing from the small community of Plaplaya in Honduras, he grew up immersed in Garifuna rhythms, rituals, and songs. With powerfully evocative vocals; talent as a composer, guitarist, and percussionist; and over 30 years’ experience, Aurelio is central to the perpetuation and innovation of this unique tradition. Aurelio now splits his time between New York City, home to one of the largest Garifuna communities in the United States, and Plaplaya in Honduras.

Garifuna culture reflects the complex roots of Aurelio’s ancestors, Africans who landed on the island of St. Vincent in 1675 after the wreck of a slave ship and intermarried with local Carib and Arawak peoples, only to be deported to Central America by the British in the late 18thcentury. In 2001 UNESCO proclaimed the language, dance, and music of the Garifuna as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The style of Garifuna music that Aurelio plays incorporates the guitar—adopted from the Spanish—and is called paranda. In 2005, Aurelio entered politics, becoming the first senator of African descent in the Honduran congress. While he left politics in 2010, he remains deeply involved with projects teaching Garifuna traditions to the next generation.

1/23-1/24/2020   Miller Center for the Arts – Reading Area Community College, Reading, PA
1/28-1/29/2020 Augusta Heritage Center – Davis and Elkins College, Elkins, WV

Native Voices : Katajjaq to Hip Hop | featuring Supaman (Crow Reservation, Montana) and Nukariik (Ottawa, Ontario)

This is a split image photo. On the left, two women in white fancy dress face each other with their heads turned toward the camera. They are outside against foilage. On the right, a male dancer in fancy dress is turned to left profile and faces the camera.

From practitioners of the rarely heard Inuit women’s vocal tradition of katajjaq (throat-singing) and to a Fancy Dancer/hip hop artist/beatboxer from the Crow Nation, this program explores indigenous artistic expressions, both centuries-old and contemporary, in North America.

The Crow Indian Reservation, located in the Yellowstone River Valley in Montana, appears at first glance to be as far removed from the city streets of the Bronx as possible. For Christian Takes Gun Parrish, who performs under the name of Supaman, although the two geographic locales might be separated by thousands of miles, they are connected by similar problems that plague them. Supaman combines the best of New York’s hip hop beats with his own Native American traditional arts to speak to these very issues. The figure he creates in this cultural synthesis—a genre he has termed Crow Hop—demands an audience’s rapt attention when they first see his enigmatic, rhythmic, and visually arresting collage of traditional arts. He is, simultaneously, a Fancy Dancer, a hip hop artist, a beatboxer, and a voice for the Crow Nation.

Kathy Kettler and Tamara Takpannie are Nukariik, a duo that carries on the rarely heard Inuit throat-singing tradition and other age-old forms of Inuit entertainment such as drum dancing and a ja ja songs. A vocal game used to amuse children and women while men were out hunting, Inuit throat singing is an art practiced almost exclusively by women. Two singers stand or crouch facing each other and engage in a bit of friendly competition as one singer takes the lead and the other follows. During the vocal exchange, the voiced sounds and breath of each singer combine to form rhythmic melodies that imitate sounds from nature such as a mosquito or a river. The result is mesmerizing, as the singers playfully compete to see who will stop or laugh first. Skilled singers such as Nukariik blend and synchronize their voices so perfectly that it becomes difficult to distinguish between them.

11/20/19 Salisbury University – Cultural Affairs, Salisbury, MD
6/26-6/27/2020 Lake Placid Center for the Performing Arts, Lake Placid, NY
Members

Augusta Heritage Center of Davis and Elkins College
Emily Miller, Artistic Director
100 Campus Drive
Elkins, WV 26241
Phone: 304.642.9722
E-mail: millere2@dewv.edu
www.augustaheritagecenter.org

Lake Placid Center for the Performing Arts
James Lemons, Executive Director
17 Algonquin Drive
Lake Placid, NY 12946
Phone: 518.523.2512
E-mail: james@lakeplacidarts.org
www.lakeplacidarts.org

Miller Center for the Arts at Reading Area Community College
Cathleen Stephen, Director
10 S. Second Street
Reading, PA 19603
Phone: 610.607.6205
E-mail: cstephen@racc.edu
https://millercenter.racc.edu

Salisbury University Cultural Affairs
June Krell-Salgado, Director of Cultural Affairs
1101 Camden Avenue
Salisbury, MD 21801
Phone: 410.543.6271
E-mail: JEKRELL-SALGADO@salisbury.edu
https://www.salisbury.edu/culturalaffairs

Manage Your Grant

COVID-19 Coronavirus: As you know, this is a rapidly evolving situation, and we recognize the need to be flexible.  We recognize that out of an abundance of caution, grantees may need to cancel grant-supported engagements or activities. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Director of Operations, Phillip Harmon, or the MAAF program officer handling your specific grant program or activity to discuss your concerns or options. You can find staff contact information here.  Please be assured we will not penalize grantees for canceling grants due to COVID-19 coronavirus considerations and will be as flexible as we can within the limits of our own funder limitations.

Virtual Engagement Guidance

As arts presenting organizations evolve in response to a changing landscape, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation will continue to take a flexible approach to our program policies during this time. While we believe that live, in-person performances are hard to replace, we are also open to adaptive approaches that will ensure continued access to these arts experiences. Therefore, we are glad to announce the following policy for virtual engagements as an option for our grantees to fulfill their public performance and community engagement activity requirements.

Please read the full guidance document to understand the requirements of presenting your funded engagement as a virtual presentation. We have also included links to a few resources that may help you guide your decisions around virtual presentation.

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Virtual Engagement Guide as a PDF (link opens in a new window)
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Virtual Engagement Guide as an accessible Word document (Click link to download)

Changes in Project Proposal

Any changes in the content, schedule, or budget of your project as proposed must be submitted in writing for approval prior to being implemented. Requested changes must be submitted to Phillip Harmon, Grants and Operations Officer, at phillip@midatlanticarts.org.

Funding Acknowledgement and Crediting

Acknowledgement and Crediting requirements were included as Exhibit A of the Grant Award Agreement.

Grantees must clearly acknowledge support from Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation through use of both the credit language and logo as outlined below. Use of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation logo does not replace the credit language. Copies of the required crediting materials must be submitted as part of the final report.

Credit and Logo Usage Details
The following statement and the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation logo MUST appear in all programs, websites and press releases produced by the funded organization or its agents in relation to the funded project. In addition, the following statement and the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation logo should be included whenever possible, either jointly or separately as necessary, in all flyers and postcards, email communications, season brochures, social media posts and calendars, and any other print or electronic promotional and publicity materials produced by the funded organization or its agents in relation to the funded project.

  • This statement must be used in its entirety and cannot be altered in any way.

This engagement of [Artist] is made possible through the Folk and Traditional Arts Touring Network program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation in collaboration with the National Council for the Traditional Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Website Link
Grantees are required to include a link to the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation website at https://www.midatlanticarts.org when crediting Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation on their website. This link MUST remain active during the entire length of your grant period with MAAF. You are requested, but not required, to embed the link in MAAF’s logo.

Final Reports

Final report requirements and instructions were included as Exhibit B of the Grant Award Agreement.

Grantees are required to submit a final report which is due thirty (30) days after the end of the grant period on record as listed in the Grant Award Agreement.

Final reports are to be completed online using the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation’s eGRANT system at https://midatlanticarts.egrant.net.  Please read the instructions in the eGRANT system carefully.

The account used to submit the Common Information Form for the grant must be used to complete the final report. If you do not remember your login and/or password, please use the link on the eGRANT login page to retrieve the information.

For questions about your grant and the crediting or final reporting requirements, contact Phillip Harmon, Grants and Operations Officer, at phillip@midatlanticarts.org or 410.539.6656 x109

Jazz Touring Network
About
Three performers are on stage wearing red.

Mwenso & The Shakes performing at Arden Club through the 2018-2019 Jazz Touring Network Tours. Photo Credit: Theresa Emmett and Braheem Wilson

The Jazz Touring Network is a presenter-based membership program that provides support for professional development opportunities and performance fee subsidies for its participants. New members are selected on an annual basis through an open, competitive selection process. Membership criteria for JTN prioritizes performing arts presenters in the mid-Atlantic region with little or no experience presenting jazz, while also encouraging applications from experienced jazz presenters seeking to strengthen their programming. The JTN prioritizes participation by presenters that work in and with communities underserved by the arts. Once selected, membership in the program is ongoing contingent upon meeting annual participation requirements.

A list of current JTN members is available on the Members tab.

Questions regarding the Jazz Touring Network should be directed to Jess Porter at jess@midatlanticarts.org.

The Jazz Touring Network is made possible through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Regional Touring Program.

Guidelines

To learn more about the program and eligibility requirements, please review the program guidelines below. The posted guidelines are for information purposes only.

Download the 2020 – 2021 Jazz Touring Network Membership Guidelines as a PDF (link opens in a new window)

Download the 2020 – 2021 Jazz Touring Network Membership Guidelines as an accessible Word document (click link to download)

Deadlines

The deadline for the Jazz Touring Network Membership application was August 30, 2019, 5:00 PM EST.

Current Tours

2019-2020 Jazz Touring Network Engagements

All schedules are subject to change. Please check with the performance venue to confirm dates and times, and for ticket information.

Akua Allrich performs on stage in this close-up shot. She wears a brightly colored tunic in red, gold, and black.

Photo Credit: Stella Maglore.

Akua Allrich Washington, D.C.

Jazz vocalist and DC-native Akua Allrich has proven herself to be a musician of extraordinary talent and crowd-moving passion. With finesse and charisma, and n outstanding band (The Tribe), this vocalist, composer and teacher, has successfully etched out a place for her unique musical expression, electrifying audiences with sold-out performances. She offers an artistry that she aptly (and perhaps playfully) summarized as “Jazz+ Neo Afro-Soul- Blues-reggae- funk-rock- folk music.” Allrich can carry a tune across these many genres with stunning authority. The innovative sound of her albums, A Peace of Mine, Uniquely Standard, Akua Allrich Live!, and her latest album, Soul Singer, has earned the young artist’s music and performances international acclaim. Akua Allrich has inspired music lovers from all walks with her exceptional work and brilliant artistry.

3/26/2020 Light Up the Queen, Wilmington, DE
3/27/2020 Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD
3/28/2020 Flushing Town Hall, Flushing, NY
Allison Miller is shot in black and white from the waist up. She wears a black top and holds two timpani sticks up by her head.

Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez.

Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom, New York, NY

One of the most exciting jazz drummers on the scene, performer, composer, and educator Allison Miller gathers inspiration from a wide array of genres. Described by critics as a charismatic and rhythmically propulsive drummer with melodic sensibility, Miller engages her deep roots in improvisation as a way to explore all music. The critically-acclaimed percussionist and Yamaha clinician will be joined by her stellar band, Boom Tic Boom, and acclaimed tap dancer, Claudia Rahardjanoto, for the premier of her new JTN co-commissioned work, In Our Veins: Rivers and Social Change.

In Our Veins: Rivers and Social Change

Rivers are the lifeline of America, and in the 19th and 20th century, many social movements took place around waterways.  “In Our Veins: Rivers and Social Change” is a multimedia suite for chamber jazz ensemble and tap dancer centered around five American rivers (Susquehanna, Delaware, James, Hudson, Schuylkill) and the social and environmental changes they inspired. 

1/23/2020 Lake Placid Center for the Arts, Lake Placid, NY
1/24/2020 Bucknell University – Weis Center for the Performing Arts, Lewisburg, PA
1/25/2020 Ars Nova Workshop, Philadelphia, PA
1/27/2020 Light Up the Queen, Wilmington, DE
1/29/2020 University of Richmond – Modlin Center for the Arts, Richmond, VA
Antonio Hart wears a grey-blue suit and is shot in front of a mottles grey background. He cradles his saxophone in his hands.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of artist.

Antonio Hart, New York, NY

Antonio Hart is a Grammy-nominated alto saxophonist who has recorded 10 albums as a leader since 1991, and has played and recorded with some of the biggest names in Jazz, including Dizzy Gillespie, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Roy Hargrove, Rabih Abou-Khalil, Terence Blanchard.  Hart studied with Bill Pierce, Andy McGhee and Joe Viola at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he met Roy Hargrove.  He followed that with studies at Queens College where he worked with Jimmy Heath and Donald Byrd.  Hart is currently a tenured professor at the Aaron Copland School of music at Queens College, and tours with the Dave Holland Big Band and the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band as well as his own ensembles. 

10/5/2019 Flushing Town Hall, Flushing, NY
12/7/2019 Kente Arts Alliance, Pittsburgh, PA
3/27/2020 BlackRock Center for the Arts, Germantown, MD
The members of whost note sit outside on a log and a couch. A coffee table sits in front of them and an old farm house is in the background. There are seven members and they are casually dressed.

Photo Courtesy of the artists.

Ghost Note, Dallas, TX

Headed by Snarky Puppy’s multi-grammy–winning percussion duo of Robert “Sput” Searight and Nate Werth, Ghost-Note is an explosion of sound. With an expansive roster of next-level musicians—representing members of Prince, Snoop Dogg, Erykah Badu, Herbie Hancock, Kendrick Lamar, Marcus Miller, Toto, Justin Timberlake, and more—the band is pushing funk music into the future, building on the uplifting, pioneering foundations laid out by the likes of James Brown And Sly & The Family Stone and infusing their fresh take with tastes of Afrobeat, hip-hop, psychedelia, world folklore, and more.

With the release of 2018’s Swagism, Ghost-Note has made their mission clear. The album puts rhythm at the forefront, with irresistible, heavy-hitting beats underlying the group’s wild, rich music. Swagism showcases the band’s stunning ability to meld and amplify sounds, ultimately adding to ghost-note’s sharp, complex collaborations.

Fearless, both in Swagism’s sonic depth and conscious social commentary, the band easily translates this adventurousness in a live setting. Ghost-note’s live performances are bold and in your face, with the group offering up none of the tight-laced pretenses frequently associated with the band’s jazz roots. Focused on creating seductive danceable grooves and a contagious feel-good energy, each show is an opportunity to let loose and connect, for both fans and the musicians alike.

After forming in 2015, ghost-note has already begun to take the world by storm. The group’s two studio albums—2018’s Swagism and 2015’s Fortified—have earned critical acclaim and popular success around the globe, with both albums hitting the #1 spot on the iTunes jazz charts.

3/20/2020 Christina Cultural Arts Center, Wilmington, DE
3/27/2020 Frostburg State University – Cultural Events Series, Frostburg, MD
3/28/2020 Atlas Performing Arts Center, Washington, DC
4/1/2020 Binghamton University – Anderson Center for the Performing Arts, Binghamton, NY
This is a performance shot of Makaya behind a full drum kit. He wears a black t shirt.

Photo Credit: David Marques.

Makaya McCraven, Chicago, IL

Makaya McCraven is a beat scientist. The bleeding edge drummer, producer, and sonic collagist is one of Chicago’s savviest cultural players and a multi-talented force whose inventive process & intuitive, cinematic style defy categorization.

French-born but raised in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts by expatriate musician parents, McCraven studied Jazz at the University of Massachusetts Amherst under the mentorship of jazz luminaries Archie Shepp, Marion Brown, and Yusef Lateef, and eventually went on to develop his chops in Chicago’s burgeoning scene.

His breakthrough album In the Moment quickly launched McCraven into the vanguard of not only Internationally-known jazz artists, but also a niche genre of next-wave composer-producers blurring the boundaries of jazz & electronic music.

His recent releases, the DJ-style mixtape Highly Rare as well as an internationally recorded Where We Come From have been well received globally, leading to increased bookings in some of the world’s best clubs, theaters, and festivals. McCraven’s most recently released Universal Beings, a 2xLP album features an A-list of “new” jazz players from New York, Chicago, London & Los Angeles.

10/4/2019 Arden Gild Hall, Arden, DE
10/5/2019 Ars Nova Workshop, Philadelphia, PA
10/6/2019 Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD
Stefon Harris is shot in a light grey suit against a dark grey background. He wears glasses and is turned slightly in profile. He sits with his left arm resting on his leg.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Artist.

Stefon Harris + Blackout, NJ, NY

Stefon Harris’s passionate artistry and astonishing virtuosity have propelled him to the forefront of the jazz scene. Heralded as “one of the most important artists in jazz” (The Los Angeles Times), he has been named a recipient of the 2018 Doris Duke Artist Awards. One of the most prestigious programs in the arts, “the Doris Duke Artist Awards invest in exemplary individual artists in contemporary dance, jazz, theater and related interdisciplinary work who have demonstrated their artistic vitality and commitment to their field.” He is also a recipient of the prestigious Martin E. Segal Award from Lincoln Center, has earned four Grammy nominations, and has been named Best Mallet player eight times by the Jazz Journalists Association.  This tour supports Stefon Harris + Blackout’s new album, Sonic Creed, an album that chronicles the story of a people and their time on the planet. It is a reflection of African-American life in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Furthermore, it is a sonic manifestation and creed of family, community and legacy. The album explores afresh the music of masters such as Bobby Hutcherson, Abbey Lincoln, Wayne Shorter and Horace Silver.

11/23/2019 Montgomery County Community College – Lively Arts, Blue Bell, PA
3/27/2020 Jefferson Center, Roanoke, VA
3/28/2020 University of Richmond – Modlin Center for the Arts, Richmond, VA
4/18/2020 Hamilton College – Performing Arts, Clinton, NY
4/24/2020 Cornell University- Cornell Concert Series, Ithaca, NY
5/30/2020 Manchester Craftsman Guild Jazz, Pittsburgh, PA
A ma in a tuxedo is holding two Grammy Awards in his hands.

Photo Credit: Ricadro Proven for Cerebral Arts.

The Marlow Rosado Latin Jazz Ensemble, Miami, FL

High-energy, eclectic and amped-up 2-time Grammy winner, artist, producer, songwriter; Marlow Rosado, has over two decades experience in the music industry. With two Grammys and eleven nominations under his belt, Marlow is undoubtedly a driving force in the Latin music industry and one of the leading components in the salsa and Latin jazz scene.

The multi-instrumentalist Marlow Rosado leads a 12 piece orchestra as well as several Latin combo projects and is owner of one of Miami’s leading recording studios where artist such as Elvis Crespo, Ricky Martin, El Gran Combo, Alejandra Guzman, Jon Secada and many others, have produced some of their top selling musical productions. Marlow Rosado has earned his place as one of today’s most recognized songwriters with over 70 songs recorded by some of the most notable names in Latin music, an achievement that earned him the “La Musa” award at the 2015 Latin Songwriters Hall Of Fame. 

11/1/2019 Cornell University – Cornell Concert Series, Ithaca, NY
2/27/2020 Salisbury University – Cultural Affairs, Salisbury, MD
2/28/2020 BlackRock Center for the Arts, Germantown, MD
2/29/2020 Atlas Performing Arts Center, Washington, DC
Veronica Swift is shot from the waist up against a red background. She faces the camera and her left arms is folded at the elbow and her hand rests on her chin.

Photo Credit: Bill Westmoreland.

Veronica Swift Trio, New York, NY

At age 24, Veronica Swift is now being recognized around the country as one of the top young jazz singers on the scene.

 In the fall of 2015, she won second place at the prestigious Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition.  In 2016 she was asked to perform a concert of her own at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center in New York City and she was a guest artist with Michael Feinstein at Jazz at Lincoln Center with the Tedd Firth Big Band and Marilyn Maye and Freda Payne.   Veronica’s first appearance at Jazz at Lincoln Center was at age 11 when she performed at the “Women in Jazz” series at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola. 

In the summer of 2016 she headlined at the Telluride Jazz Festival Then in April, 2017 she started her residency at the infamous Birdland Jazz Club in New York City. 

Veronica grew up on tour with her parents, renowned jazz pianist Hod O’Brien and celebrated jazz singer and educator/author Stephanie Nakasian.  It was with them where she first appeared at The Jazz Standard, and Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola.  Veronica recorded two CDs as a child – one at age 9 with Richie Cole and her father’s rhythm section and her mother, and one at age 13 with saxophonist Harry Allen.

Veronica releases her next album, “Confessions” on Mack Avenue Records in 2019, which will feature the great pianist Benny Green and his trio as well the Emmet Cohen Trio.

10/11/2019 On Stage At Kingsborough, Brooklyn, NY
10/27/2019 Montgomery County Community College – Lively Arts, Blue Bell, PA
4/3/2020 Carnegie Hall, Lewisburg, WV
4/4/2020 Jefferson Center, Roanoke, VA
5/1/2020 Frostburg State University – Cultural Events Series, Frostburg, MD
Voyu Sotashe performs in front of the bright blue and black background. He is standing in right profile, wears a white sweater, and holds a mic up to his mouth in his left hand.

Photo Credit: Frank Stewart.

