About South Arts
Mission: Advancing Southern vitality through the arts
Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, South Arts is a nonprofit regional arts organization that builds on the South's unique heritage and enhances the public value of the arts.
South Arts' work responds to the arts environment and cultural trends with a regional perspective. In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the State Arts Agencies of AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, and TN—with additional funding from other public and private donors such as the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Mellon Foundation—South Arts supports artists and organizations through a rich and responsive portfolio of grants, fellowships, and programs. WHY? South Arts believes that the arts elevate the region, increasing connectedness and inspiring meaningful change in the process.
South Arts plays an important role in supporting artists and arts organizations across the region through grants, technical assistance, and programming. In 2024, more than $4.6 million was granted to 226 artists and 200 organizations in the region.
South Arts is resourced by an operating budget ranging from $9-11 million. Its headquarters is in Atlanta, GA and the 17 person staff reside across the nine-state region. To learn more about South Arts, please visit the website.
What’s Next
South Arts is approaching its 50th anniversary building on decades of championing Southern creativity – inspiring meaningful change through the arts by supporting and connecting artists and the arts community with the people and places we love. Its next chapter begins with renewed energy and excitement about the future of the arts in the region.
Since 2018, South Arts has consciously evolved from a primarily arts organization without an explicit equity focus, to expanding to other art forms and more intentionally centering equity in the work while also rapidly growing its operating budget from $3 million to $11 million.
South Arts wished to build on its momentum to develop its long-term strategy following this period of meaningful change. In 2023-24, it engaged The Bridgespan Group to help clarify its impact goals, strategic approaches, and pathways to sustainable operations.
South Arts aligned on a strategic vision and impact statements to inform the strategic plan over the next five years. The plan is set to be finalized and released publicly in Summer 2025.
Key components of the plan include the following:
- Securing the success and vivacity of artists in the South through programs and initiatives that center artists and arts organizations and are tailored and responsive to artist needs
- Elevating art and its role in creating more vibrant, inclusive societies, supporting a full integration of relevant and high-quality arts into all aspects of life
- Celebrating the South’s continued role as a cultural hub and leader in the arts on the national and global stage through amplifying the individual and collective narratives of artists throughout the region
- Boosting the arts ecosystem in the South, and with it the southern economy, by cultivating and strengthening deep, cross-sector partnerships that are artist and community-centered
The Opportunity
The incoming CEO faces the critical mission of stabilizing the organization both in the short and long term, as the arts nationwide faces a myriad of challenges, including the loss of significant funding and investment in the field. This leader must ensure South Arts’ continued positioning as a critical partner to artists, constituents, partners and communities served through its work while adapting its strategies as needed to stay ahead of current and emerging economic, political, and cultural developments of 2025 and beyond.
Working closely with the Board, staff and a diverse group of partners, the CEO will be responsible for shaping the future of South Arts. This includes the implementation of its new strategic plan, adapting and rethinking the current business model to ensure future sustainability, diversifying revenue streams, identifying new ways to serve its constituents, promoting all avenues for impact in the sector, advocating for the arts and artists at large and fostering growth through visibility, engagement and thought leadership in the sector.
Additionally, the CEO will oversee – and build strong connections between – South Arts’ partners and grantees and its full scope of offerings, programming, and the communities it serves through authentic engagement, mutually beneficial partnerships and collaborations, and by advocating for South Arts and its offerings in a variety of public settings.
As the primary spokesperson and high-visibility ambassador of South Arts, the CEO will engage local and state arts agencies, artistic and cultural organizations, policymakers, artists, educational institutions, donors and funders, civic groups, businesses, the media, and the public. In support of members, partners, and the broader arts community, the CEO is charged with realizing South Arts’ role as a convener, connector, coach and capacity-builder in the field. The CEO will embrace the opportunity to continue to serve as a thought leader in these areas, particularly South Arts’ role as a bridge to a web of support that strengthens the entire arts ecosystem.