Atlanta, GA — January 15, 2025 — South Arts is pleased to announce the upcoming cycle of grant opportunities for three key initiatives: Accessibility Grants, Jazz Roads Tours, and Jazz Road Creative Residencies. In addition, South Arts is extending the application deadline for its pilot Southern Prize and State Fellowship program.
Since 1975, South Arts has been committed to supporting and showcasing the talents of Southern artists. While each program has its own focus, each shares a common goal: to enrich the cultural landscape of the region. These grant opportunities streamline direct support for artists and arts organizations to sustain and grow their practices.
“Going into this new year, we carry a renewed commitment and vigor to promote the rich artistic heritage of the South, at a time when matters of accessibility and arts funding are even more critical,” said Susie Surkamer, South Arts President and CEO. “From childcare to travel and accessibility accommodations, these programs are designed to offer creative practitioners an opportunity to wholly dedicate themselves to their work. In turn, recipients will have expanded access to a wide array of projects, including educational workshops, public performances, and cultural celebrations.”
In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), South Arts’ Accessibility Grant program offers up to $2,500 to help organizations make arts programs accessible to individuals of all abilities and backgrounds in their communities.
This program supports nonprofit arts organizations across the South Arts nine-state region: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Eligibility extends to a wide range of organizations, including community cultural groups, museums, performing arts presenters, theater companies, and visual and music arts organizations.
As part of the four-year Jazz Road initiative, a national program led by South Arts in partnership with five other Regional Arts Organizations (USRAOs), Jazz Road Tours supports jazz artists nationwide in organizing three-to-six-site tours at a variety of venues, with a particular focus on rural communities and areas traditionally underserved by the genre.
Each year, Jazz Road Tours awards grants ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 to approximately 50 artists. These grants help offset tour expenses, bridging the pay gap between artists and presenters and may cover costs such as venue fees, travel, equitable pay, management, coordination, childcare, and promotion.
Another key component of the broader Jazz Road initiative, Jazz Road Creative Residencies enhances jazz artists’ livelihoods by supporting creative residencies in communities across the nation. These grants range from $5,000 to $40,000 and are awarded directly to artists. The program aims to eliminate financial barriers, enabling professional jazz artists to focus on their creative practice, artistic growth, and community engagement.
Both Jazz Road Tours and Jazz Road Creative Residencies are supported by the Doris Duke Foundation and the Mellon Foundation.
Alongside these, the Southern Prize and State Fellowship deadline for applications has been extended. This flagship program annually awards 18 artists across the region—nine visual and nine literary—with each receiving a $5,000 State Fellowship. Additionally, select artists will be awarded the Southern Prize, which includes a prestigious residency and an additional $25,000 cash award.
Applications for these programs are currently open with deadlines as follows:
- Southern Prize and State Fellowship for Visual and Literary Arts: Open through February 12, 2025.
- Accessibility Grants & Jazz Road Tours: Open through March 5, 2025.
- Jazz Road Creative Residencies: Open through April 2, 2025.
For more information on eligibility and additional opportunities from South Arts, please visit www.southarts.org.
About South Arts
South Arts advances Southern vitality through the arts. The nonprofit regional arts organization was founded in 1975 to build on the South’s unique heritage and enhance the public value of the arts. South Arts’ work responds to the arts environment and cultural trends with a regional perspective. South Arts offers an annual portfolio of activities designed to support the success of artists and arts providers in the South, address the needs of Southern communities through impactful arts-based programs, and celebrate the excellence, innovation, value and power of the arts of the South. For more information, visit www.southarts.org.
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