Vuyo Sotashe, New York, NY

Young South African jazz vocalist, Vuyo (Vuyolwethu) Sotashe, is gradually making his mark in the New York jazz scene. Sotashe moved to the NYC in 2013 after being awarded the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to pursue Master of Music at William Paterson University. Since then, he has gone to win first prize at the very first Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival Vocal Competition in 2014, and performed on the festival’s main stage in February of 2015. More recently, he won the Audience prize award and placed second over-all at the Shure Montreux Jazz Voice Competition in 2015, held at the annual Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. In the same he placed third in the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Vocal competition, where he was the very first male vocalist ever to place in the competition’s finals.

4/9/2020 Bucknell University – Weis Center for the Performing Arts, Lewisburg, PA
4/10/2020 Atlas Performing Arts Center, Washington, DC
4/13/2020 Salisbury University – Cultural Affairs, Salisbury, MD
4/24/2020 BlackRock Center for the Arts, Germantown, MD
4/28/2020 Virginia Arts Festival, Norfolk, VA
Members

Arden Gild Hall
Ron Ozer, President
2126 The Highway
Arden, DE 19810
Phone: 302.898.9308
E-mail: concerts@ardenclub.org
http://ardenclub.org/

Ars Nova Workshop
Mark Christman, Executive and Artistic Director
Bok Room 509
1901 S. 9th Street
Philadelphia, PA 20002
Phone: 215.805.3376
E-mail: mark@arsnovaworkshop.org
https://www.arsnovaworkshop.org

Artvolution Cultural Innovation Project, Inc.- Modern Renaissance Jazz
Vena Jefferson, Executive Director
1911 Ironwood Lane
Bensalem, PA 19020
Phone: 267.777.9553
E-mail: vena@artvolution.org
https://www.artvolution.org/

Atlas Performing Arts Center
Heidi Hawkins, Director of Programming
1333 H Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202.399.7993 ext. 116
E-mail: hhawkins@atlasarts.org
http://www.atlasarts.org

BlackRock Center for the Arts
Brad Watkins, Artistic Director/Programming
12901 Town Commons Drive
Germantown, MD 20874
Phone: 240.912.1059
E-mail: bwatkins@blackrockcenter.org
http://www.blackrockcenter.org/

Binghamton University – Anderson Center for the Performing Arts
Annette Burnett, Operations Director
P.O. Box 6000
Binghamton, NY 13902
Phone: 607.777.2311
E-mail:  aburnet@binghamton.edu
http://www2.binghamton.edu/anderson-center/

Bucknell University – Weis Center for the Performing Arts
Kathryn Maguet, Executive Director
One Dent Drive
Lewisburg, PA 17837
Phone: 570.577.1670
E-mail: klm041@bucknell.edu
http://www.bucknell.edu

CapitalBop
Jamie Sandal, Managing Director
2853 Ontario Road, NW #501
Washington, DC 20009
Phone: 301.943.2683
E-mail: jamie@capitalbop.com
https://www.capitalbop.com/

Carnegie Hall
Lynn Creamer, Artistic Director
105 Church Street
Lewisburg, WV 24901
Phone: 304.645.7917 ext. 114
E-mail: creamer@carnegiehallwv.org
http://www.carnegiehallwv.org/

Christina Cultural Arts Center
H. Raye Jones Avery, Executive Director
705 N. Market Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
Phone: 302.851.1633
E-mail: CCACJones@aol.com
http://www.ccac-de.org/

Cornell University – Cornell Concert Series
Dr. Deborah Justice, Manager
101 Lincoln Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
Phone: 607.255.4363
E-mail: drj46@cornell.edu
www.cornellconcertseries.com

Creative Alliance
Josh Kohn, Performance Director
3134 Eastern Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21224
Phone: 410.276.1651
E-mail: josh@creativealliance.org
http://www.creativealliance.org/

Downtown Brooklyn Partnership
Ariana Hellerman, Director of Programming
1 MetroTech Center North, Suite 1003
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: 718-403-1641
E-mail: ahellerman@downtownbrooklyn.com
http://www.downtownbrooklyn.com

Flushing Town Hall
Ellen Kodadek, Executive and Artistic Director
137-35 Northern Boulevard
Flushing, NY 11354
Phone: 718.463.7700 ext. 225
E-mail: ekodadek@flushingtownhall.org
http://www.flushingtownhall.org

Frostburg State University – Cultural Events Series
Melanie Moore, Associate Director – CES
101 Braddock Road
Frostburg, MD 21532
Phone: 301.687.4151
E-mail: mamoore@frostburg.edu
http://involvement.frostburg.edu/cultevents/annseries.html

Hamilton College – Performing Arts
Michelle Reiser-Memmer, Performing Arts Administrator
198 College Hill Road
Clinton, NY 13323
Phone: 315.859.4305
E-mail: mreiserm@hamilton.edu
http://www.hamiltonpa.org/

Jefferson Center
Donna Thompson, Programming Director
541 Luck Avenue, SW, Suite 221
Roanoke, VA 24016
Phone: 540.343.2624 ext. 215
E-mail: dthompson@jeffcenter.org
http://www.jeffcenter.org/

Kente Arts Alliance
Mensah Wali, Artistic Director
1212 Manhattan Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15233
Phone: 412.322.0292
E-mail: mensah@kentearts.org
http://kentearts.com

Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College
Jon Yanofsky, Director, Kupferberg Center for the Arts
65-30 Kissena Blvd
Flushing, NY 11367
Phone: 718.570.0924
E-mail: jon.yanofsky@qc.cuny.edu
http://kupferbergcenter.org/

Lake Placid Center for the Arts
James Lemons, Executive Director
17 Algonquin Drive
Lake Placid, NY 12946
Phone: 518.523.2512
E-mail: james@lakeplacidarts.org
https://www.lakeplacidarts.org/

Light Up The Queen
Sarah Koon, Executive Director
500 N. Market Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
Phone: 302.504.9574
E-mail: sarah.koon@lightupthequeen.org
http://www.lightupthequeen.org/

Montgomery County Community College – Lively Arts
Brent Woods, Senior Director of Cultural Affairs
340 DeKalb Pike
Blue Bell, PA 19422
Phone: 215.641.6439
E-mail: BWoods@mc3.edu
http://www.mc3.edu/arts/lively-arts

MCG Jazz
Marty Ashby, VP & Executive Producer
1815 Metropolitan Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15233
Phone: 412.322.1773  ext. 121
E-mail: MAshby@manchesterbidwell.org
http://mcgjazz.org

On Stage At Kingsborough
Anna Becker, Executive Director
2001 Oriental Boulevard
Brooklyn, NY 11235
Phone: 718.368.5148
E-mail: ABecker@kbcc.cuny.edu
http://www.onstageatkingsborough.org/

RiverviewJazz.Org
Bryan Beninghove, Executive Director
P.O. Box 17291
Jersey City, NJ, 07307
Phone: 201.920.7209
E-mail: riverviewjazz.org@gmail.com
https://www.riverviewjazz.org/

Salisbury University – Cultural Affairs
June Krell-Salgado, Director of Cultural Affairs
1101 Camden Avenue
Salisbury, MD 21801
Phone: 410.543.6271
E-mail: JEKRELL-SALGADO@salisbury.edu
https://www.salisbury.edu/culturalaffairs

University of Richmond – Modlin Center for the Arts
Shannon Hooker, Assistant Director
T-107A 28 Westhampton Way
Richmond, VA 23173
Phone: 804.287.6559
E-mail: shooker@richmond.edu
http://modlin.richmond.edu/

Virginia Arts Festival
Kimberly Schuette, Artistic Administrator
440 Bank Street
Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone: 757.282.2811
E-mail: kschuette@vafest.org
http://www.vafest.com/

Manage Your Grant

COVID-19 Coronavirus: As you know, this is a rapidly evolving situation, and we recognize the need to be flexible.  We recognize that out of an abundance of caution, grantees may need to cancel grant-supported engagements or activities. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Director of Operations, Phillip Harmon, or the MAAF program officer handling your specific grant program or activity to discuss your concerns or options. You can find staff contact information here.  Please be assured we will not penalize grantees for canceling grants due to COVID-19 coronavirus considerations and will be as flexible as we can within the limits of our own funder limitations.

Virtual Engagement Guidance

As arts presenting organizations evolve in response to a changing landscape, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation will continue to take a flexible approach to our program policies during this time. While we believe that live, in-person performances are hard to replace, we are also open to adaptive approaches that will ensure continued access to these arts experiences. Therefore, we are glad to announce the following policy for virtual engagements as an option for our grantees to fulfill their public performance and community engagement activity requirements.

Please read the full guidance document to understand the requirements of presenting your funded engagement as a virtual presentation. We have also included links to a few resources that may help you guide your decisions around virtual presentation.

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Virtual Engagement Guide as a PDF (link opens in a new window)
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Virtual Engagement Guide as an accessible Word document (Click link to download)

Changes in Project Proposal

Any changes in the content, schedule, or budget of your project as proposed must be submitted in writing for approval prior to being implemented. Requested changes must be submitted to Phillip Harmon, Director of Operations, at phillip@midatlanticarts.org.

Funding Acknowledgement and Crediting

Acknowledgement and Crediting requirements were included as Exhibit A of the Grant Award Agreement.

Grantees must clearly acknowledge support from Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation through use of both the credit language and logo as outlined below.  Use of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation logo does not replace the credit language. Copies of the required crediting materials must be submitted as part of the final report.

Credit and Logo Usage Details

The following statement and the Jazz Touring Network logo, and where space permits, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation logo MUST appear in all programs, websites and press releases produced by the funded organization or its agents in relation to the funded project. In addition, the following statement and the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation logo should be included whenever possible, either jointly or separately as necessary, in all flyers and postcards, email communications, season brochures, social media posts and calendars, and any other print or electronic promotional and publicity materials produced by the funded organization or its agents in relation to the funded project.

  • This statement must be used in its entirety and cannot be altered in any way.

This engagement of [ARTIST] is made possible through the Jazz Touring Network program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Download the Jazz Touring Network logo below:

Jazz Touring Network Logo
JTN CMYK 72dpi.jpg
JTN CMYK 300dpi.jpg
JTN RGB 72dpi.jpg
JTN RGB 300dpi.jpg
JTN B&W 7dpi.jpg
JTN B&W 300dpi.jpg

Website Link

Grantees are required to include a link to the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation website at https://www.midatlanticarts.org when crediting Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation on their website. This link MUST remain active during the entire length of your grant period with MAAF. You are requested, but not required, to embed the link in MAAF’s logo.

