CALT Emerging Traditional Artist Program | | |
We're excited to announce a new Central Appalachia Living Traditions (CALT) program: The Emerging Traditional Artist Program (ETAP)! This program supports Central Appalachian traditional artists looking to take their practice to the next level. Artists should be in the early stages of their practice and demonstrate a strong commitment to their traditional art form.
Funds from ETAP are intended to support an important learning or growth opportunity for each awarded artist. Some of these opportunities can include:
- Travel to meet other practitioners/potential mentors
- Travel to an invited opportunity to learn, present, exhibit, or perform
- Enroll in an in-person or virtual class, workshop, or apprenticeship
- Research related to your traditional art form
- Purchase supplies and equipment needed for new work
- Rent practice or recording space
- Purchase software/services to build an online presence or enhance marketing
And more!
Artists will also take part in personalized, cohort-based professional development, including virtual workshops, connecting with peers, and an in-person gathering in Spring 2027.
Application Deadline: Thursday, April 30, 2026.
View a full program schedule and guidelines on our website.
| | Delaware Division of the Arts Individual Artist Fellows | | |
The Delaware Division of the Arts (DDOA) announced the 2026 recipients of their Individual Artist Fellowships. This year, 27 artists were selected among musicians, writers, folk artists, visual artists, and media artists.
The awards span three categories: $12,000 for the Master Award, $8,000 for the Established Professional Award, and $5,000 for the Emerging Professional Award. A total of $184,000 was awarded -- a 20% increase from last year!
The flexible fellowship funding helps cover costs of materials, studio time, rehearsal space, and work time. Fellows will showcase their work through public exhibits and performances in the upcoming year. Keep up with the artists on the DDOA website!
| | Appalachian Foodways Practitioner Fellows | |
We're so thrilled to announce the 2026 CALT Appalachian Foodways Practitioner Fellows! These fellowships honor, celebrate, and support foodways tradition bearers in Central Appalachia who have made significant contributions to sustaining and supporting the foodways heritage of their communities.
Each Fellow receives $5,000 in unrestricted funding and a unique physical award created by an Appalachian traditional artist. The Fellows are also honored each year at the Appalachian Studies Association Annual Conference.
This year's fellows are:
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Keyarna “Chef Ke” Frederick - Appalachian and Soul Food chef, culinary entrepreneur, and community food advocate (Dunbar, WV)
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Siara Benoit and Takia Gaylord, Kinfolk Heritage Farm - Growers, land stewards, and keepers of ancestral culinary and birth practices (Mathias, WV)
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Candace and Lucas Wiggin, Maple Grove Farm of Afton - Third-generation farmers and small-batch maple syrup producers (Afton, TN)
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Jasmine Thompson - Naturalist, conservationist, environmental storyteller, founder of the Woolbank Conservancy (Crawford County, PA )
This program is a part of our Central Appalachian Living Traditions initiative, in partnership with Grow Appalachia and the Appalachian Studies Association.
Stay tuned to learn more about the Appalachian Foodways Practitioner Fellowship on our website.
| International Touring Impact Stories | |
Did you know we have a video series from past USArtists International (USAI) grantees? The USAI page on our site hosts them. Check it out for testimonials about the impact touring internationally has had on their relationships, work, and career.
You can view the videos here.
Want to share your own story about international touring? Contact Andrew Alness Olson, Program Director of International Programs, at andrew@midatlanticarts.org.
Plus, in case you missed it, we have videos of webinars for artists looking to tour globally. These webinars cover topics from navigating international festivals to partnering with the U.S. embassy. View the webinars here.
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Mid Atlantic Arts will be attending the annual AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs) Conference for the first time ever! This year’s conference will take place at the Baltimore Convention Center from March 4-7. Come connect with us at Booth 505! We’ll have featured author book signings, books by staff and board members, and more.
We’re also partnering with CityLit Project on what is sure to be an incredible off-site event: Hard Times Require Furious Dancing. Register here for free!
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The second annual Philly Jazz Month is just around the corner in April! Through month-long, citywide programming and shows, Philly Jazz Month 2026 is more than a celebration—it’s a movement. With electrifying performances and dynamic educational programs, this citywide initiative unites communities, uplifts local artists, and keeps Philadelphia’s jazz heritage alive.
You can support Philly Jazz Month by making a donation or by becoming a sponsor!
Learn more about sponsorship opportunities here.
| Save the Date! Poetry Out Loud 2026 | |
Poetry Out Loud 2026 is right around the corner and you are invited!
The 2026 Poetry Out Loud National Finals will take place on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University in DC. Come cheer on your state's student champion or stop by for an amazing night of FREE poetry recitation!
Fifty-five state and jurisdictional champions will complete in the semifinal rounds on April 28th, and nine finalists will continue to the National Finals on April 29th. Admission to the semifinals and National Finals is free and open to the public - tickets are not required. Both events take place at Lisner Auditorium and will be streamed live.
The national champion will receive a $20,000 cash prize. Second-and third-place finalists will receive $10,000 and $5,000 awards.
Poetry Out Loud is a recitational poetry competition and program of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) with support from Mid Atlantic Arts. The Poetry Out Loud National Finals are administered by Mid Atlantic Arts.
