USArtists International Announces Over $500,000 in Grants

USArtists International Announces Over $546,000
in Support of 50 Artists and Ensembles
in Engagements Worldwide

Largest Grant Round in History of the Program

Color photo of two dancers in the midst of a tango lunge on stage. In the background musicians can be seen.

Baltimore – July 26, 2022 – Mid Atlantic Arts has announced grants totaling $546,670 to 50 solo performing artists and ensembles in support of the third round of the 2021-2022 USArtists International (USAI) program. This marks the largest disbursement of grant funds during a single round in the history of the USAI program. The selected artists and ensembles will perform at 66 different festivals on six continents. The grantee pool is composed of 54% first-time grantees for the USArtists International program. This round also marks the inclusion of USAI grantees performing in Botswana for the first time. 

USAI supports in-person and virtual performances by U.S. artists at engagements at international festivals and global presenting arts marketplaces outside of the United States. The program funds individuals and ensembles across all performing arts practices and disciplines.

Mid Atlantic Arts is committed to the development and expansion of both the careers and artistic goals of U.S. performers by providing connections to audiences, presenters, curators, and their peers through the USAI program. By elevating the voices that reflect a vibrant array of creative expression, we are able to celebrate and share the diversity and imagination of the United States.

USAI is a program of Mid Atlantic Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Mellon Foundation, and the Trust for Mutual Understanding. It is the only program of its kind in the United States, and since its inception in 2006, has awarded over $9.3 million in support.

The next deadline for USAI is Thursday, September 1, 2022 for projects taking place between December 15, 2022 and December 14, 2023.

Grantees include 29 music, 10 dance, and 11 theater/interdisciplinary companies and solo performers that showcase a diversity of styles within their disciplines and include:

In addition to building audiences and professional connections, USAI also helps to cover costs that make international touring possible. Illinois-based jazz artist Jon Irabagon received support to travel to the American Spring Festival in Czechia in June 2022. In his final report he said, “I received an offer to play the American Spring Festival in Prague, but their festival budget was not enough to include any international travel expenses. Without additional funding, the invitation for the prestigious Czech festival would have been passed on. With the help of USArtists, I was able to make the Rebellion(s) performance a reality. The project and its timeliness means a lot to us involved, and any chance to get this music/speeches out into the world is welcome. However, as the festival represents American angles of expression, I was even more keen on finding a way to make this performance possible. USArtists International was essential in this process, allowing all the musicians involved to receive travel expenses as well as a fee that is deserved for their exquisite musicianship and attention to detail. Further, as the American Spring Festival performance was solidified, other festivals and venues in France and Germany wanted to bring the group to their locations, resulting in a short tour for the group where there wasn’t one before.”

USAI grantees are selected through a panel process. Mid Atlantic Arts convened two panels to review the Round Three applicants on May 24 and 25, 2022. Both the Dance/Theater and Music panels consisted of experienced artists and arts professionals as well as a lay-panelist. For a complete list of panelists, please click here.

Image: Leonardo Suarez Paz’s PIAZZOLLA 100 traveled to the Centennial of Astor Piazzola Festival in Argentina in March 2022 with support from USAI. Here they perform the Suarez Paz in “El Nuevo Tango.” Credit: Manuel Pose Varela.

About Mid Atlantic Arts 
Mid Atlantic Arts supports artists, presenters, and organizations through unique programming, grant support, partnerships, and information sharing. Created in 1979, Mid Atlantic Arts is aligned with the region’s state arts councils and the National Endowment for the Arts. We combine state and federal funding with private support from corporations, foundations, and individuals to nurture diverse artistic expression while connecting people to meaningful arts experiences within our region and beyond. To learn more about Mid Atlantic Arts visit www.midatlanticarts.org.

About the National Endowment for the Arts
Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States. Learn more at www.arts.gov.

About the Mellon Foundation
The Mellon Foundation is the nation’s largest supporter of the arts and humanities. Since 1969, the Foundation has been guided by its core belief that the humanities and arts are essential to human understanding. The Foundation believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity, and that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence, and freedom that can be found there. Through our grants, we seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. Learn more at mellon.org.

About the Trust for Mutual Understanding
The Trust for Mutual Understanding awards grants to American nonprofit organizations to support direct exchange in the arts and the environment between professionals from the United States and TMU’s geographic region: the Baltic States; Central Asia; Central, East, Southeast Europe; Mongolia; and Russia. www.tmuny.org

Contact:
Karen Newell
Director, External Affairs
Mid Atlantic Arts 
karen@midatlanticarts.org
410.539.6656 x104