The Bristol Roots Project, formally known as the Greater Bristol Folk Arts & Culture Team, announces two funding opportunities totaling $52,000 for folk and traditional artists and cultural organizations in the greater Bristol region in Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee in 2025-2026. This second round of funding is made possible through an initiative byMid Atlantic Artsthrough theCentral Appalachia Living Traditionsprogram.
About Bristol Roots Project
The Bristol Roots Project is a collective of three regional cultural organizations: theBirthplace of Country Music Museum, serving as the community anchor venue, theVirginia Folklife Program of Virginia HumanitiesandCreate Appalachia. By providing targeted resources and support to area organizations, artists, artisansand collectives, this project seeks to dramatically increase the sustainability and visibility of traditional practice, cultural knowledgeand vitality in the Greater Bristol community. These competitive funding opportunities will be available through an open applicationprocess.
This initiative offers two categories of funding opportunities.The Tradition Bearer Fellowshipwill support individual grantees in their creative practices by providing financial support, professional development, and public presentation opportunities. This fellowship is for traditional artists and practitioners at all levels from emerging to experienced. Eight $4,000 fellowships will be awarded, representing a $32,000 direct investment in area individuals. Fellowships will help sustain local traditional arts while raising broad awareness of the quality and value of the region's traditional culture. Additional funds will be allocated to professional development and showcaseopportunities.
Previous fellows in 2023-2024 include awards to broom maker John Ingles Alexander (Grayson Co., Va.), luthier Jackson Cunningham (Grayson Co., Va.), clothing maker Stephen Curd (Washington Co., Va.), musician Pierceton Hobbs (Dickenson Co., Va.), dulcimer player Roxanne McDaniel (Washington Co., Tenn.), photographer Anna Mullins (Dickenson Co., Va.), broom maker Erin Simmons (Wythe Co., Va.), and luthier KT Vandyke (Bristol,Va.).
TheCultural Caretakers Grantwill be available to organizations, venues, and cultural sites, focused on small-scale, largely volunteer-run entities that have difficulty accessing typical sources of public and private funding. Four qualifying community organizations or venues with significant capacity-building or general operating needs will be granted with awards of $5,000 each, representing a $20,000 investment in community cultural infrastructure. Previously awarded grants includedThe Appalachian African American Cultural Center,The Carter Family Fold,Exchange PlaceandMount Pleasant PreservationSociety.
Tradition bearers and cultural sites in eligible counties are encouraged to apply, though the majority of awardees will be from Virginia, aligning with Mid Atlantic Art’s funding priorities. Eligible cities and countiesinclude Southwest Virginia: Bland, Bristol, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Galax, Grayson, Lee, Norton, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise,Wythe. Northeast Tennessee: Sullivan, Washington, Carter, Johnson, Hawkins,Unicoi
Applications are being opened and accepted on the Birthplace of Country Music website atwww.birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/museum/special-projects/bristol-roots-projectfrom April 1 to June 30, with funding decisions announced in August 2025. The award period for all grantees will be for one year, and will include a special recognition of grantees at the 2026 Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion festival in September. Previously awarded grantees will be eligible to reapply in future fundingcycles.
The Bristol Roots Project team member includes:
For more information on this year’s funding opportunities, visit www.birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/museum/special-projects/bristol-roots-projector reach out directly via email toBristolRootsProject@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org.
