April 2026 News
May 15, 2026 • 8 minute read
10 Toes Down: NPN’s Commitment to the South
NPN is a network of trans-local strategies where the arts are central to a future in which justice, humanity, and dignity belong to everyone. This position – both national in scope and rooted in place – has come into greater focus in recent years, as NPN sharpens what it means to be a national organization in the South.
In “Making the Invisible Visible: NPN Reflects on Five Years of Southern Grantmaking,” published by Grantmakers in the Arts, NPN shares how we have shaped our approach to resist the extractive, fleeting patterns that too often define national foundation work in the South.
In addition to NPN’s Southern Programs, our movement building and policy work are shaped by the South, and more than 20% of NPN’s National Programs support Southern artists and arts organizations.
While significant changes in the funding landscape have created uncertainty for NPN’s regranting work (as well as for other intermediaries), we remain committed to building power and resources that advance racial and economic justice in the South. “We are ten toes down with you,” says NPN’s Director of Southern Programs Stephanie Atkins.
Read more at giarts.org.
Voices from the Network
“Write What You Wanna See”
An Interview with Take Notice Fund Artists The West Sisters
Siblings Chasah West and Charliese West, working together as The West Sisters, are composers and filmmakers from Lafayette, LA, who tell stories, often in popular commercial genres, that center characters of color. In this interview, part of NPN Take Notice Fund’s commitment to bring more visibility to Louisiana artists of color, Chasah and Charliese share how their early childhood in Africa influenced how they view popular entertainment, why they focus on stories that are uplifting, and how their family dynamics show up in their approach to creative work.
“Well, why don’t we see a Black girl who’s Lara Croft, you know, as they go traipsing through these exotic countries? We grew up abroad, so we had a global perspective. And so when we saw stories, we always wanted to see what was around us, which was not just American culture.”
Since sitting down for this interview, The West Sisters have released a concept album for SWELL, their original musical about a young woman who attempts to save her slowly flooding coast town. On July 31, 2026, they will present a concert performance of SWELL at Acadiana Center for the Arts in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Read the full interview on our Voices from the Network blog.
Strata
How Cultural Organizations Engage the Political Life of Their Communities
What becomes possible when the infrastructure, admin, curation, and work of cultural organizations all include a political social justice orientation? Strata, a cultural political conversation from NPN’s Department of Racial Justice and Movement Building (DRJaM), explores the role of cultural work designed to shift material conditions through conversations with National Partners Kelly Strayhorn Theater in Pittsburgh, DiverseWorks in Houston, and Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator (DVCAI) in Miami.
Published as multimedia installments on Instagram and on the NPN website, these interviews combine audio, video, and imagery to reveal how cultural organizations are engaging the political life of their communities and beyond.
View and join the ongoing conversation on Instagram or learn more at npnweb.org/strata.
World Premiere
Rosy Simas on Creating a Space for Peace in Minneapolis
This month marks the world premiere of A:gajë:gwah dësa’nigöëwë:nye:’ (i hope it will stir your mind), a collaboratively created Native contemporary dance work that draws the audience and performers into a shared space of relationality through layers of movement, sound, and visuals imbued with a “good mind,” the Seneca notion of a peacemaking state of being. Developed over the past two years, the work features five performers, including NPN-supported artist Rosy Simas (‘23 Creation Fund, ‘24 Development Fund, and ‘25 Documentation & Storytelling Fund), and is accompanied by a concurrent gallery installation.
A:gajë:gwah dësa’nigöëwë:nye:’ (i hope it will stir your mind) is being performed now through May 16 at Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, with the gallery installation on view at the Walker through July 5th.
Read an interview with Rosy Simas on Hyperallergic.com.
Mixed Metaphor
What Stories Are You Telling? Reflection Tools for Racial Justice Work
“What stories are you telling? Whose lived experiences are being lifted up and given visibility through your work? What is the message this sends?”