Final Reports

Final report requirements and instructions were included as Exhibit B of the Grant Award Agreement.

Grantees are required to submit a final report which is due thirty (30) days after the end of the grant period on record as listed in the Grant Award Agreement.

Final reports are to be completed online using the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation’s eGRANT system at https://midatlanticarts.egrant.net.  Please read the instructions in the eGRANT system carefully.

The account used to submit the Common Information Form for the grant must be used to complete the final report. If you do not remember your login and/or password, please use the link on the eGRANT login page to retrieve the information.

For questions about your grant and the crediting or final reporting requirements, contact Phillip Harmon, Director of Operations at phillip@midatlanticarts.org or 410.539.6656 x109.

Mid Atlantic Tours
About
The group Nobuntu is performing in front of microphones. All of the members are wearing garments with stripes or patterns. Out of the five performers, the middle one is sitting down playing a bongo drum.

Nobuntu performing in Susquehanna University’s Degenstein Theater through Mid Atlantic Tours 2018. Credit: Chad Hummel.

Mid Atlantic Tours is a curated roster program of performing artists and ensembles chosen to tour throughout the mid-Atlantic region. Subsidy is provided directly to presenters engaging artists from the roster for performances. The roster of artists changes annually but maintains a programmatic commitment to a diversity of performance genres, international cultural exchange, and engaging communities underserved by the arts.

The annual artist roster is selected through a staff-curated process led by MAAF Program Officer, Performing Arts, with input from mid-Atlantic presenters through an annual survey. Criteria considered in the selection process include artists or ensembles that appeal to a wide-range of presenters within the mid-Atlantic region, reasonable artist affordability and technical requirements, and strong artist representation.

There is no application process for artists to be part of the Mid Atlantic Tours roster. Presenters interested in learning more about the booking and funding process should refer to the Now Booking and Booking Guidelines tabs under this program.

The 2021-2022 touring roster and booking guidelines will be announced in late Fall 2020.

Questions regarding Mid Atlantic Tours should be directed to Haowen Wang at haowen@midatlanticarts.org.

Mid Atlantic Tours is made possible through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Regional Touring Program with additional funding provided by  the Delaware Division of the Arts.

2020-2021 Artist Roster

The 2021-2022 touring roster and booking guidelines will be announced in late Fall 2020.

Booking Guidelines

The 2020-2021 Mid Atlantic Tours Roster booking deadline was February 28, 2020 for engagements taking place between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021. Please check back with us in late Fall of 2020 for the announcement of the 2021-2022 roster.

For your reference, you can download the 2020-2021 Booking Guidelines in both PDF and Word formats below.

Download 2020-2021 Mid Atlantic Tours Booking Guidelines as a PDF (link opens in a new window)
Download 2020-2021 Mid Atlantic Tours Booking Guidelines as an accessible Word document (click link to download)

Current Grantees & Tours

2020-2021 Mid Atlantic Tours Grantees

Due to COVID-19 disruptions, many funded projects are being rescheduled into the next seasons. MAAF is actively working with our grantees to find suitable solutions to support these projects. Please check with the performance venue to confirm dates and times, and for ticket information.

Acrobuffos | AIR PLAY (NY, USA)

A huge piece of purple silk-like fabric blows above the two small figures holding it fast in the lower right corner of the image. A black backdrop sets off this stage performance.

Artist Website | Media Sample | Contact Agent

AIR PLAY is a visual poem using no words. It lives on the edge of definition: part comedy, part sculpture, part circus, part theater. The creation of husband & wife team Seth Bloom and Christina Gelsone, AIR PLAY merges their circus and street theater performance art with the sculptural artistry of Daniel Wurtzel.

Photo: Florence Montmare.

Ak Dan Gwang Chil (Seoul, South Korea)

Nine men and women, with traditional instruments, surround a vocalist facing center and singing. They are posed against a bright red background.

Artist Website | Media Sample | Contact Agent

Ak Dan Gwang Chil (ADG7) is a multi-award winning Korean traditional music group, featuring six Korean traditional musicians and three powerhouse female folk singers. ADG7 performs repertoire from the sacred, shamanic, and secular gut (ritual music) and minyo (folk song) traditions of the Hwanghae-do region, a western province of North Korea. 

Photo: Courtesy of the artist.

 Choir!Choir!Choir! (Ontario, Canada)

A large theater is bathed in purple light. The image is shot from behind the two performers on stage at a microphone. They are leading the audience, on three tiers, in a sing-a-long.

Artist Website | Media Sample | Contact Agent

A Toronto-based singing group led by creative directors Nobu Adilman and Daveed Goldman. The duo takes a non-traditional approach; there are no auditions, and the audience is the choir. Just show up and they’ll teach you an original arrangement to a song you love.

Photo: Joseph-Fuda

 The Honey Dewdrops (MD, USA)

A man and a woman, both playing acoustic guitars, stand center stage in a close-up image. The woman is singing. The stage is lit in pink, purple, and orange.

Artist Website | Media Sample | Contact Agent

Americana duo The Honey Dewdrops – Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish– has long felt the push-and-pull between their original roots in the Appalachian Mountains and their current home in urban Baltimore. You’ll hear it in their harmony soaked songs and the mastery of their instruments’ acoustic tones, but also in their songwriting, which reflects the hard realities of today.

Photo: Nolan Zunk.

 Rare Essence (DC, USA)

Four men stand at the front of the stage with microphones. We can see a full band behind them on a blue lit stage. The back of the audience is in the foreground of the image.

Artist Website | Media Sample | Contact Agent

Rare Essence, Washington’s premier Go-Go band for more than four decades, is a D.C. institution that has built a devoted fan base that spans multiple generations. Drawn to the indigenous funk sired in the mid -70’s by the late Godfather of Go-Go, Chuck Brown, Rare Essence would be one of Brown’s earliest, and have remained his most enduring, progeny.

Photo: Courtesy of the artist.

 Sonia De Los Santos (NJ, USA)

Sonja De Los Santos stands in front of a natural wooden board wall. She holds a ukelele and is wearing a black sun dress.

Artist Website | Media Sample | Contact Agent

Nominated for Best Latin Children’s Album at the 20th Annual Latin Grammy Award (2019), Sonia De Los Santos is one of the brightest voices in bilingual children’s music. Sonia’s concerts delve into her experiences growing up in Mexico. Songs in Spanish and English are inspired by various Latin American rhythms including son jarocho and cumbia, as well as the North American folk traditions from the United States.

Photo: Juanjo Molina.

Tentacle Tribe |GHOST (Quebec, Canada)

Black and white image of six dancers closely grouped together. Their poses look as if they are interlocked. They are shot close-up with a black background.

Artist Website | Media Sample | Contact Agent

Tentacle Tribe dance company presents their unique brand of conceptual hip–hop, experimenting with intricate partnering, refined musicality, and a saturated dose of physical choreography. Co-founders Lê Phan and Höglund have redefined their b-boying and b-girling practices into an innovative aesthetic that transcends style boundaries and expresses the embodiment of music beyond technique.

Photo: Alexandre Gilbert.

Manage Your Grant

COVID-19 Coronavirus: As you know, this is a rapidly evolving situation, and we recognize the need to be flexible.  We recognize that out of an abundance of caution, grantees may need to cancel grant-supported engagements or activities. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Director of Operations, Phillip Harmon, or the MAAF program officer handling your specific grant program or activity to discuss your concerns or options. You can find staff contact information here.  Please be assured we will not penalize grantees for canceling grants due to COVID-19 coronavirus considerations and will be as flexible as we can within the limits of our own funder limitations.

Virtual Engagement Guidance

As arts presenting organizations evolve in response to a changing landscape, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation will continue to take a flexible approach to our program policies during this time. While we believe that live, in-person performances are hard to replace, we are also open to adaptive approaches that will ensure continued access to these arts experiences. Therefore, we are glad to announce the following policy for virtual engagements as an option for our grantees to fulfill their public performance and community engagement activity requirements.

Please read the full guidance document to understand the requirements of presenting your funded engagement as a virtual presentation. We have also included links to a few resources that may help you guide your decisions around virtual presentation.

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Virtual Engagement Guide as a PDF (link opens in a new window)
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Virtual Engagement Guide as an accessible Word document (Click link to download)

Changes in Project Proposal

Any changes in the content, schedule, or budget of your project as proposed must be submitted in writing for approval prior to being implemented. Requested changes must be submitted to Phillip Harmon, Grants and Operations Officer, at phillip@midatlanticarts.org.

Funding Acknowledgement and Crediting

Acknowledgement and Crediting requirements were included as Exhibit A of the Grant Award Agreement.

Grantees must clearly acknowledge support from Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation through use of both the credit language and logo as outlined below. Use of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation logo does not replace the credit language. Copies of the required crediting materials must be submitted as part of the final report.

Credit and Logo Usage Details
The following statement and the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation logo MUST appear in all programs, websites and press releases produced by the funded organization or its agents in relation to the funded project. In addition, the following statement and the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation logo should be included whenever possible, either jointly or separately as necessary, in all flyers and postcards, email communications, season brochures, social media posts and calendars, and any other print or electronic promotional and publicity materials produced by the funded organization or its agents in relation to the funded project.

  • This statement must be used in its entirety and cannot be altered in any way.

This engagement of [ARTIST] is funded through the Mid Atlantic Tours program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.*

Website Link
Grantees are required to include a link to the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation website at https://www.midatlanticarts.org when crediting Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation on their website. This link MUST remain active during the entire length of your grant period with MAAF. You are requested, but not required, to embed the link in MAAF’s logo.

*Some projects are also supported by our State partners. Please refer to the specific crediting requirements and language in your Grant Award Agreement to ensure you provide proper crediting for your project.

Final Reports

Final report requirements and instructions were included as Exhibit B of the Grant Award Agreement.

Grantees are required to submit a final report which is due thirty (30) days after the end of the grant period on record as listed in the Grant Award Agreement.

Final reports are to be completed online using the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation’s eGRANT system at https://midatlanticarts.egrant.net.  Please read the instructions in the eGRANT system carefully.

The account used to submit the Common Information Form for the grant must be used to complete the final report. If you do not remember your login and/or password, please use the link on the eGRANT login page to retrieve the information.

For questions about your grant and the crediting or final reporting requirements, contact Phillip Harmon, Grants and Operations Officer, at phillip@midatlanticarts.org or 410.539.6656 x109.