See you in DC for Poetry Out Loud 2026!
| The Web That Never Breaks: The Seeds of West African Folklore in US Virgin Island Storytelling | |
This Black History Month, we are honored to share stories of cultural resilience through West African folklore in the Caribbean.
Our latest blog post is written by Torhera Durand, an author and community leader dedicated to the cultural and economic growth of the U.S. Virgin Islands and the wider Caribbean. She self-published her first children's book, How Anansi Spun Madras, in 2023.
This blog post dives into the folk hero and trickster Anansi, also known as Anansi the Spider or Bro Nansi. "The Web That Never Breaks" celebrates how stories from the Ashanti and Akan people of West Africa form the bedrock of culture and identity in the Virgin Islands, providing, as Torhera puts, it, "a masterclass of morality and wisdom, sprinkled with just enough room for a deep belly laugh."
Read our latest Folk and Traditional Arts blog post to celebrate the deep roots of West African culture that has been embedded in the Caribbean for centuries.
And if you like it, you can buy a copy of How Anansi Spun Madras here!
| More Open Program Applications | |
USArtists International
USArtists International (USAI) supports in-person performances by artists from any state or territory in the U.S. at engagements at international festivals, global presenting arts markets, and other eligible engagements outside of the United States. The program funds individuals and ensembles across all performing arts practices and disciplines.
Deadline: Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Learn more and apply here.
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CALT Experiences
Central Appalachia Living Traditions (CALT) Experiences supports public-facing projects and events in Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)-designated counties of Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia that bring community members together around traditional arts and cultural knowledge. 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
Deadline: Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Learn more and apply here.
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Mid Atlantic Tours
Mid Atlantic Tours brings exemplary performing arts ensembles to communities across the mid-Atlantic region. Non-profit presenters located in the Mid Atlantic Arts grantmaking region can book an artist from an annually-curated roster and receive grant support of up to 50% of the artist fee. Presenters work directly with the Roster Artist’s Tour Agent to negotiate terms, including public performance dates and community engagement activity plans.
Booking Deadline: Monday, March 23, 2026.
Learn more and apply here.
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Mid Atlantic Presenter Initiatives
The Mid Atlantic Presenter Initiatives (MAPI) program supports performing arts presentations with artist subsidies to presenters. The program is open now and accepting applications until April 30, 2026 for projects taking place between September 1, 2026- December 31, 2027.
Watch a recording of the MAPI webinar here.
Sign up for MAPI office hours to ask your questions:
Reach out to Program Director, Performing Arts & Accessibility Coordinator Sarah Lewitus with any questions: slewitus@midatlanticarts.org.
Deadline: Thursday, April 30, 2026.
Learn more here.
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Folk and Traditional Arts Community Projects Grants
Folk and Traditional Arts Community Projects grants fund projects that support the vitality of traditional arts and cultures in the mid-Atlantic region. Non-profit organizations in DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, USVI, PR, or WV may apply.
Eligible project activities may include performances, public art collaborations, workshops/trainings, exhibitions, fieldwork/documentation, and creation of new traditional work. Mid Atlantic Arts encourages projects that support or engage underserved or underrepresented artists, practitioners, traditions, or constituents.
Deadline: Thursday, April 30, 2026.
Learn more and apply here.
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The Northern New York Community Foundation is accepting applications for its Grants For Good program. Each Grants for Good opportunity features focus areas for nonprofit organizations to select that will help determine a project’s alignment with community need and available funding to support the request. Examples of focus areas include, but are not limited to: Arts and culture, basic human needs, support for children and families, community and neighborhood development, historic preservation, health and wellness and more. Deadline: Friday, February 20, 2026. Learn more here.
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The New York Foundation for the Arts is accepting applications for the Incubator for Executive Leaders of Color. This program provides six months of free leadership development and community support to 18 executive-level arts administrators in NYC. The program supports leaders who are uniquely positioned to influence the culture and operations of their organization, informed by guest workshop facilitators from BIPOC communities. The program will take place from April to October 2026. Deadline: Wednesday, February 25, 2026. Learn more here.
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Furthermore invites applications for nonfiction book publishing grants. Grant awards range from $1,500 to $12,000; funds may be applied to specific publication components such as writing, research, editing, indexing, design, illustration, photography, and printing and binding. 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible to apply. Deadline: Sunday, March 1, 2026. Learn more here.
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Arts Council of the Valley is accepting proposals for the Spraygrounds Public Art Project. This project seeks proposals for original, non-AI-generated artistic design submissions for three works of art – a mosaic, an archway and freestanding sculpture(s) – to be installed at the Spraygrounds at Harrisonburg, VA's Ralph Sampson Park. Deadline: Sunday, March 15, 2025. Learn more here.
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The Vilcek Foundation invites applications for grants to support nonprofits working with immigrants. The grants will support nonprofits that work with immigrant communities to promote diversity in the arts, sciences, education, or through the provision of social services. Deadline: Thursday, April 30, 2026. Learn more here.
| | Image: Luedji Luna performs at the 2024 Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival for a Performing Arts Global Exchange engagement. Credit: Eternal Lens Media. | | | | |
