CALT Experiences Grants
Introduction
Central Appalachia Living Traditions (CALT) Experiences grants fund public-facing projects and events in Appalachian counties of Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia that bring community members together around traditional arts and cultural knowledge.
Funded projects will encourage broad public awareness, understanding, and appreciation of living traditions and/or grow and disseminate artistic skill and cultural knowledge within the community.
Non-profit organizations and individual folk and traditional artists/practitioners may apply. To be eligible, you must reside/be based in an Appalachian Regional Commission-designated county in Ohio, Virginia, or West Virginia.
The majority of project activities must take place within ARC-designated counties. Eligible project activities may include:
- hands-on learning experiences/workshops
- public art projects
- exhibitions
- performances or performance series
- film/video
- radio broadcasts or podcasts
- archival collections or fieldwork with a significant public-facing component
Grant support range: $1,000 – $10,000.
There is no match requirement for this program.
This year, at least 85% ($8,500) of CALT Experiences funds must be used for specific, direct project costs. Up to 15% ($1,500) may be used for indirect costs in support of your or your organization’s day-to-day needs. Use of funding for indirect costs is encouraged, but not required.
Eligibility and Schedule
Eligibility
To receive a CALT Experiences grant, you must be:
- An individual traditional artist/practitioner OR
- A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, unit of state or local government, or federally recognized Tribal government
- Fiscal sponsorship is not allowed for this program.
- Located in a county designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission in Ohio, Virginia, or West Virginia.
- In good standing with Mid Atlantic Arts, with no overdue or outstanding required reports and/or grant documents.
Organizations may not apply for a Central Appalachia Living Traditions Experiences grant in the same year as either of the following Mid Atlantic Arts grant programs:
Schedule
- Wednesday, December 3, 2025: Online application available
- Thursday, January 8, 2026, 2:00pm ET: CALT Experiences Grants: The Basics Webinar | Register Here
- Wednesdays, 1:00pm-2:00pm ET, Jan. 14, Jan. 21, Feb. 4, Feb. 11, Feb. 18, Feb. 25, Mar. 4, Mar. 11, Mar. 18: Open Office Hours | Join
- Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 11:59pm ET: Application deadline
- Thursday, June 18, 2026: Decision notification
- July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027: Funded project period
Guidelines and Application
Review the guidelines below.
Guidelines and Webinar Recording
- Download the 2026-2027 Central Appalachia Living Traditions: Folk & Traditional Arts Experiences Guidelines as a PDF (link opens in a new window)
- Download the 2026-2027 Central Appalachia Living Traditions: Folk & Traditional Arts Experiences Guidelines as an accessible Word document (click link to download)
Display caption
A group of people work at a table set up in an outside pavilion prepping food for fermenting.
See the 2026 CALT Folk and Traditional Arts Experiences Grantees.
Panelists
For this program, Mid Atlantic Arts works with a panel of independent reviewers to recommend applications for funding. To be considered as a panelist for this and other programs, complete our Panelist Interest Form. You only need to complete the form once to be considered for multiple programs. Click here to access the Panelist Interest Form.
