South Arts taking apps for BIG opportunities

#SCartists and BIPOC arts leaders take note

Top view image of Graphic designer working table flat lay with painting/drawing equipment, color, paintbrush, pencils, white blank paper, coffee cup, keyboard, keyboard and potted plant on it.

Two recurring opportunities by South Arts are now open for applications as of August. If either apply to you, well, you don’t want to miss out. Here’s what we know.


Leaders of Color Fellowship

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Wednesday, August 31, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. ET

The LoCF is a strategic leadership development program for Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) leaders in our region who are committed to the advancement of cultural equity in the arts. Using a cohort structure, the program has emphasized experiential learning, community building, and service to the field.

Since 2010, and for the past two years in partnership with South Arts, the Western States Arts Federation’s (WESTAF) Emerging Leaders of Color (ELC) program has promoted diverse, representative leadership and equity in the arts field by supporting the leadership of more than 100 arts leaders of color. A direct result of recommendations made to WESTAF from arts and culture leaders and advocates from across the region, this work is articulated through our Leaders of Color Fellowship program and on an ongoing basis with the Leaders of Color Network.

Click here for information on the Leaders of Color Fellowship.


Southern Prize and State Fellowships

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday, October 10, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. ET

The South Arts Southern Prize and State Fellowships acknowledge, support, and celebrate the highest quality artistic work being created in the American South. The program is open to individual artists living in the South Arts region: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. South Arts is committed to practices and funding that create greater cultural equity, represent the diversity of our region, are inclusive of diverse voices and artistic expression, and are accessible to everyone.

Nine State Fellows (one per state) will be selected through a two-tiered selection process by a national jury; each State Fellow receives an award of $5,000 and will be included in a touring exhibition opening late summer 2023. A second national jury will select the Southern Prize winner and finalist, receiving an additional $25,000 and $10,000 respectively as well as a residency at the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences. Jurors will make their selections based on artistic excellence that reflects and represents the diversity of the region.