South Arts Announces 2026 State Fellows for Visual Arts

Atlanta, GA — July 23, 2026 — South Arts is thrilled to announce the 2026 State Fellows in its annual Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Visual Arts program, supporting nine artists and their distinct practices across the region with unrestricted cash prizes of $5,000 each. This year’s fellowship class will now compete for the larger Southern Prize for Visual Arts awards. (See full list of fellows below).  

Established in 2017, the Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Visual Arts initiative supports regional artists in advancing their creative practices across a range of visual art disciplines. Each year, the program awards nine visual artists $5,000 State Fellowships, with fellows also competing for the Southern Prize, which includes a prestigious residency and an additional $25,000 cash award for the winner, and $10,000 for the finalist.   

“Every year, this cohort reminds us how much range exists within our region. These nine artists are working in glass, textile, video, printmaking, and found materials, each showcasing a different way to hold onto memory, place, and history through their practice. The Southern Prize gives their work a wider stage, and we're honored to help showcase these visionaries,” said Doug Shipman, South Arts President & CEO.    

Building on South Arts’ commitment to funding practices that create greater cultural equity and support diversity in the Southern region, this program annually awards a total of $80,000 to nine visual artists, one from each state in the South Arts’ region: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.   The 2026 State Fellows for Visual Arts are: 

Alongside their cash prizes, the State Fellows for Visual Arts will be featured in a traveling group exhibition, which will be on display from August 11 to October 23 at Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center in Cullowhee, NC, before touring to additional locations across the region (dates and locations to be determined).  

From this cohort, a national jury will select the Southern Prize Winner and Finalist in recognition of their artistic excellence, with the winner receiving an additional $25,000 cash prize and the finalist receiving an additional $10,000 cash prize. The Southern Prize Winner will also receive a residency at the Hambidge Center. Both awardees will be honored during an awards ceremony on October 8 at the Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum in Cullowhee, NC.  

The Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Visual Arts program is supported by the Windgate Foundation, the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, Southern First Bank, and other generous individual donors. For more information about the Southern Prize and State Fellowship programs, application eligibility, and additional opportunities from South Arts, please visit southarts.org.  

About South Arts 
South Arts advances Southern vitality through the arts. The nonprofit regional arts organization was founded in 1976 to build on the South’s unique heritage and enhance the public value of the arts. South Arts’ work responds to the arts environment and cultural trends with a regional perspective. South Arts offers an annual portfolio of activities designed to support the success of artists and arts providers in the South, address the needs of Southern communities through impactful arts-based programs, and celebrate the excellence, innovation, value, and power of the arts of the South. For more information, visit www.southarts.org.    

Press Inquiries  
Hilena Haileselassie  
Marketing & Communications Manager, South Arts 
HHaileselassie@southarts.org   

Rachel Roberts 
Senior Account Executive, Cultural Counsel 
rachel@culturalcounsel.com  

Colleen Rodgers 
Account Coordinator, Cultural Counsel 
colleen@culturalcounsel.com