Central Appalachia Living Traditions: Emerging Traditional Artists Program (ETAP) is a grant from the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation that funds early-career traditional artists in Appalachian communities to advance their craft through meaningful learning opportunities.

Awarded artists receive ,000 with few restrictions to use for activities such as travel to meet mentors or attend invited performances, enrollment in workshops or apprenticeships, research, equipment purchases, or professional services including legal or marketing support. Recipients also participate in cohort-based professional development and an in-person convening in Spring 2027.

Eligible applicants must be traditional artists or knowledge keepers in the early stages of their practice, located in ARC-designated Appalachian counties in Ohio, Virginia, or West Virginia, and at least 18 years old. The application deadline is April 30, 2026; no match is required.

CALT Emerging Traditional Artists Program - Mid Atlantic Arts The Central Appalachia Living Traditions (CALT) Emerging Traditional Artists Program (ETAP) provides Appalachian traditional artists with resources to take their practice to the next level. Artists should be in the early stages of their practice and demonstrate a strong commitment to and understanding of their traditional art form.

ETAP funds are intended to support an important learning opportunity for each awarded artist. Awarded artists will receive $5,000, with few restrictions, for expenses related to their learning opportunity. They will also participate in personalized, cohort-based professional development, including virtual workshops, connecting with peers, and an in-person convening in Spring 2027.

ARTIST LEARNING OPPORTUNITY EXAMPLES: Travel to meet other practitioners/potential mentors Travel to an invited opportunity to learn, present, exhibit, or perform Enroll in an in-person or virtual class, workshop, or apprenticeship Research related to your traditional art form Purchase supplies and equipment needed for new work Rent practice or recording space Purchase software/services to build an online presence or enhance marketing Engage professional services such as an accountant, attorney, manager, producer, or marketing service Grant support range: $5,000 There is no match requirement for this program.

To apply for the Emerging Traditional Artists Program (ETAP), you must be: A traditional artist, practitioner, or keeper of traditional knowledge. In the early stages of your traditional arts journey and ready to take your practice to the next level. For example, you may have completed an apprenticeship with a mentor artist and now want to pursue ongoing learning to deepen your knowledge and skills.

Located in a county designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission in Ohio, Virginia, or West Virginia . At least 18 years old by the application deadline of April 30, 2026. There is no maximum age to apply for the Emerging Traditional Artists Program.

A United States citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident. In good standing with Mid Atlantic Arts, with no overdue or outstanding required reports and/or grant documents. You may not apply for ETAP in the same year as a CALT Experiences grant .

Tuesday, February 10, 2026: Online application available Thursday, February 19, 1:00pm ET: CALT Emerging Traditional Artists Program: The Basics Webinar | Watch the Video here. Wednesdays, from Feb. 4-Apr.

29, 2026, 1:00pm-2:00pm ET: Open Office Hours | Join Thursday April 30, 2026 at 11:59pm ET: Application deadline Friday, July 10, 2026: Decision notification September 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027: Award period Guidelines and Application See guidelines at the links below. Si desea ver esta g uia de a plicación en español, por favor envíe un correo electrónico a edassler@midatlanticarts.

org tan pronto como le sea posible para hacer una solicitud. Download the 2027 CALT Emerging Traditional Artists Program Guidelines as a PDF (link opens in a new window) Download the 2027 CALT Emerging Traditional Artists Program Guidelines as an accessible Word document (click link to download) For this program, Mid Atlantic Arts works with a panel of independent reviewers to recommend applications for funding.

To be considered as a panelist for this and other programs, complete our Panelist Interest Form. You only need to complete the form once to be considered for multiple programs. Click here to access the Panelist Interest Form.

Opportunity & Support Type Folklife & Traditional Arts Folk/Traditional Crafts and Visual Arts Appalachian Counties of OH, VA, and WV Get our latest news and announcements. This field is hidden when viewing the form Next Steps: Sync an Email Add-On To get the most out of your form, we suggest that you sync this form with an email add-on. To learn more about your email add-on options, visit the following page (https://www.

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