MDC and Casey Family Programs, in partnership with The Annie E. Casey Foundation, invite artists to participate in MDC’s State of the South convening in Atlanta, GA, October 27-29, 2026. The convening is focused on promoting child and family well-being by shifting child welfare from a closed, professionalized system to a shared community responsibility, grounded in lived experience, history, and the realities of Southern families, especially Black and Brown families and families experiencing economic insecurity.

We will catalyze conversations and efforts to improve child and family well-being that people can see themselves in, talk about publicly, and organize around, in order to create a South where children and families thrive.

Arts integration is a core part of State of the South convenings because art allows participants to connect with issues in new ways and brings the creativity needed to imagine a different future. We will partner with visual and performance artists to offer works throughout the convening that reflect, question, or respond to these prompts:

• The experience of young people, families, and communities when families are involved in child welfare (CPS) investigations and/or separated due to child welfare involvement
• What happens when communities get organized to holistically support young people and families?
• What is possible when young people and families have what they need to thrive in the South? What does this future look and feel like?

Who Can Apply

We welcome submissions of existing pieces and illustration proposals from emerging and established visual or performance artists located within driving distance of Atlanta, GA.

We are especially interested in featuring the work of artists with lived experience with the child welfare system and/or with underrepresented identities, including Black and Brown, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, disabled, and working-class artists.

How This Works/Examples

We will feature art during our opening celebration for the convening and alongside many of our sessions. These are a few examples of how this has been done in the past:

• Spoken word artist or musician performs a piece at the beginning of session; the piece speaks to the theme of the session
• Artists with lived expertise join panels to share their perspective and the way they have used art to connect with, process, or make change on an issue
• Visual artists provide pieces to display during a session; these pieces help illustrate the issue
• Filmmaker shares a related short film or clip during a session and participants discuss

What We’re Looking For

• Existing artworks that speak to the convening theme, and
• Proposals for a convening illustration

For Existing Artwork

For the existing artworks, we are seeking a mix of mediums to accompany the convening, including but not limited to:

• Painting, drawing, printmaking
• Photography
• Fiber art
• Dance
• Music
• Poetry and spoken word
• Documentary film

Visual art must be able to be shown on an easel or through a slide show. For performance art, the space will accommodate up to 5 people for dance, spoken word, or music. Videos and film can be shown on a projector.

Artists may submit up to five existing works.

For Convening Illustration

We would like to work with a Southern artist to develop a convening graphic and/or illustration to use on convening materials (slides, agendas) and on giveaways (for example, tote bags, stickers, or prints). Themes of the South, family, community, hope, and joy should be central to the piece. Graphics and illustrations should work well for both digital use and for printing on giveaways.

Illustrator compensation will be $2,500, paid half at the beginning and half with receipt of the artwork. The selected artist will work collaboratively with the convening team to draft and iterate on the artwork. Meetings with the team will be virtual, held on Zoom.

For Submissions: Artist Participation & Payment

Individual artists will receive a $750 stipend to support expenses associated with installation or performance and 1-2 prep calls in advance of the convening. Costs for performance groups will be determined based on the number of members and length of the performance.

All participating artists are invited to attend the State of the South convening in Atlanta, GA, taking place October 27-29, 2026.

How to Submit

Please use this form to submit the following:

• Artist name & short bio (100–150 words)
• Brief information about your connection to the South and to the issue of child welfare and child and family well-being
• Images or videos of work you plan to submit: Please include up to 5 images or videos of existing work. For images, please use .jpg or .png files. Please title images and videos in this format: LastName_FirstName1, LastName_FirstName2, etc.
• For submissions: Brief statement (written or video links, 2 paragraphs or 2 minutes maximum) describing how your work connects to the exhibit theme.
• For commissioned illustration: Please include a 1-page concept proposal for the piece and images or videos of previous work.
• Website or social media links (optional)

Timeline

• Submission deadline: August 16^th, 11:59PM
• Artist notifications: August 31^st, by 5PM
• Prep calls: Virtual, throughout September as schedules permit
• Visual artwork delivery and removal dates: Delivery and pick-up logistics will be discussed at a pre-convening meetings in September 2026.
• State of the South Event (optional but encouraged): October 27-29

Terms of Ownership, Sale, and Use of Work (Submissions)

The work submitted will remain the property of the artist, except the convening illustration, which will be the property of Casey Family Programs (CFP). Artists will be welcome to offer their work for sale but will be responsible for processing payments. MDC and CFP reserve the right to use images or videos of the work for promotional purposes for State of the South and associated programming (for example, on social media, presentations, fliers, and reports), but any additional uses will be negotiated with the artist. Artist work will always be credited in promotional use.

Additional information about sales and liability:

• Each artist is responsible for arranging the sales of their pieces if they’re available for sale, paying sales tax, transporting, and removing their own work.
• Artists will be responsible for artwork display and removal at the end of the convening.
• The convening partners assume no liability for loss or damage. Artists are not required to obtain their own insurance coverage. If the artist desires/needs that protection, it is their responsibility to obtain it. Artists are responsible for their artwork during transit, exhibition, and storage. The collaborative partners are not responsible for damage, loss, or theft of artwork while on display or in transit.

Arts integration in this convening creates space for participants to connect with the issues of child welfare and child and family wellbeing in new ways—ways that honor Southern stories of resilience, belonging, memory, and possibility. We look forward to reviewing your work and welcoming you into this collective conversation.

Questions? Contact us at [email protected]

About MDC and State of the South

A nonprofit founded in 1967, MDC is a regional community and capacity-building organization rooted in North Carolina that works across a 13-state region to create a South where all people thrive with lives of meaning, dignity, and community. We equip Southern communities, especially those that have been historically excluded, with the necessary capacity, partnerships, and influence to challenge systemic inequities and build an equitable and inclusive South.

MDC’s State of the South brings people together to build networks for advocacy, systemic change, and equity across the South. Co-designed with partners and community, convenings explore art, data, policy, and funding approaches that tell Southern stories of community, of resistance, and that address persistent inequities. This short film from Elevated Media demonstrates the power of arts integration at an art exhibit, “Duval Dis Place, Duval Displaced,” curated alongside our latest SOTS convening in Jacksonville, FL, in March 2026. MDC’s 2025 State of the South Report details learnings from five recent convenings across the region and includes a powerful Call to Action—things local communities, policymakers, and funders can do to create a thriving South.