Meet the 2026
Black Appalachian Storyteller Fellows! | |
We're thrilled to announce the 2026 Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellows!
This Central Appalachia Living Traditions program, in partnership with the National Association of Black Storytellers (NABS) and South Arts, honors and promotes the understanding of Black Appalachian storytelling traditions that embody the history, heritage, and culture of African Americans in the region. The National Association of Black Storytellers awards one Fellowship per year in Appalachian Regional Commission-designated counties of each of the six eligible states: Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Fellows receive $5,000 in unrestricted funding, a unique physical award created by a Black Appalachian artist, and NABS membership during their award year. The 2026 Fellows will be honored at the 44th annual “In The Tradition...” National Black Storytelling Festival and Conference in Warwick, Rhode Island. They are also invited to present at the 2027 Festival and Conference. Each Fellow will receive a physical award created by Virginia gourd carver and instrument maker Dr. Dena Jennings.
The 2026-2027 Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellows are:
Kentucky
LeAnna T. Luney (Berea)
North Carolina
Lucretia VanDyke (Kings Mountain)
Ohio
Maureen Cadogan (Portsmouth)
Tennessee
Rita Lorraine Hubbard (Chattanooga)
Virginia
Lorenzo "Baba-C" Calendar II (Allegheny County)
West Virginia
Ron Scott, Jr. (Wheeling)
| Image: (Left to right): Lorenzo “Baba-C” Calendar II; LeAnna T. Luney; Maureen Cadogan; Lucretia VanDyke; Ron Scott, Jr.; Rita Lorraine Hubbard. Credit: Courtesy of the artists. | Presenters - We Need To Hear From You! | |
Help Select Touring Artists from Poland and Ukraine
The Performing Arts Global Exchange (PAGE) grant program will support tours in the U.S. of artists from Poland and Ukraine in 2027 and 2028. We need your help in selecting the five music, dance, and theater artists that will be on the touring roster. Review the survey below of possible artists and submit by November 9 to let us know which artists you are most excited by and would consider booking. Presenters from across the U.S. that book an artist from the finalized roster can receive a grant of up to 50% of the artist fee.
| Images (left to right): Gordiy Starukh. Credit: Courtesy of the Artist; I Love Ballet. Credit: Pat Mic; CLAP & SLAP. Credit: Martynas Norvaišas. | MAA Stories: The Devil and Glen Doyle | |
What would it be like if you saw the infamous Jersey Devil on a motorcycle ride? Our latest MAA Story is written by Dax Ebaben, a South Jersey-raised horror fanatic and film writer.
In this piece, Dax shares a fictionalized account of his uncle's encounter with the Jersey Devil. If you love this spooky season, you'll love this New Jersey story.
Former New Jersey State Council on the Arts Individual Artist, Sahana Ramakrishnan, illustrated this story.
| National Council on the Arts Public Meeting and Grants Workshop | |
Join the National Endowment for the Arts on Thursday, October 29, 2026, for the 220th meeting of the National Council on the Arts (NCA).
Taking place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this meeting will focus on National Endowment for the Arts-supported projects and initiatives honoring America’s 250th anniversary.
In addition to remarks by National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Mary Anne Carter on ways the National Endowment for the Arts has marked the 250th anniversary, this meeting will include a presentation and educational performance of “Our Jazz Story” from the Keystone Jazz Septet, directed by drummer Marko Marcinko and featuring Duane Eubanks, Nelson Hill, Bill Smith, Steve Rudolph, John Shannon, and Paul Rostock. With America 250 support from Pennsylvania Creative Industries and the National Endowment for the Arts, Keystone Jazz Orchestra is planning a five-city tour this fall celebrating Pennsylvania’s jazz legacy, with performances and immersive historical storytelling.
The meeting will also feature a conversation with the directors of two National Endowment for the Arts-supported Research Labs—Drexel University's Girija Kaimal and Akron Children's Hospital’s Nicole Robinson—who are studying how the arts can be used to improve care for children with chronic illnesses.
This meeting is free and open to the public; reserve your seat on the Kimmel Center’s website. The meeting will also be available through a live webcast at arts.gov.
Preceding this meeting, the National Endowment for the Arts will also host a grants workshop. Join to learn more about the Arts Endowment’s grant opportunities and the process for applying for federal grants to support art projects. Staff from Creative Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Creative Industries, and Mid Atlantic Arts will also join to share information on additional grant opportunities to support artists and arts organizations. This workshop is free and open to the public; reserve your seat on the Kimmel Center’s website.
This event will be recorded. Visit arts.gov/Grants for more information on the National Endowment for the Arts' grant opportunities.
| Mid Atlantic Arts at Conferences! | |
Conference season is upon us! We'll be at the following gatherings this fall. You can catch Mid Atlantic Arts at:
| | |
DEADLINE EXTENDED!!! 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 November 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:
-
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.
| |
-
Virginia Humanities at UVA Wise is accepting applications for UVA Wise Grants, which will amplify stories from across Southwest Virginia and illustrate the ways humanities bring communities together to foster dialogue and understanding. Supported engagements can include community forums, oral history projects, festivals and interpretive performances, research, and more.
Deadline: Saturday, October 31, 2026. Learn more here.
-
The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation is accepting proposals in its program areas of arts and humanities, community services, education, environment, and health and wellness. Most of the Foundation's grants are for general operating support, though some project-specific support is also offered. Deadline: Sunday, November 1, 2026. Learn more here.
-
The Staten Island Foundation is accepting applications for grants serving Staten Island residents. 501(c)3 organizations dedicated to improving the quality of life on Staten Island through focus areas of health, education, arts and culture, and community services are welcome to apply.
Deadline: Monday, November 2, 2026. Learn more here.
-
Harford County Cultural Arts Board is accepting applications for its FY2027 Access Arts Grants to enhance arts experiences for youth, senior, disabled, and other underserved populations in Harford County. Nonprofit organizations that are incorporated in Maryland and receive tax-exempt status from the US Internal Revenue Service, whose principal place of business is in Harford County are eligible to apply.
Deadline: Sunday, November 15, 2026. Learn more here.
-
Women's Studio Workshop (WSW) is accepting applications for the Artist's Book Residency Grant, an eight-to ten-week residency for artists to produce a limited edition book work. The grant includes a stipend of $350/week, up to $1000 for materials, up to $250 for travel within the Continental US, free onsite housing, and 24/7 studio access. WSW can provide technical advice; training on new equipment, techniques, and materials; and production assistance.
Deadline: Sunday, November 15, 2026. Learn more here.
-
First Peoples Fund (FPF) is accepting applications for The 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 $2500 for individual Native artists and culture bearers. First Peoples Fund (FPF) finds it essential to support artists in their times of need, especially when their work is impacted by sudden hardship.
Deadline: rolling. Learn more here.
-
The Hopper Prize is accepting applications for its bi-annual series of individual artist grants. Unrestricted cash grants of $4,500 and $1,000 will be provided to visual artists around the globe who demonstrate serious commitment to their work. Artists can submit works in all media, at any stage of their career. Deadline: Tuesday, November 17, 2026. Learn more here.
| | Image: Sandra Gumuzzio, Gerardo Gudino, José Cheo Oliveras, Mario Mattei, Eva Cristina Vasquez, Fernando Gazzaniga, & Karmele Aranbur, awaiting word from the King, regarding La Monja's fate at a La monja alférez production at a USArtists International engagement. Credit: Edna Lee Figueroa. | | | | |
