Arts in Rural Places

Program Description

South Arts believes that rural, isolated, and small communities deserve access to the arts, and this requires specialized support to make that vision viable. Distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis, Arts in Rural Places Grants support rural and isolated communities (communities that are geographically isolated or isolated due to socioeconomic factors, outmigration, education gaps, and/or lack of infrastructure) as well as small cities with populations of 50,000 people or less with expedited grants of up to $3,000. To be eligible for funding, applicants must program arts experiences featuring a Southern artist. The project must include at least two in-person or live, virtual public activities.     

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. Artist fee support is awarded for: 

• film (documentary, fiction, experimental, and animation),  
• traditional arts (music, dance, storytelling, and visual arts/crafts),  
• visual arts (crafts, drawing, experimental, painting, photography, sculpture, and mixed media),  
• performing arts (theater, music, opera, musical theater, and dance), and  
• literary arts (fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry).  

Projects require at least two public-facing activities that offer access to arts programming by Southern artists. Projects must include both a public presentation (a film screening, performance, reading, or exhibition) and an educational/community engagement activity (a workshop, demonstration, lecture, facilitated discussion, or master class). Based on the artist fee, the maximum request is $3,000. The grant requires a dollar-for-dollar cash match (for example, an applicant that requests $3,000 must provide a $3,000 cash match for a project with a $6,000 artist fee).   

New applicants are encouraged to contact Program Director  Nikki Estes at 404-874-7244 x816 to discuss eligibility before applying.

All program funding is contingent on the availability of funds for the program. In the event that a program is terminated, grant awards will not be made, and applicants could have to return unspent funds.   

Important Dates and Deadlines

• Applications open on April 15, 2026 and are accepted on a rolling basis. 
• Applications must be submitted at least 60 days prior to the project start date. 
• Applicants will be notified by email within four weeks of submission. Please note that Arts in Rural Places Grants are subject to funding availability. 
• Projects must take place between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027. 

Eligibility Requirements

The following is a top-level list of the main eligibility requirements necessary to be considered for an Arts in Rural Places Grant. Please refer to the full list of eligibility requirements in the Guidelines section below.   

• Be a tax-exempt  nonprofit or an official unit of local, county, or state government based within South Arts' nine-state service area (AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, or TN)  
  • Ineligible applicants include:  
    • Organizations based outside of AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, or TN  
    • Fiscally sponsored organizations  
    • For-profit businesses or organizations  
    • Individual artists  
• Be in a rural, isolated, or small community (these are communities that are geographically isolated, communities isolated due to socioeconomic factors, outmigration, education gaps, and/or lack of infrastructure, or cities with populations of 50,000 people or less)  
• Engage a professional artist or ensemble who resides within South Arts' nine-state service area (AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, or TN)  
• Have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)  
• Provide a dollar-for-dollar cash match  

A full list of eligibility criteria and other project requirements is provided in the guidelines below.

Guidelines

While preparing your Arts in Rural Places Grant application, please refer to the following guidelines: 