On Screen/In Person
About
Two men are standing against a house

Still from co-directors Andrés Caballero’s and Sofian Khan’s The Interpreters.

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation’s On Screen/In Person program is designed to bring independent film and communities together by match-making American filmmakers with presenters from across the mid-Atlantic region.

Regional nonprofit venues and arts organizations looking for dynamic, cost-effective programming options can partner with MAAF to bring independent film to their communities. MAAF helps manage the administrative side, allowing presenters to focus on audience building and creating opportunities for meaningful, community-based engagement.

For more information about On Screen/In Person, including the current grantees and host sites, please click through the tabs above.

On Screen/In Person is a program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation made possible through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Guidelines

This program is no longer accepting applications.

Since 2011, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation’s On Screen/In Person program has toured independent American filmmakers to communities across the mid-Atlantic region to screen their recent work and increase access to and appreciation for film through direct audience engagement.  The On Screen/In Person program will close following the conclusion of the 2019-2020 film tours.

We are extremely proud of what our screening partners have accomplished through this program and the outstanding films and filmmakers we have had the honor to tour to communities in every state and territory within our regional jurisdiction. The regional and national scope of the program encompassed:

  • 276 grant-supported engagements
  • 47 grants awarded to nonprofit presenters
  • 57 grants awarded to independent filmmakers
  • 35 communities benefited
  • 54 films toured throughout the mid-Atlantic region
  • Filmmakers from 16 states, including District of Columbia

We extend our gratitude to the filmmakers, organizations, and audiences who have made an impact through this program. 

Have Feedback?

We’d love to hear from you!  Filmmakers can complete an anonymous online survey which will help inform the direction of new funding initiatives. 

Stay in Touch!

Be the first to know about new program developments as well as other opportunities from MAAF by signing up for our eNewsletter and opting in for electronic announcements.

Current Tours

SEPTEMBER 2019

The Interpreters
Co-Directors Andrés Caballero and Sofian Khan

Iraqi and Afghan interpreters were key to the U.S. war effort, but now many face danger in their countries because of their work.  The Interpreters follows the lives of a chain-smoking Iraqi codenamed “Phillip Morris” who was able to make it to the U.S. with the help of an American soldier, an Afghan called Malik who is still working as an active interpreter at the U.S. base in Kabul despite threats to his life, and an Afghan named Mujtaba who fled with his family as refugees to Turkey, as they work to rebuild their lives.

OCTOBER 2019

Badger Creek and The Thick Dark Fog
Co-Directed and Produced by Jonathan Skurnik and Randy Vasquez
Touring Filmmaker Jonathan Skurnik

Badger Creek is the documentary portrait of a Blackfeet (Pikuni) family, the Mombergs, who live on the lower Blackfeet Reservation in Montana near the banks of Badger Creek. In addition to running a prosperous ranching business, they practice a traditional Blackfeet cultural lifestyle that sustains and nourishes them. The film takes us through a year in the life of the family, and through four seasons of the magnificent and traditional territory of the Pikuni Nation.

Walter Littlemoon was forced to attend a federal Indian boarding school in South Dakota sixty years ago, where any expression of native identity was met with beatings, humiliation, and abuse. After carrying this unresolved trauma into adulthood, Walter decided to write and publish his memoirs as a way to explain his past abusive behaviors to his estranged children. But dealing with the memories of his boarding school days nearly put an end to the project. The Thick Dark Fog tells the story of how Walter confronted his past so that he could heal himself and his community.

NOVEMBER 2019

Detroit 48202: Conversations Along a Postal Route
Director Pamela Sporn

Detroit 48202: Conversations Along A Postal Route examines the rise, demise, and contested resurgence of the City of Detroit through the lens of African-American mail carrier, Wendell Watkins, and the committed community he faithfully served for thirty years. Though stories of resistance and resilience, Wendell’s customers share how they pushed back against racial segregation in housing and challenged disinvestment, proposing creative ways to re-imagine an inclusive, productive, and re-invigorated city.

FEBRUARY 2020

The Blood is at the Doorstep
Director Erik Ljung

On April 30, 2014, Dontre Hamilton, a black, unarmed man diagnosed with schizophrenia, was shot 14 times and killed by a Milwaukee police officer responding to a non-emergency wellness check. Filmed over the course of three years in the direct aftermath of Dontre’s death, The Blood is at the Doorstep is an intimate vérité  documentary that follows his family as they struggle to find answers and challenge a criminal justice system stacked against them.

MARCH 2020

Risking Light
Producer Miranda Wilson

From the streets of Minneapolis, the aboriginal lands of Australia, and the killing fields of Cambodia, Risking Light is an exploration of resilience, and the painful process of moving from grief to compassion and forgiveness. This powerful documentary challenges us to examine our own beliefs about forgiveness and asks “What would the world look like if we could learn to forgive one another?”

APRIL 2020

Pizza, A Love Story
Director Gorman Bechard

Most everyone has a passion for pizza, but only New Haven, CT, lays claim to the Holy Trinity of pizza joints with Sally’s, Pepe’s, and Modern. They are not only a cornerstone of New Haven’s Italian-American heritage but also the establishments that set the bar for this immediately recognizable comfort food. Pizza, A Love Story follows the evolution of the modern day food staple from old world Italy into present day New Haven. Just wait ’til you get a taste…

Host Sites

Host sites for the 2019-2020 On Screen/In Person film series are as follows:

Atlas, Washington, DC
Millersville University of Pennsylvania – The Ware Center, Lancaster, PA
Reading Area Community College – Miller Center for the Arts, Reading, PA
Wayne Theatre, Waynesboro, VA
The Z, Virginia Beach, VA

Please contact the venues directly for dates, times and locations of film screenings, and other program activities in their respective communities.

Filmmakers

SEPTEMBER 2019

The Interpreters
Co-Directors Andrés Caballero and Sofian Khan

Photo Credit: Tom Mendes.

Andrés Caballero is a public radio producer, journalist and documentary filmmaker based in New York. He’s currently a producer at NPR’s Latino USA and his stories have appeared on NPR’s Morning Edition, Weekend Edition, PBS, Deutsche Welle, and other media outlets. He produced The Military Voices series for StoryCorps, about military personnel who served in post 9/11 conflicts. Caballero is a former NPR/Above the Fray fellow, where he reported stories from Cameroon and the Central African Republic.  He co-directed Gaucho Del Norte (2015), an observational documentary that follows the journey of a Patagonian immigrant sheepherder recruited to work in the American west. Caballero is also a 2016 MacArthur Documentary Grant recipient for The Interpreters. Andres is also on the board of the Americas Media Initiative, an organization that supports independent filmmakers in Cuba.

Photo Credit: Tom Mendes.

Sofian Khan is the founder of Capital K Pictures, a New York-based production house. His short work has appeared on Field of Vision, The Fader, Al Jazeera, PBS, Fusion, The Atlantic and Huffington Post. He is a 2016 MacArthur Documentary Grant recipient for The Interpreters (2018), completed with support from ITVS. Khan’s first feature doc The Dickumentary (2014) – a definitive history of the penis from its evolution millions of years ago to today – was acquired by Breaking Glass Pictures in the U.S., and made its festival premiere at the Atlanta Film Festival. His second feature Gaucho Del Norte (2015), was released shortly after, co-directed with producing partner Andrés Caballero. The film was a Jerome Foundation grant recipient, following South American shepherds who are recruited to work in the American west. It premiered at the 2015 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, and subsequently aired on PBS’ America ReFramed series. Currently, Kahn is producing An Act Of Worship, based on a short film about the recent travel ban that he co-directed for Field of Vision. The feature-length documentary has received support from the Ford Foundation, the Islamic Scholarship Fund, and Mountainfilm’s commitment grant.

OCTOBER 2019

Badger Creek and The Thick Dark Fog
Co-Director and Producer Jonathan Skurnik

Photo Credit: LA Fellows Staff.

Jonathan Skurnik is a documentary producer, director and cinematographer. Five of his films have broadcast on PBS and European Television, as well as on domestic Satellite and Cable stations. His films have been screened at the Museum of Modern Art, Lincoln Center and in art galleries in New York City and at over two hundred film festivals throughout the world. He has won numerous awards, including Best Documentary at the American Indian film festival, the Change Maker Award at the Media That Matters Film Festival, the Audience Award for Outstanding Achievement at Outfest, the Harry Chapin Media Award for films about poverty and Best Documentary Award at the UrbanTV film Festival.

NOVEMBER 2019

Detroit 48202: Conversations Along a Postal Route
Director Pamela Sporn

Photo Credit: Lelanie Foster.

Pam Sporn is a Bronx-based documentary filmmaker, educator, and activist. Her previous work includes the documentaries Cuban Roots/Bronx Stories, With a Stroke of the Chaveta, Remembering the Mamoncillo Tree, and Disobeying Orders: GI Resistance to the Vietnam War. Her films have been featured in film festivals in the US, Cuba, Europe, and South America. Detroit 48202: Conversations Along a Postal Route, is her latest production, for which she received funding from JustFilms/Ford Foundation. Sporn has also received grants and awards from the New York State Council on the Arts, the Puffin Foundation, Latino Public Broadcasting, CUNY Caribbean Exchange, and the Bronx Council on the Arts. A 28-year veteran teacher, Sporn helped pioneer social issue documentary making in NYC high schools.  She continues to teach new documentary storytellers by teaching in the Film & Media Department at Hunter College in NYC.

FEBRUARY 2020

The Blood is at the Doorstep
Director Erik Ljung

Photo Credit: Erik Ljung.

Erik Ljung is a freelance producer and director of photography currently based in the Midwest. His debut feature length documentary The Blood is at the Doorstep had its world premiere at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival where it earned a critics pick from The Hollywood Reporter. He has shot and produced content for the New York Times, Netflix – Making a Murderer, VICE News, Travel Channel, PBS and CNN. In 2016, he won a Midwest Emmy for his work on public television’s Wisconsin Foodie. As a director of photography, he has worked with some of the world’s largest brands and ad agencies to produce commercial content. He is a former Nohl Fellow, and a two-time Brico Forward Fund recipient for his documentary work.

MARCH 2020

Risking Light
Producer Miranda Wilson

Photo Credit: Miranda Wilson.

Miranda Wilson has a passion for stories and storytelling. Her work focuses on creative and grassroots engagement, spanning radio, television, and film production; U.S. politics; non-profits; and healthcare.  She has traveled the world as a producer and her credits include Emmy-nominated work, as well as content for Sundance Channel, Food Network, and Twin Cities Public Television.

