Why is this prize competition only for visual and literary artists?
We expanded our coverage of artistic disciplines to literary arts in 2023. The Southern Prize may serve additional art forms in the future.
What if I create my work in collaboration with another/multiple artist(s)?
Please refer to Eligibility within the Guidelines.
When does the work I am submitting need to have been created?
Submitted writing samples must have been completed no earlier than January 2020.
What if I don’t have an artist statement?
The artist statement is an opportunity for the panelists to understand the context and approach for the work they are viewing. Here’s an article that may be helpful in developing your artist statement.
Why do I need to submit a resume or CV if the panelists won’t review it?
South Arts anticipates a quick turnaround time between the panel selections, and having the awardees’ background information on hand will allow us to publicize the awardees information more quickly.
How long can my resumé be?
The resumé can be as brief as one page and up to five pages.
Fee Waiver Requests
If the $25 application fee creates a barrier for your participation, you may request a fee waiver. You must make your request by emailing us at southernprize@southarts.org no later than January 2, 2025. South Arts reserves the right not to respond to requests for fee waivers received after this deadline.
My current project is more about Europe than about the South. Will that be viewed negatively by the jurors?
There is no expectation that literary works must relates to the South; that's not relevant in the review process.
Can students apply?
The applicant must be at least 18 years of age and cannot be a full-time high school or undergraduate or graduate student in a matriculated program of study related to the creative literary arts.
I am going to be moving to a state in your region soon. Can I apply?
No. The applicant must have been a legal resident within the nine states served by South Arts for a period of at least two years immediately before the application deadline.
I split my time between [state in our region] and [state outside of our region]. Am I eligible?
Applicants may be asked to provide proof of, or certify, their residency in one of our nine states later in the process, to confirm eligibility. You must be able to certify that your primary address is in a state in the South Arts region.
Why isn’t my state included?
South Arts is a Regional Arts Organization serving the following nine states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. While we’d love to serve everyone everywhere, our sister Regional Arts Organizations (Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, Mid America Arts Alliance, etc.) have excellent programs supporting the arts within their regions. Many State Arts Agencies also offer statewide fellowships and awards, and we encourage you to check out their programs.
What if I create my work in collaboration with another/multiple artist(s)?
Literary collaborations are ineligible to apply for this program.
Who will select the awardees?
The group of nine State Fellows will be selected through a two-tiered selection process by a national panel. A separate national panel will select the Southern Prize winner and finalist.
What is the selection criterion?
Panels will make their selections based on artistic excellence that reflects and represents the diversity of the region.
Could I ask how my work samples are viewed?
Works are viewed typically on a computer screen by each panelist.
What are the prizes?
If I am a winner, what do I receive? What am I obligated to do?
Fellowship awardees are required to attend the State Fellowship & Prize awards ceremony. Awardees’ travel and lodging to attend the ceremony will be paid by South Arts. One round-trip flight (or rental car coverage) booked by the awarded artist and reimbursed by South Arts and one hotel room will be booked and paid for by South Arts. This offer does not extend to any of the awardees’ guests.
If I am a winner, what can I spend the money on?
There are no requirements for how fellowship and Prize recipients use their award funds. South Arts hopes the money would go towards pursuit of artistic achievement, but awardees are not required to submit their use of the funds for approval. The funds are expected to be used between May 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. State Fellowship and Southern Prize awardees should note that the award money constitutes taxable income and should file their federal and state taxes accordingly. Fellowship and Prize awardees are expected to write a one-page final report and submit images (if appropriate) on how they used the fellowship winnings.
What is The Writers Room at The Betsy-South Beach connection to these prizes?
The Betsy Hotel manages the artist residency extended to the Southern Prize for Literary Arts winner and finalist, scheduling the residency directly with the artists and providing space, lodging and meals during the residency.
What are the details?
The nine South Arts State Fellowship winners will be included. Each artist will need to make available multiple pieces, which were represented in the images submitted with the application although works may be selected outside of the works samples submitted with the application. The final selection will be made with the exhibit curator and based on the entire range and size of work represented by the nine Fellows. South Arts will cover the shipping costs to and from the exhibit locations.
Work must be received at the exhibit location by an agreed upon date TBD in summer 2024. The exhibition, the South Arts 2024 Southern Prize Exhibition, will open in late Fall 2024 at Art & Culture/Hollywood, Hollywood, FL. The exhibit will then tour to other sites for up to 24 months.
Celebrating the breadth and diversity of the highest quality art being created in the American South, the Southern Prize Exhibition will bring together work from the nine esteemed State Fellowship winners, one from each state within the South Arts region – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. One fellowship winner will then be named the Southern Prize winner and finalist during the awards ceremony in Fall 2024.
Will I have to give South Arts 10 pieces to tour for a potentially long period?
The exhibit curator will work with awarded fellows to make selections for the touring exhibition. The total number of pieces selected may vary from the 10 works submitted as work samples. We will do all we can to make mutual arrangements for selecting works.
Will the exhibited work be available for purchase?
If a potential buyer expresses interest in your work during the exhibition, South Arts and its touring exhibition partners will connect the buyer with the artist to discuss the possibility of purchasing the item(s). Any sales and/or shipping details would occur directly between the buyer and the artist; South Arts does not take any commission from the sale. If a piece is sold during the run of the exhibition, South Arts asks that the piece remain on display until the exhibition ends.
If a piece sells prior to the exhibition, the artist must be able to supply work that is similar to the work submitted in the application process.