Eligibility

• Only organizations in rural and isolated communities (communities that are geographically isolated or isolated due to socioeconomic factors, outmigration, education gaps, and/or lack of infrastructure), or in small cities with populations of 50,000 people or less are eligible for this grant program.  
• Only 501(c)(3) nonprofits and governmental organizations in South Arts’ nine-state region are eligible to apply. South Arts’ nine-state region includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Applicants can include but are not limited to community cultural organizations, community centers, churches, schools/colleges/universities, libraries, artist ensembles, producing and presenting organizations, museums, film festivals, and visual and performing arts centers. Producing organizations and artist ensembles are strongly encouraged to contact South Arts to discuss eligibility.   
• Applicants must have 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, tax-exempt status; be an official unit of local, county, or state government; or be a federally recognized tribal community. Applications are accepted from any tribal community with not-for-profit, tax-exempt status. For nonprofit applicants, tax-exempt status will be verified by a third-party entity. Governmental applicants must provide proof of government status. South Arts does not accept applications from fiscal agents for this grant program.  
• Applicants must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Applications will not be accepted from organizations that do not have a UEI. Obtaining your UEI could take a minimum of 30 days. Read more about how to obtain a UEI.  
• Eligible projects must take place in South Arts' nine-state region. Unless there are special circumstances, projects should occur in the applicant's state (please contact South Arts to discuss special conditions).  
• Eligible projects must include the engagement of a guest artist or company (i.e., a film director, traditional artist, visual artist, performing artist/ensemble, or writer) that resides in South Arts' region. The engagement must include a guest artist that resides inside or outside of the applicant's state. A guest artist/company is defined as an artist/company that (a) is contracted by the applicant to deliver services or activities ) and (b) does not have a professional or personal affiliation with the applicant or conflict of interest. An applicant will be considered to have a conflict of interest when the contracted artist and/or applicant:  
  • includes the applicant or the applicant’s spouse, minor, child, partner, or family member;  
  • serves as an officer, director, trustee, agent, partner, or employee of the applicant/nonprofit organization; and/or  
  • has a relationship that might compromise the integrity of the project and its use of funds.  
• Supported disciplines include film (documentary, fiction, experimental, and animation); traditional arts (music, dance, storytelling, and visual arts/crafts); visual arts (crafts, drawing, experimental, painting, photography, sculpture, and mixed media); performing arts (theater, music, opera, musical theater, and dance); and literary arts (fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry).  
  • Need help finding a Southern artist? View artists who have been supported by South Arts in the past or look through our State Arts Agency partners' rosters.  
• FY27 Arts in Rural Places Grant recipients are not eligible for the FY27 Arts in Community grant program.  
• Organizations currently receiving South Arts funding are not eligible to receive additional funding for the same artist engagement project.  
• Applicants are limited to one Arts in Rural Places Grant application per South Arts fiscal year or grant cycle.  
• Applicants who have failed to comply with the grant terms and conditions by the application deadline for this program will not be considered for funding from this grant program until they have completed a conversation with Program Director Nikki Estes. This includes applicants who did not properly acknowledge South Arts' AND the National Endowment for the Arts' support in programs/press materials for any previous South Arts grant or applicants who did not submit the final report for any previous South Arts grant.
   

Guidelines

• Arts in Rural Places Grant applications must be submitted online at least 60 days prior to the project start date.  
• The project must take place between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027.  
• The project must include both a public presentation (a film screening, performance, reading, or exhibition) and an educational/community engagement activity (a workshop, demonstration, lecture, facilitated discussion, or master class).   
• The public presentation must meet the following requirements:  
  • For a public reading, a minimum of 30 minutes of presentation by the writer is required.  
  • For a public performance, a minimum of 60 minutes of performance by the artist/company is required.  
  • For a public film screening, a minimum of 40 minutes of running time (this may include a full-length film or a collection of shorts) with the film director is required.  
  • For a public exhibition, a minimum of two hours of showing/exhibit time with the artist is required.  
• The educational/community engagement component should be a minimum of 30 minutes and is not limited to student participants. Although presentations at conferences and school-focused presentations, which primarily engage students (whether happening at the school or another venue), will not be considered public presentations that are open and accessible to the general public, they will satisfy the educational/community engagement requirement.  
• Project activities and events must be open and marketed to the public and dedicated to serving a broad audience. While projects are not required to serve the entire geographic community, they should have targeted local participants.  
• The grant application can only support one artist/company. The artist/company is required to fully participate in the project activities.  
• Project activities may be live, in-person experiences, virtual events, or a combination of in-person and virtual events. Virtual events are acceptable as a strategy to improve access for project participants.  
• For faith-based institutions, projects must be without religious proselytizing.  
• All grant recipients are required to provide accessibility for constituents with disabilities at grant-funded events. For these guidelines, accessibility relates to your project location/venue and overall project being accessible to all. In addition to physical access (ramps, accessible parking/box office/restrooms/seating, etc.), communications and programmatic accessibility are required and can help your organization build audiences and strengthen engagement. Grant applications should show evidence of thoughtful planning and implementation efforts. The National Endowment for the Arts has resources to assist organizations in making accommodations.  Please visit the Endowment's website for more information and resources. 
• Applicants must commit to the Endowment's Assurance of Compliance. 

