Meet the Central Appalachia Living Traditions Emerging Traditional Artists Program Grantees! | |
We're excited to announce the inaugural recipients of our Central Appalachian Living Traditions (CALT) Emerging Traditional Artists Program (ETAP) grant! This program provides Appalachian traditional artists with resources to take their creative practice to the next level. Program funds are intended to support an important learning opportunity for each awarded artist. Such learning opportunities may include: travel to meet with other practitioners or mentors, research related to their art form, engaging professional services, and more. Awarded artists also will participate in personalized, cohort-based professional development, including virtual workshops and an in-person gathering in Spring 2027.
Mid Atlantic Arts' Central Appalachia Living Traditions (CALT) initiative is a multi-part program that invests in communities, seeds new folk and traditional arts experiences, and honors underrecognized practitioners of Central Appalachian traditions. CALT serves the counties of Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission.
The awarded artists are:
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Dante Radysh Bowman (Edmond, WV) - Greenwood artist
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Margaret Bruning (Elkins, WV) - Farm-to-fiber weaver
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Miciah Connors (Nickelsville, VA) - Traditional greenwood artist
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Lu Crochet (Edmond, WV) - Hide tanner and fiber artist
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Toni Doman (Bristol, VA) - Weaver and fiber artist
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Aristotle Jones (Osage, WV) - Singer, songwriter, storyteller, and Appalachian Soul Man
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Isaac McCarthy (Gerrardstown, WV) - Neo-traditional stringband musician and educator
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Jesse Miles (Elkins, WV) - Appalachian musician
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Nicole Musgrave (Glouster, OH) - Quilter and folklorist
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Domenica Queen (Elkins, WV) - Creative re-use fiber artist
| Image (Left to right, top to bottom): Nicole Musgrave, Credit: Fischer Wallace; Miciah Connors, Credit: John Ryan Lee; Toni Doman, Credit: Billie Wheeler; Aristotle Jones, Credit: Rafael Barker Photography; Margaret Bruning, Credit: Poe Run Craft and Provisions; Lu Crochet, Credit: Courtesy of the Artist; Jesse Milnes, Credit: Randy Bozarth, Deep End Sessions; Dante Bowman, Credit: Lu Crochet; Isaac McCarthy, Credit: Lauren Bowlin; Domenica Queens, Credit: Elisa Cevallos, South Breeze Photography. | | |
REMINDER!!! There's still time for arts service organizations to participate in the 2026 National ASO Survey! This is a first-of-its-kind effort to collect information on arts service organizations operating in the United States today.
It’s a part of a multi-phase research study by ADC Consulting called Understanding Arts Service Organizations in a Changing Arts Ecosystem, which aims to understand the role, impact, and ongoing evolution of ASOs.
The knowledge generated through this research will be open data and belong to and benefit the field, helping organizations, artists, and arts workers better find, understand, advocate for, and support one another. You can learn more about the research by visiting consultingadc.com/asoresearch or by checking out this recent blog in the GIA Reader, Arts Service Organizations: Invisible Infrastructure in an Era of Retrenchment.
The survey will collect responses until October 9, 2026.
SURVEY RESOURCES & TOOLS
● Take the survey
● Download a copy of all the questions
● Find the FAQs
● Explore the raffle prizes you can win by taking the survey
● Register for a Survey Taking Party
NEXT STEPS
● Take the survey!
● Spread the word by sharing this research with your networks:
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Share the 2026 National ASO Survey webpage consultingadc.com/2026nationalasosurvey
- Forward this email to your contacts.
● Subscribe to ADC Consulting’s newsletter to learn more about future phases of the research.
| | Regional Performing Arts Program Webinar | | |
Mid Atlantic Arts will host an informational session on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 from 2:30- 3:30pm ET to share updates on our program reimagining process.
In this session, we will describe new and revised programs funded through Mid Atlantic Arts' partnership agreement with the National Endowment for the Arts, to be offered by Mid Atlantic Arts for programming taking place in 2028- 2029 and beyond. We will share the research and rationale behind changes, communicate information about the new and revised programs, share important dates to hold, and have plenty of time for questions.
