Open call for applications through December 2, 2024.
Atlanta, GA — October 15, 2024 — South Arts is excited to announce the next cycle of grant opportunities, including the launch of a new Literary Arts Grant program. This new initiative offers writers, independent publishers, and small presses in the Southeastern region project-based grants of up to $5,000. In addition to the Literary Arts Grant, South Arts is now accepting applications for its annual Jazz Road Tours and the Southern Prize and State Fellowship programs.
Since 1975, South Arts has been committed to supporting and showcasing the talents of Southern artists. While each program has its own focus, they all share a common goal: to enrich the cultural landscape of the region.
Jazz Road Tours, organized by South Arts with support from the Doris Duke Foundation and the Mellon Foundation, provides approximately 50 jazz artists annually with grants ranging from $5,000 to $15,000. These grants help cover a portion of tour expenses, closing the pay gap between artists and presenters, and may include costs like venue and travel fees, equitable pay, management, coordination, childcare, and promotion. Applications for this cycle will close on December 1, 2024, with the next cohort of recipients to be announced in early 2025.
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 new Literary Arts Grant program builds on South Arts’ dedication to nurturing the literary arts community. By offering support to both writers and publishers, with a particular emphasis on small, independent presses, South Arts recognizes the critical role that literary arts play in shaping the cultural and historical fabric of the region. These grants will support projects across various categories, including the creation and publishing of creative literary work, community engagement, and professional development.
“From Maya Angelou to William Faulkner, and Natasha Trethewey to Zora Neale Hurston, our region has been home to some of the most influential literary voices in history,” said Susie Surkamer, South Arts President and CEO. “Our goal is to continue that tradition by directly supporting emerging voices in the field and bolstering opportunities for their community to thrive.”
South Arts' Literary Arts Initiatives are made possible with support from Southern First Bank, the Warner Fund, the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, and other generous donors. Applications for both the Literary Arts Grant and the Southern Prize and State Fellowship for Literary and Visual Arts are open through December 2, 2024, with award announcements in Spring 2025.
For more information on eligibility and additional opportunities from South Arts, please visit 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.
Press Inquiries
Rachel Roberts
Account Executive, Cultural Counsel
rachel@culturalcounsel.com
Flannery Strain
Account Coordinator, Cultural Counsel
flannery@culturalcounsel.com
Jay Douglas
Account Coordinator, Cultural Counsel
jay@culturalcounsel.com