Policies 

• The community engagement activities are integral to the project and should be carefully planned. A meaningful community engagement activity should involve concentrated preparation by the artist/company and applicant, and include a learning activity that has a lasting impact on the audience (e.g., a workshop, demonstration, panel, lecture, or master class). The artist/company must provide/conduct the community engagement activities. Please be aware that failure to include an educational/community engagement activity will result in ineligibility.  
• South Arts does not fund benefits or fundraisers.  
• Grants are not transferable to other events. All changes in an event must be submitted in writing to South Arts before the event. Awards may be revised or revoked in light of such changes.  
• Grant awards support artist fees and require a dollar-for-dollar cash match. Applicants can request a grant up to 50% of the artist fee as listed in the artist contract or letter of agreement, up to $3,000 (subject to funding availability). For example, a project with an artist fee of $6,000 means the applicant can request $3,000 and must provide a cash match of $3,000. This grant does not support indirect costs or additional project costs.  
• The minimum artist fee for this grant program is $1,000. The minimum grant request is $500. The maximum grant request is $3,000.  

Appeals Process   

You can request a review of the method for South Arts' decisions concerning grant applications through the Appeals Process. If you did not receive funding or if your grant award was rescinded or reduced, you may submit an appeal based on the criteria listed below. Incomplete applications are not eligible for the appeals process. Dissatisfaction with the denial or amount of an award is not a sufficient reason for an appeal. An applicant not funded may appeal South Arts' decision if the applicant can demonstrate that the application was rejected for any of the following reasons:   

• Application was reviewed using criteria other than those published;  
• Funding decision was influenced by panelist/staff/committee member who failed to disclose conflict of interest; and/or  
• Application materials (submitted by the deadline) were not provided to panel members.  

If an applicant's funds were rescinded or reduced, the applicant may appeal South Arts' decision if the applicant can demonstrate that (a) the project activities outlined in the application were performed, and (b) the contract terms and conditions were followed and fulfilled. To appeal a funding decision, first contact Program Director Nikki Estes to request a review of the considerations affecting South Arts' decision. Subsequently, if you believe there are grounds for an appeal, you must submit your appeal, in writing, to South Arts' President & CEO no later than 15 calendar days following the receipt of the written notice from South Arts. The submission should contain evidence to support one or more of the allowable grounds for appeal. The President & CEO will make and render a final decision within 30 days of the appeal.   

Mail your appeal to:  
 
South Arts   
ATTN: President & CEO   
1800 Peachtree Street, NW   
Suite 808   
Atlanta, GA 30309 

REVIEW CRITERIA 

Applications are reviewed and funding adjudications are made using the following criteria:      

• Artistic Excellence of the Artist   
• Artistic Merit of the Project   

We will also consider the geographic locations, artistic disciplines, and organizational budget sizes to ensure that a diverse group of organizations and artists are supported.      

Artistic Excellence of the Artist     

Artistic Excellence assesses the quality, integrity, and relevance of the artistic vision, process, people, and project.    

Artistic Excellence reflects the artistic quality and vision of the proposed work. Reviewers will consider:   

• The demonstrated quality, skill, or artistic accomplishment of artists, culture bearers, creative collaborators, teaching artists, producing or presenting organizations.  
• The artistic rigor and integrity of the project’s creative process.  
• The quality and relevance of the artistic work, programming, or services in relation to the communities or audiences the project intends to serve.  
• The potential for the artistic process or work to advance the artist’s practice, contribute to the field, or offer meaningful artistic experiences.    

Artistic Merit of the Project  

Artistic Merit assesses the clarity, relevance, feasibility, and anticipated benefit of the proposed work or project, grounded in the purpose of the program and the communities it aims to serve.    

Artistic Merit reflects the value, alignment, and potential contribution of the proposed project. Reviewers will consider:   

