Emerging Traditional Artists Program
Submit an application as an emerging traditional artist demonstrating high skill and commitment to your art form to receive up to $5,000 in funding, participate in professional development workshops, and receive peer mentorship.
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Get matched →- Deadline
- 47 days left
- Entry fee
- Not listed - check the source
- Award
- $5,000
- Exhibition window
- Jan 1, 2027 → Jun 30, 2027
- Applicants notified
- Dec 1, 2026
About
Overview
The Emerging Traditional Artists Program (ETAP), a component of In These Mountains and expanded for FY27, recognizes and supports emerging traditional artists demonstrating high skill, commitment, and leadership in their traditional art form. South Arts will fund 24 artists total: 12 from the Central Appalachia region, 6 from Delta Regional Authority counties, and 6 from Native American communities.
Key Dates
- Application Open: July 15, 2026
- Application Deadline: September 30, 2026
- Awardees Notified: December 1, 2026
- Award Period: January 1, 2027 - June 30, 2027
Eligibility
- Reside in an Appalachian Regional Commission-designated county in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee; OR
- Reside in a Delta Regional Authority-designed county in Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, or Tennessee; OR
- Be a member of a state or federally recognized Native American tribe
Traditional Art Forms
Traditional arts may include foodways, material culture (handcraft), storytelling, music, and other forms. Examples include overshot weaving, Cherokee basketry, Memphis jookin dancing, Mardi Gras Indian suiting, Catawba pottery traditions, quilting, traditional Vietnamese medicine, and Guatemalan embroidery traditions.
Awards
Selected ETAP artists receive $5,000 awards with limited restrictions to support learning opportunities including training, networking, and promotion. Funding can support online education, travel to network with other leaders, courses, software/hardware for building online presence, or other learning opportunities determined by the awardee.
Professional Development
In addition to cash awards, selected artists participate in virtual networking and team-building workshops with other ETAP awardees at no cost and are paired with a mentor from a previous ETAP cohort. Awardees must sign a letter of commitment expressing intention to attend two virtual workshops and one in-person convening.
Program Goals
ETAP builds long-term relationships between traditional artists across the region by creating a cohort of emerging artists committed to advancing folk and traditional arts, encouraging artists to advocate for their traditions, and deepening understanding of public arts support.
- Award
- $5,000 awards to support learning opportunities including training, networking, and promotion
- Theme
- Support for emerging traditional artists in folk and traditional art forms including foodways, material culture/handcraft, storytelling, music, and other cultural practices transmitted orally or by observation within families, communities, and ethnic heritage groups.
- Eligibility
- Emerging traditional artists residing in ARC-designated counties in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee; Delta Regional Authority counties in Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, or Tennessee; or members of state or federally recognized Native American tribes.
- Audience
- Emerging traditional artists in Central Appalachia, Delta Regional Authority, and Native American communities
Every listing links to the organizer's official page. Always confirm deadlines, fees, and entry rules there before you apply.