We are excited to share these updates with you and hope you can join us. All registrants will receive a recording following the session, along with the slide deck, so even if you're not able to attend "live", you can still sign up to receive the info shared.
| | Image: Mary Halvorson's Amaryllis, Live at Arden Gild Hall during a Jazz Touring Network engagement. Credit: Joe Del Tufo. | | Apply to be a Mid Atlantic Tours Roster Artist! | |
Iber-American artists, we've got an opportunity for you! You can apply to be part of our Mid Atlantic Tours artist roster.
Mid Atlantic Tours brings exemplary performing arts ensembles to communities across the mid-Atlantic region. Thanks to a special collaboration between Mid Atlantic Arts and Ibermúsicas, selected artists will receive support to develop touring opportunities in the mid-Atlantic region.
For the 2027-2028 roster, we are looking for artists and ensembles who:
- Are from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, or Portugal.
- Have letters of invitation from non-profit venues in at least 2 states in the Mid Atlantic Arts’ region (DE, DC. MD, NJ, NY, PA, PR, USVI, VA, WV).
- Have a tour agent based in the US or Canada to manage details of the tour.
View all the guidelines and apply at Ibermúsicas' website.
Deadline: Thursday, October 1, 2026.
The roster will be announced in November 2026.
Questions? Email Andrew Alness Olson, Program Director, International.
| Image: Orchestra of Indigenous Instruments and New Technologies performs at Pro-Art in Wise, VA. Credit: Michael McNulty. | Mid Atlantic Arts at Fall Conferences! | |
Conference season is upon us! We'll be at the following gatherings this fall. You can catch Mid Atlantic Arts at:
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The Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region is accepting proposals for the Amazon Rappahannock Region Community Fund. This program awards $350,000 to nonprofit organizations serving Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline, Culpeper, and Louisa Counties in Virginia. Proposals should address general focus areas of: STEM Education, Sustainability & Environment, Community Development, Digital Skills, Cultural Heritage Preservation, and Health & Wellbeing.
Deadline: Monday, September 21, 2026. Learn more here.
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The Huntington Arts Council is accepting applications for its bi-monthly Community Impact Micro Grants. These grants support creative programming that strengthen and inspire communities in Nassau or Suffolk Counties in New York. Every other month, funding is awarded to two Individual Artists and two Non-Profit Organizations making an impact through the arts.
Deadline: Friday, September 25, 2026. Learn more here.
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The Baltimore Community Foundation is accepting applications for the Eddie C. and C. Sylvia Brown Family Foundation Grant Program. The Brown Family Foundation was established at the Baltimore Community Foundation in 1994 as a vehicle for the family to support charitable organizations addressing needs in the areas of health, the arts, and K-12 education. The Brown Family Foundation will consider grants that have direct impact on the African American community in the Baltimore metropolitan area. The typical grant award is $5,000. Deadline: Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Learn more here.
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Vermont Studio Center (VSC) is accepting applications for its Visual Arts Residencies. There are several fellowship opportunities, including the Clowes Family Foundation Fellowship for BIPOC artists, the Dohrn Zachai Fellowship for female visual artists aged 65 and older, a First Timer Fellowship, and more. This open call will fill residencies from July 2027 to December 2027.
Deadline: Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Learn more here.
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The Hampton Roads Community Foundation is accepting applications for the Harry F. Wall Memorial Fund and Mary E. & Curtis M. Chappell Jr. Fund. The Harry F. Wall Memorial Fund helps high schools on the Virginia Peninsula. The Mary E. and Curtis M. Chappell Jr. Fund supports arts and humanities activities on the Virginia Peninsula. Grants range from $1,000 to $1,200 for arts and $5,000 to $10,000 for high schools.
Deadline: Thursday, October 1, 2026. Learn more here.
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Lighthouse Works is accepting applications for its Fellowship Program in Fishers Island, NY. Fellowships are six weeks in length, occur year-round and provide fellows with housing, food, studio space, and $1,750 in financial support. Artists at any stage of their career are encouraged to apply.
Deadline: Thursday, October 1, 2026. Learn more here.
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First Peoples Fund (FPF) is accepting applications for its monthly Yéego Action Grant, which provides support for the growing landscape of Native artists and culture bearers who need financial assistance with a specific professional opportunity or towards a hardship that is hindering their creative practice. This program offers grants up to $2,500 for individual Native artists and culture bearers. Applications are due on the 10th of every month.
Next deadline: October 10, 2026. Learn more here.
| | Image: Manual Cinema's ArtsCONNECT engagement at SUNY Oswego. Credit: James Russell. | | | | |