• Relevance + Value: The value and appropriateness of the project to the applicant’s mission, artistic field, artists, audience, community, and/or constituency.  
  • Clarity of the proposed purpose or focus of the activity.  
  • Alignment between the project’s goals and the applicant’s mission, artistic practice, and/or the program’s intended strategic purpose.  
  • Significance of the project to the intended artistic, cultural, or community context.     
• Audience, Reach + Engagement: The clarity and appropriateness of the intended audience or beneficiaries and the applicant’s plan for engaging them.  
  • Clear identification of the target audience or community served.  
  • Thoughtful and appropriate strategies for engagement, participation, or community involvement.  
  • As applicable, meaningful reach to communities whose opportunities to experience the arts may be limited by geography, race/ethnicity, economics, disability, or other systemic barriers.     
• Feasibility: The applicant’s ability to carry out the project based on clarity and realism of project activities and timelines.  
  • A coherent and feasible timeline with clear milestones.  
  • Logical sequencing of activities aligned with project goals.  
  • Realistic scope given the proposed activity period.     
• Goals, Outcomes + Learning: Clearly defined goals, proposed outcomes, and an appropriate plan to assess success.  
  • Clarity and specificity of intended outcomes or impacts.  
  • Appropriateness of the plan to measure success, learning, or results.  
  • As relevant, measures for assessing artistic development, community benefit, or participant learning.     
• Capacity: The applicant’s readiness and ability to execute the proposed work through adequate resources and strong collaborators.  
  • Appropriateness and adequacy of the project’s resources, budget, and staffing.  
  • Qualifications of project personnel and/or partners.  
  • Strength and relevance of collaborations that support project success.     
• Strategic Contribution to the Arts Ecosystem : The project’s contribution to impact areas, such as:  
  • strengthening the Southern arts ecosystem  
  • advancing community well-being through the arts  
  • supporting artist sustainability or capacity  
  • elevating Southern cultural practices  
  • deepening cross-sector collaboration  
  • increasing access to high-quality arts experiences   

NARRATIVE INSTRUCTIONS   

In addition to organizational and project information, you will need to provide narrative responses addressing the following:   

Project Synopsis (Maximum 500 characters including spaces)  

Provide a brief synopsis of your proposed project. For example: "XYZ Company will provide a three-day residency that includes two master classes, one workshop, a Q&A with the artistic director, and a performance at the ABC Theatre."    

Relevance + Value: Describe the project.  What is the primary goal or focus of the proposed activity?  

Provide a clear and comprehensive description of your proposed project. Give a fuller understanding of what the project involves, how it will be carried out, and what makes it meaningful. (Maximum 5,000 characters including spaces)    

Describe the main goal or intention of the proposed project (e.g., developing new work, expanding services, strengthening partnerships, testing a new approach, increasing public access). (Maximum 3,000 characters including spaces)  

Audience, Reach + Engagement: Who is the intended audience or beneficiary, and how will they be engaged or impacted? (Maximum 3,000 characters including spaces)

Briefly identify who the project is meant to serve and how they will take part or benefit (e.g., participants, community members, partner groups). Include the type of engagement or impact you expect. Where applicable, include how you will involve and accommodate people with disabilities (as artists, performers, teaching artists, students, participants, staff, and/or audiences) in the planning, creation, and/or implementation of your project activities.     

Feasibility: What is the proposed timeline and what are the key milestones for the activity period?  (Maximum 1,500 characters including spaces)  

Briefly outline the planned schedule for the project, including the main phases or key milestones (e.g., planning, development, implementation, evaluation). Note when major activities will occur during the project period.    

Goals, Outcomes + Learning: What are the anticipated outcomes or impacts, and how will success be measured? (Maximum 3,000 characters including spaces)  

Briefly describe the outcomes or impacts you expect the project to achieve and how you will assess progress or success (e.g., participant learning, audience reach, community benefits, completion of key goals). Include the indicators or methods you plan to use to measure results.    

Artistic Excellence: How does this proposal reflect artistic excellence, innovation, or cultural significance? (Maximum 3,000 characters including spaces)  

Briefly explain how the project demonstrates artistic excellence, innovation, or cultural significance (e.g., creative approach, originality, relevance to community or cultural traditions). Highlight what distinguishes the work or why it is meaningful within its artistic or cultural context.    

Capacity: What resources, partnerships, or collaborators will support the work or project? (Maximum 2,500 characters including spaces)  

Briefly describe any partners or collaborators involved. Note what they contribute and how their support strengthens the project.    

Strategic Contribution to the Arts Ecosystem: How does the proposal contribute to the cultural, artistic, or community landscape in meaningful ways? (Maximum 2,500 characters including spaces)  

Briefly explain how the project adds meaningful artistic, cultural, or community value – such as elevating voices, strengthening local culture, advancing creative practice, or deepening community connection.          

