South Arts announces inaugural Southern Cultural Treasures Cohort

South Arts recently announced a $6 million dollar four-year initiative to support Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) who are leading and serving arts and cultural organizations throughout the Southeast.

The Southern Cultural Treasures is made up of 17 organizations, including The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame that represent BIPOC arts and community-driven stewardship throughout the nine-state region that includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.   

“South Arts is honored to recognize and support these 17 organizations as Southern Cultural Treasures,” said Susie Surkamer, South Arts’ President and CEO. “These groups push the boundaries of creative expression, anchor their local communities, and advance the arts in our nine state region. Our hope is that this initiative, with the help of these organizations, will foster a more equitable art community throughout the Southeastern region.”

South Arts first announced the Southern Cultural Treasures program in the fall of 2021. It complements the Ford Foundation’s America’s Cultural Treasures initiative, which aims to acknowledge and honor the diversity of artistic expression and excellence in America and provide critical funding to organizations that have made a significant impact on America’s cultural landscape.

"We are thrilled to partner with South Arts and honor these seventeen cultural institutions and their contributions to the regional landscape," said Lane Harwell, program officer for creativity and free expression at the Ford Foundation. "We hope this investment will inspire more funders and patrons to support the diversity of arts organizations and expressions in the American South."

The 17 Southern Cultural Treasures are:

► Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, Inc.

► Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator (Miami)

► Teatro Avante (Miami)

► Art2Action Inc. (Tampa)

► Deep Center, Inc. (Savannah)

► Otis Redding Foundation (Macon)

► True Colors Theatre Company (Atlanta)

► Ballethnic Dance Company Inc. (East Point, GA)

► Asia Institute, Inc. (Louisville)

► Junebug Productions, Inc. (New Orleans)

► Efforts of Grace, Inc. (New Orleans)

► Mississippi Center for Cultural Production (Utica, MS)

► B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center (Indianola, MS)

► JazzArts Charlotte (Charlotte)

► Colour of Music, Inc. (Mount Pleasant, SC)

► Catawba Indian Nation (Rock Hill, SC)

► Collage Dance Collective (Memphis, TN)

– Submitted by South Arts/Southern Cultural Treasures.