Her first feature-length effort, Risking Light, premiered at Cinequest Film Festival; has achieved Best of Fest at Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival and Audience Favorite at Big Water Film Festival; and screened at Cleveland International Film Festival, Melbourne Documentary Film Festival, Chania International Film Festival, Cambodia International Film Festival, and Human Rights Arts & Film Festival. Miranda hails from Columbus, Ohio; is an alumna of Georgetown University, insists on using the serial comma, and calls the Twin Cities home.

APRIL 2020

Pizza, A Love Story
Director Gorman Bechard

Photo Credit: Gorman Bechard.

New Haven-Based filmmaker and author, Gorman Bechard, is the director of 16 feature films including rock documentaries on The Replacements, Grant Hart, Archers of Loaf, Lydia Loveless, Sarah Shook & the Disarmers; the animal-rights film A Dog Named Gucci; and the cult horror-comedy Psychos in Love. He has also written six novels. In 2014, Bechard co-founded NHdocs: the New Haven Documentary Film Festival (NHdocs), which he co-directs with Yale Film and Media Studies professor Charles Musser.

Manage Your Grant

COVID-19 Coronavirus: As you know, this is a rapidly evolving situation, and we recognize the need to be flexible.  We recognize that out of an abundance of caution, grantees may need to cancel grant-supported engagements or activities. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Director of Operations, Phillip Harmon, or the MAAF program officer handling your specific grant program or activity to discuss your concerns or options. You can find staff contact information here.  Please be assured we will not penalize grantees for canceling grants due to COVID-19 coronavirus considerations and will be as flexible as we can within the limits of our own funder limitations.

Host Sites

Funding Acknowledgement and Crediting

Grantees must clearly acknowledge support from Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation through use of both the credit language and logo as outlined below. Use of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation logo does not replace the credit language. Copies of the required crediting materials must be submitted as part of the final report.

Credit and Logo Usage Details

The following statement and the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation logo MUST appear in all program-related print and electronic media promotional material other than the downloadable promotional materials provided by MAAF.

  • This statement must be used in its entirety and cannot be altered in any way.

On Screen/In Person is a program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation made possible through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Website Link

Grantees are required to include a link to the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation website at https://www.midatlanticarts.org when crediting Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation on their website. This link MUST remain active during the entire On Screen/In Person tour period.

Final Reports

Final report requirements and instructions were included as Exhibit B of the Grant Award Agreement.

Grantees are required to submit a final report which is due thirty (30) days after the end of the grant period on record as listed in the Grant Award Agreement.

Final reports are to be completed online using the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation’s eGRANT system at https://midatlanticarts.egrant.net.  Please read the instructions in the eGRANT system carefully.

The account used to submit the application for the grant must be used to complete the final report. If you do not remember your login and/or password, please use the link on the eGRANT login page to retrieve the information.

For questions about your grant and the crediting or final reporting requirements, contact Phillip Harmon, Director of Operations at phillip@midatlanticarts.org or 410.539.6656 x109.

Performing Arts Global Exchange
About

Eleven men and women stand and sit around a table in an industrial space. The musicians all wear black. There are lemons and lemon peels all over the table.There are lemon
Lemon Bucket Orkestra, Canada, will tour the U.S. through the 2020-2021 Performing Arts Global Exchange Program.

Performing Arts Global Exchange (PAGE) is a new Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation grant program for performing arts presenters nationwide in cooperation with the National Endowment for the Arts. Launching with tours in 2020-2021, PAGE brings exemplary international music, dance, and theater to audiences across the United States. Fee support grants are available to nonprofit presenting venues and units of state, local, or tribal government based anywhere in the U.S. or its territories who book artists from a curated roster. Artists on the roster have not widely toured in the United States and reside in a selected region, with the inaugural year’s roster featuring artists from U.S. neighbors: Canada and Mexico. Presenters interested in learning more about the booking and funding process should refer to the booking guidelines.

Why Performing Arts Global Exchange?

Presenting international artists requires resources that aren’t always available. Travel expenses, visas, and routing can make presenting international artists difficult, especially in remote areas of the country. PAGE provides grant support to encourage the presentation of international artists across the country, with an emphasis on supporting performances in communities with reduced access to international performing arts due to geography or other features.

PAGE presents: Mexico and Canada

The inaugural year of Performing Arts Global Exchange will feature a roster of artists from Mexico and Canada. Featuring music, dance, and theater ensembles, roster artists offer presenters the opportunity to affordably feature international artists in their programming and community outreach activities.

Performing Arts Global Exchange is a program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation in cooperation with the National Endowment for the Arts.

2020-2021 Artist Roster

DANCE

La Serpiente | Mexico
US Debut

A dancer, dressed all in black, bends backward almost on limbo stance with one arm on the stage while holding a long white ribbon of fabric.

La Serpiente is an independent contemporary dance company working out of Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. Since their first production in 2001, they have created their own style of feeling and communicating with the world, creating a company that is a convergence of movement and the aesthetic vision of the group’s members. La Serpiente is committed to artistic development internally and externally, and supports an international dance festival (Red Serpiente), artistic residences, a Center of Dance Documentation and Research (Cenddami), and Scholar Dance Program, as well as workshops and master classes.

Treatise About the Line is a contemporary dance performance that explores the complexity of bodies moving through space and time. For fifty minutes, four dancers provoke an architectural look at the body, space, and condensed time, all set to original music. Together, the lighting design and choreography build a dance discourse without requiring grand scenic elements. The company also has additional repertoire available for venues with fewer technical capabilities.

Watch: Treatise About the Line Full Video or Demo | About La Serpiente
Traveling: 5 dancers, 1 technician, 1 staff
Technical specifications: Two minimum requirements: a line of white elastic cutting through the stage space horizontally, as well as a vertical bar of LED light (7 meters).
Tech Rider | Website | Facebook | Twitter
To book, contact: Abdiel Villaseñor Talavera | abdielvt@gmail.com

In addition to presenting this artist, PAGE grants require at least one artist-involved community engagement activity; possibilities for this engagement can be found here.

MUSIC

Lemon Bucket Orkestra | Canada

Eleven men and women stand and sit around a table in an industrial space. The musicians all wear black. There are lemons and lemon peels all over the table.There are lemon

Lemon Bucket Orkestra (LBO) is a Balkan-klezmer-gypsy-punk party. Equal parts high precision and reckless intensity, this magnetic ensemble grew from a quartet of guerilla-folk troubadours busking on the streets of Toronto to a battalion of troops armed with brass, bows, accordions, and drums. The band has been nominated for several awards, including two Junos, and they have been heralded as a ground-breaking, genre-bending phenomenon by international and local press alike. Live, the band is a veritable juggernaut. Their 2015 album, Moorka, includes several reworked folk songs the band learned from local virtuosos while touring in Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, and Macedonia. Each chestnut is spiked with the unique blend of funk, punk, psychedelia, blues, and swing that give LBO its signature sound. As at home in a speakeasy as a concert hall, the Lemon Bucket Orkestra has stormed the international scene with its irresistible brass-band mayhem.

Watch:LBO Promo Video | LBO Live
Traveling: 12 on stage, 1 technician
Technical specifications: No backline required | Stage Plot | Website | Facebook | Twitter
To book, contact: David Gaar | david@FreshenUpArts.com

In addition to presenting this artist, PAGE grants require at least one artist-involved community engagement activity; possibilities for this engagement can be found here.

Vox Sambou | Canada

Vox Sambou stands against a bright blue shipping container. He wears a black jacket, white shirt, sunglasses, and fedora.
Credit: Luz Vermelha.

Vox Sambou is an MC, poet, and multilingual performer who writes and performs in Creole, French, English, Spanish, and Portuguese. He is a founding member of Montreal-based hip-hop collective, Nomadic Massive. Vox has performed across North America, France, Chile, Brazil, Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso, Colombia, Morocco, and Spain. A Haitian-Canadian, his music focuses on the traditional rhythms of Haiti mixed with elements of Afrobeat, jazz, reggae, and hip-hop. Vox’s artistry is influenced by a strong commitment to calling out injustices and social imbalances. His message is one of great positivity that not only reflects the realities of life in Montreal as a Caribbean immigrant, but also the relationship between artists in the Americas.

Watch: “Lavi” |“Rezistans” | “My Rhythm” | Additional Clips
Traveling: Flexible depending on budget, 6-9 artists and 1 crew
Technical specifications: Tech Rider | Website | Facebook | Twitter
To book, contact: Juan Souki | juan.souki@odelia.live

In addition to presenting this artist, PAGE grants require at least one artist-involved community engagement activity; possibilities for this engagement can be found here.

William Prince | Canada

William Prince is dressed all in black. He stands in a field of yellow and brown foliage. The sky is full of white clouds behind him.

From ruminations on life and love’s treasures to tales of everyday heroes, the music of William Prince unfurls like a classic campfire story, midnight road-trip conversation, or dog-eared novel passed down through generations. This Juno Award-winning singer and songwriter evokes a journeyman spirit while delivering emotional heft with his dusky baritone. Born and raised on the Peguis First Nation of Manitoba, Canada, William has been honing his craft since the age of nine. He counts Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Charley Pride, Merle Haggard, and Willie Nelson among chief influences, but ultimately cites his preacher/musician father as the biggest inspiration. “My whole life I listened to my dad’s deep voice singing gospel,” he says. “In a sense, I make folk-country tunes inside of a gospel framework.” Each line carries stained-glass soul and the gusto to reach steeple-sized heights. As anticipation for his 2020 album builds, Prince has been busy touring, including engagements as opener for Neil Young in a run of shows, performing a slot at Stagecoach in the heart of California, and festival dates across North America.

This tour is no longer booking grant-supported engagements.

In addition to presenting this artist, PAGE grants require at least one artist-involved community engagement activity.

Silvana Estrada | Mexico
US Debut

Silvana Estrada sits on stage in a wooden chair with a small wooden table beside her. She wears a plaid dress and has a Cuatro across her lap as she sings into a boom microphone.