Helpful Resources   

• Read sample applications (sample application 1, sample application 2) from past grantees that demonstrate clear, succinct, and well-organized applications which were evaluated highly in the review process. Please note that the sample applications do not include our new application narrative questions.  
• Watch South Arts’ series of professional development webinar recordings which may be a useful resource as you are preparing your application. These include previous webinars about accessibility and budgeting.  

Readiness Planning   

As part of your application submission, you will be asked whether your organization has a readiness plan. South Arts is committed to making business continuity planning a priority in the arts and encourages all arts organizations to develop and maintain readiness plans to ensure their sustainability. South Arts and our partners at the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) have launched dPlan|ArtsReady to guide arts and cultural organizations through the process of developing a readiness plan.   

A readiness plan is a combination of documents, processes, and training that formulates what your organization will do should the unexpected occur. It follows an “all-hazards” approach, because anything can and may happen to your organization. Creating a readiness plan means making decisions about how you will respond, and collecting all of the information and documents that you will need, before a crisis hits, so you can respond and get your organization back up and running smoothly. A readiness plan is critical to preserve precious time and energy when seconds matter. ArtsReady takes an "all hazards" approach to planning: focusing on your essential business needs so you will be prepared for any crisis. The tool walks you through a series of modules—Risk Assessment, Action Items, Critical Stuff, Reports, and Guides and Resources—that explore the critical business functions most arts and cultural organizations rely on every day. By working through the tool with your staff and leadership, dPlan|ArtsReady is your one-stop shop to creating a plan and repository of vital information that you can turn to at any time before, during, or after a crisis.   

We encourage you to watch the five-part readiness webinar series to better prepare for disruptions. Whether you use dPlan|ArtsReady to develop and maintain your plan, put one together on your own, or use another service, it is important to have a plan. If ArtsReady is not the right fit for you, the additional resources on our website can help you develop the right plan for your organization, so you are ready for anything.     

Updates for 2026-2027 Applicants   

Please be aware of the following updates to the 2026-2027 Arts in Rural Places Grants cycle:   

• This year’s application includes new evaluation criteria and new narrative questions.  
• We remain committed to reaching new applicants; however, previous South Arts grant recipients are eligible for this grant cycle.  
• Eligible projects must include both a public presentation (a film screening, performance, reading, or exhibition) and an educational/community engagement activity (a workshop, demonstration, lecture, facilitated discussion, or master class) by the guest artist.    

Application Requirements   

Please plan plenty of time to organize your application in our Salesforce system.   

South Arts encourages applicants to contact us with questions more than 48 hours before the application deadline.   

• Application  
• Proof of government status (if applicable)  
• Letter of intent or contract between the artist and the applicant stating the activities, date(s), and artist fee (signed by both parties)  
• Artist support material: Company history, artist biography, or writer's resume/biography with a list of published works  
• Work sample: A representative work sample for the artist/company  
  • Performing – Submit up to 10 minutes of audio or video  
  • Literary – Submit up to 10 pages of written work or up to 10 minutes of audio or video  
  • Visual – Submit up to 10 high-resolution images  
  • Film – Submit up to 10 minutes of film footage  
• Supplemental document (optional)  
  • Other support material (e.g., reviews, letters of support, or brochure) directly related to the application may be submitted. Do not include audio, video, or other electronic samples. The supplemental document should not exceed five (5) pages unless the document is a publication.  

All grant applications must be submitted online using our grants management system (Salesforce). We recommend that you visit the site early to create your account and become familiar with the system. Complete your application and upload the required materials as detailed above. Applicants will be notified of funding decisions by email within four weeks of the application submission. When you begin using our grants portal, please check your “Spam” or “Junk” folders and filters to be sure you can receive emails from grants@southarts.org. For assistance, contact Nikki Estes at 404-874-7244 x816.   

South Arts strictly adheres to deadlines and will NOT accept late or incomplete applications. Deadlines are not extended due to inclement weather. Grantees will be required to adhere to grant requirements based on the grant program and program source of funds as set forth in the grantee's award letter and/or contract. These can include, but are not limited to, Grant Acceptance Terms and Conditions, Assurance of Compliance, and Federal Suspension and Debarment Requirements.