Artist Opportunities March - June 2026
- agaskins4
- 31 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Artist Opportunities Overview:
Funding:
South Arts State Fellowships - $5k
(Fee-Waiver Request Deadline 3.11)
South Arts Southern Prize - $25k & $10k
(Fee-Waiver Request Deadline 3.11)
Artist Creative Practice - $500 / $3k
(Applications close April 30)
Jazz & Human Connection - $40k
(Deadline 5.1)
Jazz Road Legacy Residencies - $40k
(Deadline 5.1)
Arts in Rural Places - $3k
(Open on rolling basis)
Education:
Upstart Program For Creatives
(Application Deadline 3.14
Call for Art:
Jerry Long YMCA Mural
Invitation for whole community to join
April 18 and 26
Winston-Salem Rooted
Associated Artists Gallery
(Deadline May 19)
UPSTART PROGRAM FOR CREATIVES
upstART is a free, hands-on program built specifically for artists, crafters, artpreneurs, and product-based creatives who want to strengthen the business side of what they do. We know talent isn’t the issue. Access, structure, and strategy often are. That’s what this program is designed to support. About the Program upstART is a two-day interactive workshop rooted in the book Who Owns the Ice House? We focus on developing entrepreneurial mindset (ownership thinking, resilience, problem solving) while also covering practical business topics like branding, pricing, sales, and vendor readiness. This is not a lecture-style program. It’s interactive, practical, and designed to help you walk away with clarity and next steps. At the end of the program, participants will have the opportunity to vend at a local public market to apply what they’ve learned. Workshop materials, vending fees, and a small booth setup stipend are fully covered. Program Details • Friday, March 20th | 3:30 PM – 7:30 PM • Saturday, March 21st | 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM We’re looking for creatives who are actively building and ready to commit to both days. If you’re an artist who wants to grow the business behind your craft, or if you support creatives and know someone who would benefit from this, please share this opportunity with them. Application Deadline: Friday, March 13th at 11:59 PM EST Apply here: https://forms.gle/1LEyBdYqX4WB5kkK6
Email any questions to Mandez Douthit, Programs Manager, HUSTLE Winston-Salem.
SOUTHERN PRIZE AND STATE FELLOWSHIPS FOR VISUAL ARTS
SOUTH ARTS STATE FELLOWSHIPS: $5,000
The South Arts State Fellowship (state fellowship) is a state-specific prize awarded to artists whose work reflects the best of the visual arts in the South. A national jury will select one awardee per eligible state, based on artistic excellence that reflects and represents the region’s array of artistic expression. Each of the nine-state fellowship awardees will receive a $5,000 state fellowship and will compete for one of the two Southern Prizes. State fellowship recipients will be required to attend the awards ceremony in late summer 2026.
Important Dates & Deadlines
Application Relaunch in Salesforce: February 10, 2026
Deadline to Submit a Fee-Waiver Request: March 11, 2026
Application Deadline: March 18, 2026
Informational Webinar: Watch here.
SOUTH ARTS SOUTHERN PRIZE: $25,000 AND $10,000
The nine-state fellowship recipients will compete for the Southern Prize. The $25,000 Southern Prize will be awarded to the artist whose work demonstrates the highest artistic excellence, and a runner-up will be awarded a $10,000 Prize. Both Southern Prize recipients will also receive a two-week residency at The Hambidge Center in Rabun Gap, GA. A separate national jury will convene to evaluate the body of work represented by the nine-state fellowship recipients and select the Prize winner and finalist. Winners of the Southern Prize will be announced at the awards ceremony.
Important Dates & Deadlines
Application Relaunch in Salesforce: February 10, 2026
Deadline to Submit a Fee-Waiver Request: March 11, 2026
Application Deadline: March 18, 2026
Informational Webinar: Watch here.
ARTIST CREATIVE PRACTICE
South Arts recognizes the importance of professional development in building artists’ careers. Even with stipends or payments, overall expenses can make participating in these opportunities inaccessible. South Arts offers Artist Creative Practice Grants (formerly Individual Artist Career Opportunity Grants) to ensure that artists from our region can take advantage of a variety of career enhancing opportunities.
The Artist Creative Practice Grant supports a variety of professional development opportunities including milestone activities in an artist's career that will likely lead to substantial career growth.
Grants up to $3,000 are available for opportunities taking place between November 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026.
Important Dates & Deadlines
Minimum/Maximum Grant Request | $500/$3,000 |
Grant Period | November 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026 |
Applications Open | July 16, 2025 |
Applications Close | April 30, 2026 |
Applications Due | Rolling Deadline with final applications due no later than 11:59PM, April 30, 2026. |
Applicant Notifications | Applications will be reviewed for funding decisions on a 2-month cycle. |
Activities Start Date | On or After November 1, 2025. |
Activities End Date | On or Before June 30, 2026. |
JAZZ & HUMAN CONNECTION
Grants: $40,000 | Applications Open: February 16, 2026
Residencies must take place between July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027
Residencies should explore the theme of Jazz & Human Connection, whether through artistic creation, meaningful community engagement, or a combination of both. These projects are meant to deepen an artist’s creative practice and amplify the social power of jazz through connection, storytelling, and shared experience.
Important Dates & Deadlines
Applications Open: February 16, 2026
Deadline: May 1, 2026
Notification: June 2026
Grant Period: July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027
Jazz Road Legacy Residencies: Honoring Artists Who Carry the Story - For Jazz Artists Age 55+
Grants: Up to $40,000 | Applications Open: February 16, 2026
Residencies must occur between July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026
Jazz Road Legacy Residencies celebrate the artists who have shaped the sound, story, and spirit of jazz over decades. Designed for artists age 55 and older, these residencies provide time, space, and support to reflect, create, and share your artistic legacy on your own terms.
Important Dates & Deadlines
Applications Open: February 16, 2026
Deadline: May 1, 2026
Notification: June 2026
Grant Period: July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027
ARTS IN RURAL PLACES
Grants: Up to $3000 | Applications Open: July 16, 2025 on Rolling Basis
Projects must take place between October 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026
South Arts believes that rural, isolated, and small communities deserve access to the arts, and this requires specialized support to make that vision viable. Arts in Rural Places Grants are an opportunity for organizations in South Arts' nine-state region to receive artist fee support to engage Southern guest film directors, traditional, visual, and performing artists, or writers from inside or outside of the presenter's state.
Community Mural Painting
Associated Artists of Winston Salem
We want you. We need you. AAWS, along with Clemmons community members, will be painting a mural at the Jerry Long Family YMCA on April 18 and 26. On these two days, we invite you to paint a mural in the community.
Sign up by sending an email to skwimbish@gmail.com.
Call For Art: Winston-Salem, Rooted
Associated Artists of Winston Salem
Milton Rhodes Center, Associated Artists Gallery
Deadline: May 19, 2026
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