Xalapa’s Silvana Estrada has created a jazz-tinged species of indie folk that has quickly flown onto international radar. The explosive success of her first releases, paired with frequent collaborations with the likes of Natalia LaFourcade, Mon Laferte, David Aguilar, and beyond, have the young artist staged for greatness. “Every now and then, you’ll see a claim by some music writer, blogger, or critic, that the subject they are profiling is or will be ‘the voice of a generation.’ Well, even though I often try and not engage in hyperbole…I wish to proclaim Silvana Estrada as ‘one of Mexico’s greatest young talents and vocalists.’” – José Galvan for KCRW. Born in the state of Veracruz to two luthiers, Silvana grew up surrounded by music and literature. She began her studies at 16 at the local university’s jazz department and left school at 19 to record and perform in NYC with renowned guitarist Charlie Hunter. When she came back to Mexico, she plunged into the indie music scene in Mexico City. Accompanying herself on the Venezuelan cuatro, Silvana combines jazz, folk music from her Veracruz homelands, and smatterings of guapango, cumbia, and other Latin genres.

Watch: “Te Guardo” | “Sabré Olvidar”
Traveling: 2 artists, 1 technician, 1 staff
Technical specifications: Tech Rider | Website | Facebook | Twitter
To book, contact: Edwin Erazo | edwinerazo@me.com

In addition to presenting this artist, PAGE grants require at least one artist-involved community engagement activity; possibilities for this engagement can be found here.

THEATER

Seña y Verbo: Teatro de Sordos | Mexico
Music for Your Eyes

Three Actors stand onstage facing the audience. The one in the middle holds a drawing of a sheep. In the foreground, a conductor raises his baton.

For more than 25 years, Seña y Verbo: Teatro de Sordos (Sign and Verb: Theatre of the Deaf) of Mexico City has produced and internationally toured theater featuring deaf and hearing actors for audiences of all ages. Using a mix of Mexican sign language, pantomime, imagery, and puppetry, their work is grounded in cultural inclusion. The ensemble puts Deaf culture center stage in high-quality theater productions bolstered by seminars and cultural outreach workshops. Music for Your Eyes is born from the dialogue between two worlds: the world of silent images of the deaf and the seemingly intangible world of music—joined in a common language of theater. Suggestive of a small chamber orchestra, three deaf actors and a hearing director interpret four small stories inspired by music from some of the best-known composers of all time: Vivaldi, Bach, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn. Through the director, the actors strike up a conversation with the music—a seemingly impossible dialogue—that translates the essence of the musical language into the language of images and puppetry. Aimed at children between ages three and five, but enjoyed by the whole family, this play takes us to new worlds, all without the use of spoken language.

Watch: “Music for Your Eyes”
Traveling: 4 performers, 2 technicians, 1 staff
Technical specifications: Tech Rider | Facebook | Twitter
To book, contact: Mariol Arias | mariol_as@hotmail.com

In addition to presenting this artist, PAGE grants require at least one artist-involved community engagement activity; possibilities for this engagement can be found here.

Artist Selection

How artists are selected for the PAGE roster:

The 2020-2021 curation of the Performing Arts Global Exchange roster involves many voices. There is no application process for artists who wish to be included on the annual Performing Arts Global Exchange roster.

  1. Curators selected on an annual basis by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation (MAAF) and the National Endowment for the Arts (The Endowment,) provide artist roster suggestions. The curators have expertise inthe performing arts specifically in the selected roster countries.
  2. Then, MAAF staff and the National Endowment for the Arts review these nominations and select a reduced pool of nominated artists that best fit the program objectives. Consideration is given to broad geographic appeal, aesthetic variety, affordability, diversity and inclusivity.
  3. Next, feedback on these potential roster artists is gathered via an online survey of U.S. presenters.
  4. MAAF and the Endowment select the final roster, weighing presenter feedback and program goals.

Presenters who would like to provide feedback on the roster artists under consideration via survey should sign up for the MAAF newsletter or contact robyn@midatlanticarts.org.

The Curators:

Derek Andrews | Toronto, ON, Canada

As Artistic Director of the annual music conference Mundial Montreal, Derek assists with North American tour development, including Canada’s World Routes Network. He is also President of the Toronto Blues Society where he serves as Executive Director of the biennial Blues Summit, and has been a volunteer member of the recently formed Toronto Music Advisory Council and European Forum of Worldwide Music Festivals. As a concert organizer, Derek developed themed concert programming at Harbourfront Centre from 1986-2003, presenting 4,000 artists, and was Co-artistic Director of Toronto’s WOMAD festival from 1988-1992. Derek has presented seminars at industry conferences such as WOMEX and Folk Alliance International and has served on advisory committees for the Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, and the Canada Council.

Marcela Diez | Mexico City, Mexico

Diez Martínez has a long history as an arts manager and performing arts programmer. She recently became the coordinator of Comunidad CulturaUNAM at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México after many years at the Festival Internacional Cervantino, the largest arts festival in Latin America, where she recently served as General Director. After living in Belgium, the USA, Spain and Mexico, her life and career have always been intertwined with the arts. She was Managing Director of an art gallery in Barcelona, promoted Mexican artists in Europe, and after returning to Mexico, dedicated herself to the promotion and programming of the performing arts, including a long career at Festival Internacional Cervantino where she served as Programming Director from 2013-2018. She has a BA in Psychology and Graduate studies in Education.

Margo Kane | Vancouver, BC, Canada

Cree-Saulteaux performing artist, Margo Kane, is the Founder and Artistic Managing Director of Full Circle: First Nations Performanceand a leading figure in Aboriginal performing arts. For over 40 years, she has been active as an actor, performing artist, director and community cultural worker. She developed and runs the annual Talking Stick Festival, a music program, and an Indigenous Ensemble Program. Recently she was Artistic Director for the City of Vancouver’s Canada150+ summer festival; and has performedin Barcelona for the Grec Theatre Festival and at Arts Club Theatre in Vancouver.  Margo serves on the Board of the Canadian Arts Presenting Association (CAPACOA) and regularly participates in performing arts markets. She has received many awards and honors, including the Canadian Achievement Award from the National Capital Commission, a BC Film LEO Award, the Lorena Gale Woman of Distinction from the Union of BC Performers, and a Jesse Richardson Theatre Award.  In 2016, she received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of the Fraser Valley and, most recently, the Order of Canada from the Governor-General.

Juan Meliá | Mexico City, Mexico

Juan Meliá is Director of Theatre UNAM at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. He has worked both in public office and independent initiatives, notably as: Director of Cultural Promotion at the Universidad de Guanajuato and as General Director of the Cultural Institute of León, Guanajuato, where he participated as one of the initiators of the  International Festival of Contemporary Art (FIAC) and founding member of the Contemporary Art Gallery ARTE3. Recently, he served as National Theater Coordinator of the National Institute of Fine Arts in Mexico (INBAL) where he developed projects such as Muestra Nacional de Teatro, Programa Nacional de Teatro Escolar, Feria Nacional del Libro Teatral and the programming of the  Scenic spaces of the Centro Cultural del Bosque, en la Ciudad de México. He has also served as the Mexican representative and Intergovernmental Committee President of IBERESCENA, coordinator and representative of the National Institute of Fine Arts, for the Fiscal Encouragement to the National Theater Production (EFITEATRO), and Executive Secretary of the National Fund for Culture and the Arts (FONCA) of the Secretaría de Cultura de México.

For Presenters

COVID-19 Coronavirus: We recognize this is a fluid and rapidly developing situation. At this time, organizations are encouraged to apply to MAAF programs as normal. Applications can be withdrawn at any point without any penalty or negative impact on future applications. Our goal is to provide maximum flexibility to applicants and grantees. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your program officer.

To learn more about the program and how to receive a grant, please
see program guidelines. For your convenience, guidelines are available in both
PDF and Word formats below.

Download PAGE Guidelines as a PDF (link opens in a new window)

Download PAGE Guidelines as an accessible Word document (click link to download)

Current Grantees & Tours

2020-2021 Performing Arts Global Exchange Grantees

Come back soon! A full schedule of all grant-supported tour dates will be available in July 2020.

Manage Your Grant

COVID-19 Coronavirus: As you know, this is a rapidly evolving situation, and we recognize the need to be flexible.  We recognize that out of an abundance of caution, grantees may need to cancel grant-supported engagements or activities. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Director of Operations, Phillip Harmon, or the MAAF program officer handling your specific grant program or activity to discuss your concerns or options. You can find staff contact information here.  Please be assured we will not penalize grantees for canceling grants due to COVID-19 coronavirus considerations and will be as flexible as we can within the limits of our own funder limitations.

Virtual Engagement Guidance

As arts presenting organizations evolve in response to a changing landscape, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation will continue to take a flexible approach to our program policies during this time. While we believe that live, in-person performances are hard to replace, we are also open to adaptive approaches that will ensure continued access to these arts experiences. Therefore, we are glad to announce the following policy for virtual engagements as an option for our grantees to fulfill their public performance and community engagement activity requirements.

Please read the full guidance document to understand the requirements of presenting your funded engagement as a virtual presentation. We have also included links to a few resources that may help you guide your decisions around virtual presentation.

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Virtual Engagement Guide as a PDF (link opens in a new window)
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Virtual Engagement Guide as an accessible Word document (Click link to download)

Changes in Project Proposal

Any changes in the content, schedule, or budget of your project as proposed must be submitted in writing for approval prior to being implemented. Requested changes must be submitted to Phillip Harmon, Director of Operations, at phillip@midatlanticarts.org.

Funding Acknowledgement and Crediting

Acknowledgement and Crediting requirements were included as Exhibit A of the Grant Award Agreement.

Grantees must clearly acknowledge support from Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation through use of both the credit language and logo as outlined below. Use of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation logo does not replace the credit language. Copies of the required crediting materials must be submitted as part of the final report.

Credit and Logo Usage Details

The following statement and the PAGE logo, and where space permits, the logos of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts MUST appear in all programs, websites and press releases produced by the funded organization or its agents in relation to the funded project. In addition, the following statement and the PAGE logo should be included whenever possible, either jointly or separately as necessary, in all flyers and postcards, email communications, season brochures, social media posts and calendars, and any other print or electronic promotional and publicity materials produced by the funded organization or its agents in relation to the funded project.

  • This statement must be used in its entirety and cannot be altered in any way:
This engagement of [ARTIST] is funded through Performing Arts Global Exchange a program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

Website Link

Grantees are required to include a link to the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation website at https://www.midatlanticarts.org when crediting Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation on their website. This link must remain active during the entire length of your grant period with MAAF. You are requested, but not required, to embed the link in MAAF’s logo.

Final Reports

Final report requirements and instructions are included as Exhibit B of the Grant Award Agreement.

Grantees are required to submit a final report which is due thirty (30) days after the end of the grant period on record as listed in the Grant Award Agreement.

Final reports are completed online using the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation’s eGRANT system at https://midatlanticarts.egrant.net.  Please read the instructions in the eGRANT system carefully.

