//South Arts accepting application for three major programs for artists

South Arts accepting application for three major programs for artists

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ATLANTA – South Arts announces three major programs are accepting applications for southern artists and art organizations.

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For 50 years, South Arts has been at the forefront of nurturing the rich artistic tapestry of the Southeast, serving Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, and Mississippi. Each year, the regional arts organization serves its region with a curation of funding initiatives aimed at invigorating a region that, historically, has been overlooked in terms of arts funding. Despite the South receiving merely 50% of the national average—just a quarter of what the Northeast enjoys—it remains a vibrant hub for cultural expression.

That said, supporting the region’s artistic landscape is more important than ever. Right now, three major programs remain open to applications for artists and arts organizations and before the application deadlines hit, I wanted to be sure these opportunities were on your radar. Dropping a brief recap of each program below: 

  • Southern Prize & State Fellowships: This flagship program awards 18 artists across the region—nine visual and nine literary—with each receiving a $5,000 State Fellowship. Additionally, select artists will earn the Southern Prize, which includes a prestigious residency and an additional $25,000 cash award.
  • Cultural Sustainability: Grants totaling over $1.14 million will support 12 arts organizations that are deeply embedded in communities of color throughout the Southeast, ensuring their ongoing influence and endurance.
  • Southern Arts Relief & Recovery Fund: In response to the devastation caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, this fund provides rapid-response micro-grants starting at $500, with the final amounts still being determined.

Applications Deadlines:

  • Southern Prize & State Fellowships: Open through February 12, 2025
  • Cultural Sustainability: Open through February 5, 2025
  • Southern Arts Relief & Recovery Fund: Open indefinitely


Established in 2017, the Southern Prize and State Fellowships program was designed to fill a gap in regional funding for artists across all disciplines. In 2023, South Arts expanded this program by introducing new support for the literary traditions and innovations emerging from the American South. With this expansion, $80,000 is awarded to nine visual artists and nine literary artists from the South Arts region—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Each artist receives a $5,000 State Fellowship, with two recipients also receiving the Southern Prize, which includes a residency at an artist retreat.

The Southern Arts Relief & Recovery Fund is an emergency grant initiative that was introduced to provide unrestricted financial support toward regional artists affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and is now transitioning to addressing medium to long-term challenges faced by the arts and culture sector in disaster recovery. In partnership with Alternate ROOTS, Mid Atlantic Arts, and National Performance Network (NPN), this initiative will support individual artists impacted in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Grants starting at $500 for artists, with the final funding amount in development, will be distributed by South Arts in all states, except for North Carolina, where distribution will be coordinated by local partners Arts AVL and the North Carolina Arts Council.

Cultural Sustainability, a new grantmaking initiative launched by South Arts in November 2024, will continue accepting applications through February 5th, 2025. Across South Arts’ nine-state region, 12 organizations will be awarded with general operating grants totalling more than $1.14 million. In partnership with The Wallace Foundation, Cultural Sustainability launches as part of a national $6.6 million program offered by the six U.S. Regional Arts Organizations (USRAOs), acknowledging the invaluable contributions arts and cultural organizations of color make in our communities and the broader cultural landscape.