Final reports are completed online using the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation’s eGRANT system at https://midatlanticarts.egrant.net.  Please read the instructions in the eGRANT system carefully.

The account used to submit the Common Information Form for the grant must be used to complete the final report. If you do not remember your login and/or password, please use the link on the eGRANT login page to retrieve the information.

For questions about your grant and the crediting or final reporting requirements, contact Phillip Harmon, Director of Operations, at phillip@midatlanticarts.org or 410.539.6656 x109.

Southern Exposure: Performing Arts of Latin America
Joan Soriano is performing on stage and the crowd is in front dancing. There are three guitarist and two percussionists on stage in front of red spiral lighting. The people on the dance floor all dancing as couples and holding hands.

Joan Soriano performing in Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’ David Rubenstein Atrium through Southern Exposure: Performing Arts of Latin America 2018. Credit: Kevin Yatarola.

Southern Exposure is a national initiative that brings exemplary contemporary and traditional performing arts from Latin America to audiences across the United States. The program provides fee support to nonprofit presenters who book artists on a curated roster that changes annually.  Funded engagements include public performances and complementary activities that provide audiences with a greater appreciation for the artists’ work and of the cultures from which the work is derived.

Southern Exposure: Performing Arts of Latin America is being sunset and will not be announcing any future grantees following the conclusion of the 2019-2020 tours. Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation is partnering with the National Endowment for the Arts to continue to support presenters nationwide interested in programming international artists. Learn more about Performing Arts Global Exchange.

Visit the Southern Exposure website at https://southernexposurearts.org/ for more information.

Special Presenter Initiatives
About
Large group of dancers wearing all white on a white stage with red background lighting. Many dancers are mid motion, and are gathered closely together interacting with each other.

Vincent E. Thomas and the What’s Going On company performed with local dancers at the Christiana Cultural Arts Center in Delaware with support from the 2018 Special Presenters Initiatives program. Photo: Wendell Raulston, Jr.

The Special Presenter Initiatives program provides funding to small and mid-size presenting organizations in Delaware, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and West Virginia. The program supports presenting projects with professional touring artists and ensembles from anywhere worldwide. The supported projects include performances as well as community engagement activities that enhance the performance experience and offer meaningful exchanges between touring artists and a presenter’s community.

Nonprofit presenters can request matching grants for up to two projects per annual cycle. Presenters in DC, DE, and WV can request up to $2,000 per project, and up to $5,000 per project for presenters in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Questions regarding Special Presenter Initiatives should be directed to Haowen Wang, Program Officer, Performing, Arts, at haowen@midatlanticarts.org.

The Special Presenter Initiatives program is made possible through the support of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Regional Touring Program.

Guidelines

COVID-19 Coronavirus: We recognize this is a fluid and rapidly developing situation. At this time, artists are encouraged to apply to MAAF programs as normal. Applications can be withdrawn at any point without any penalty or negative impact on future applications. Our goal is to provide maximum flexibility to applicants and grantees. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your program officer.

For presenters based in Delaware, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and West Virginia:

Guidelines

The guidelines below are for information purposes only.  The deadline for the 2020-2021 program was April 3, 2020.

Download 2020-2021 Special Presenter Initiatives Guidelines as a PDF (link opens in a new window)
Download 2020-2021 Special Presenter Initiatives Guidelines as an accessible Word document (click link to download)

Download a preview copy of 2020-2021 Special Presenter Initiatives Application as a PDF (link opens in a new window)
Download a preview copy of 2020-2021 Special Presenter Initiatives Application as a as an accessible Word document (click link to download)

Matching Grant to Present Indigenous Performing Artists

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation (MAAF) is pleased to partner with the Western Arts Alliance’s Advancing Indigenous Performance (AIP) Touring Fund, a new grant opportunity for presenters of Indigenous performing artists.

Non-profit presenters in the mid-Atlantic region receiving funding through MAAF’s touring programs such as ArtsCONNECT for a project featuring Indigenous artists can receive up to a dollar-to-dollar matching grant from the AIP Touring Fund.

For more information, click here.

Current Grantees

2019-2020

All schedules are subject to change. Please check with the performance venue for times and ticket information.

Delaware

10/18 – 19/2019 Coastal Concerts Brasil Guitar Duo (NY)
11/3/2019 Grand Opera House Cashore Marionettes (PA)
11/8 – 9/2019      Christina Cultural Arts Center Ajoyo (NY)
1/17 – 18/2020    Coastal Concerts Tom Gallant and Tesla Quartet (NY)
1/22 – 24/2020 Delaware Art Museum Black Iris Project (NY)
2/23/2020 The Grand Opera House Dan Zanes + Claudia Eliaza (NY)
3/28/2020 Wilmington Winter Bluegrass Festival David Parmley and the Cardinal Tradition (TN)
3/28/2020 Wilmington Winter Bluegrass Festival Sideline (NC)

District of Columbia

7/1/2019 CapitalBop Linda Oh (NY)
10/2 – 7/2019 Dance Place Slowdanger (PA)
4/17 – 18/2020     Dumbarton Concerts PUBLIQuartet (NY)
5/5 – 10/2020   Dance Place Unit Souzou (OR)
5/5 – 6/2020 Washington Performing Arts Emanuel Ax (NY)
6/15 – 30/2020 Building Bridges Across the River Glas(s) Performance (Scotland)

U.S. Virgin Islands

1/15 – 18/2020   The Forum Julian Gargiulo (NY)
4/2 – 4/2020 The Forum Brooklyn Rider (NY)
4/3/2020 St. John School of the Arts Brooklyn Rider (NY)

West Virginia

9/12 – 20/2019   Carnegie Hall Carlene Carter (TN)
9/26/2019 Beckley Concert Association Cynthia Sayer and Joyride (NY)
10/11 – 12/2019 Pocahontas County Opera House Local Opera Local Artists (TX)
10/15/2019 ArtsLink Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience (LA)
11/2/2019 FOOTMAD Bruce Molsky (NY)
11/14/2019 ArtsLink Trout Fishing in America (AR)
3/1/2020 Carnegie Hall      Danú (Ireland)
3/15 – 21/2020   Pocahontas County Opera House Ceara Conway (Ireland)
Manage Your Grant

COVID-19 Coronavirus: As you know, this is a rapidly evolving situation, and we recognize the need to be flexible.  We recognize that out of an abundance of caution, grantees may need to cancel grant-supported engagements or activities. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Director of Operations, Phillip Harmon, or the MAAF program officer handling your specific grant program or activity to discuss your concerns or options. You can find staff contact information here.  Please be assured we will not penalize grantees for canceling grants due to COVID-19 coronavirus considerations and will be as flexible as we can within the limits of our own funder limitations.

Virtual Engagement Guidance

As arts presenting organizations evolve in response to a changing landscape, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation will continue to take a flexible approach to our program policies during this time. While we believe that live, in-person performances are hard to replace, we are also open to adaptive approaches that will ensure continued access to these arts experiences. Therefore, we are glad to announce the following policy for virtual engagements as an option for our grantees to fulfill their public performance and community engagement activity requirements.

Please read the full guidance document to understand the requirements of presenting your funded engagement as a virtual presentation. We have also included links to a few resources that may help you guide your decisions around virtual presentation.

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Virtual Engagement Guide as a PDF (link opens in a new window)
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Virtual Engagement Guide as an accessible Word document (Click link to download)

Changes in Project Proposal

Any changes in the content, schedule, or budget of your project as proposed must be submitted in writing for approval prior to being implemented. Requested changes must be submitted to Phillip Harmon, Grants and Operations Officer, at phillip@midatlanticarts.org.

Funding Acknowledgement and Crediting

Acknowledgement and Crediting requirements were included as Exhibit A of the Grant Award Agreement.

Grantees must clearly acknowledge support from Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation through use of both the credit language and logo as outlined below. Use of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation logo does not replace the credit language. Copies of the required crediting materials must be submitted as part of the final report.

Credit and Logo Usage Details
The following statement, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation logo and [your State arts agency] logo MUST appear in all programs, websites and press releases produced by the funded organization or its agents in relation to the funded project. In addition, the following statement and the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation logo should be included whenever possible, either jointly or separately as necessary, in all flyers and postcards, email communications, season brochures, social media posts and calendars, and any other print or electronic promotional and publicity materials produced by the funded organization or its agents in relation to the funded project.

  • This statement must be used in its entirety and cannot be altered in any way.

This engagement of [ARTIST] is made possible through the Special Presenters Initiative program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the [your State arts agency].*

Website Link
Grantees are required to include a link to the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation website at https://www.midatlanticarts.org when crediting Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation on their website. This link MUST remain active during the entire length of your grant period with MAAF. You are requested, but not required, to embed the link in MAAF’s logo.

*Projects are also supported by our State partners. Please refer to the specific crediting requirements and language in your Grant Award Agreement to ensure you provide proper crediting for your project.

Final Reports

Final report requirements and instructions were included as Exhibit B of the Grant Award Agreement.

Grantees are required to submit a final report which is due thirty (30) days after the end of the grant period on record as listed in the Grant Award Agreement.

Final reports are to be completed online using the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation’s eGRANT system at https://midatlanticarts.egrant.net.  Please read the instructions in the eGRANT system carefully.

The account used to submit the application for the grant must be used to complete the final report. If you do not remember your login and/or password, please use the link on the eGRANT login page to retrieve the information.

For questions about your grant and the crediting or final reporting requirements, contact Phillip Harmon, Grants and Operations Officer, at phillip@midatlanticarts.org or 410.539.6656 x109.

Deadlines

ArtsCONNECT

CLOSED:The application deadline for ArtsCONNECT was Wednesday, March 25, 2020 for projects taking place between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021.

Go to ArtsCONNECT…

Jazz Touring Network

CLOSED: The deadline for the Jazz Touring Network Membership application was August 30, 2019.

Go to Jazz Touring Network…

Mid Atlantic Tours

CLOSED: The 2020-2021 Mid Atlantic Tours Roster booking deadline was February 28, 2020 for engagements taking place between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021.

Go to Mid Atlantic Tours…

Performing Arts Global Exchange

The 2020-2021 Performing Arts Global Exchange Roster booking deadline has been extended until Sunday, May 31, 2020, for engagements taking place between August 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021.

Go to Performing Arts Global Exchange…

Special Presenter Initiatives

CLOSED: The application deadline for the Special Presenter Initiatives was Friday, April 3, 2020 for projects taking place between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021.

Go to Special Presenter Initiatives…