It can be difficult to tease out the many ways that racial capitalism and cultural oppression contribute to the under-resourcing, undervaluing, and silencing of communities of color. The reflections on pages 56-57 from the “Racial Justice & Cultural Equity” section of the Mixed Metaphor Workbook can help stimulate a deeper exploration into questions of visibility and liberation.
Explore the Mixed Metaphor Workbook and its companion, the Mixed Metaphor Learning Deck.
Conference Highlights
What Stories Are You Telling? Reflection Tools for Racial Justice Work
“It is brave that you are here. It is brave that we have come this way to gather — not to wait, not to ask permission, but to remember.”
“Whether you came here for joy, commiseration, connection, strategies, or solace, we are so glad you’re here!”
When NPN held its 2025 National Conference in New Orleans this past October, it was our first in-person gathering in six years and the start of our 40th anniversary year. Today we’re happy to share with you some highlights from those three days together. Whether you’re revisiting memories with us or experiencing the conference for the first time, we hope you enjoy this look back, featuring voices from across the network and photos by Melisa Cardona and Roy Wallace.
View the Conference Highlights reel.
NPN is moving to a biennial conference and invites you to join us in Fall 2027; we’ll announce dates and location this summer.
Announcements & Opportunities
San Cha Music Theatre NOW Award
Inebria Me, an opera written, composed, and performed by NPN-supported artist San Cha (‘24 and ‘25 Artist Engagement Fund, ‘24 Documentation & Storytelling Fund), has been named one of seven productions honored by the Music Theatre NOW Awards 2025:
“Inebria Me is a bold and visually striking contemporary opera that blends high drama, mysticism, and social commentary. Drawing from the divine ecstasy of religious iconography – particularly The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa – and the heightened melodrama of early 90’s Mexican telenovelas such as Marimar and Maria Mercedes, the opera explores themes of desire, transcendence, and liberation.”
Inebria Me will be presented during the O. Festival Professionals Programme in Rotterdam this May, “a concentrated moment to connect with international curators, programmers, and producers.”
Congratulations!
Job Posting: Curator (Part-Time) at Space One Eleven
Space One Eleven seeks a Curator who, in consultation with the Executive Director, will lead the conceptual development and implementation of exhibitions that elevate critical conversations in contemporary art. In addition to curatorial responsibilities, the Curator manages SOE’s role as a partner organization in the Verdant Fund, a regional regranting initiative supported by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
Click here for more details.
Upcoming Artist Activities
A:gajë:gwah dësa’nigöëwë:nye:’ (i hope it will stir your mind), Rosy Simas Danse
Performance: May 13 – May 16 (2 pm, 4 pm, and 7:30 pm)
Gallery installation: now through July 5th
Walker Art Center (Minneapolis, MN)
Ticketing info / Installation info
This new Native contemporary dance work and gallery installation draws the audience and performers into a shared space of relationality imbued with the Seneca concept of a “good mind,” or peacemaking state of being.
Larry & Joe Live in Concert, Larry Bellorín & Joe Troop
May 22 at 7 pm
La Peña Cultural Center (Berkeley, CA)
Ticketing and event info
Llanera superstar Larry Bellorín (Venezuela) and Latingrass GRAMMY-nominee Joe Troop (North Carolina) blend Venezuelan and Appalachian folk music into songs that inspire joy and unity.
Praise! Project Sacred Bodies, Sandglass Theater
May 23 at 2 pm
All Souls Church (Brattleboro, VT)
Ticketing and event info
A creative storytelling workshop and community gathering where participants will explore themes of healing, identity, and belonging through movement, reflection, and shared stories.
What We’re Reading
How Social Justice Movements Can Build Resilience and Joy
Each month, NPN’s staff and board engage with a reading that deepens our understanding of how to embed liberatory practices throughout our work. This month we’re recommending “Building Resilient Organizations: Toward Joy and Durable Power in a Time of Crisis” by Maurice Mitchell. The article explores how movements on the Left can overcome internal obstacles that impede progress and sap resources, and it will be the subject of a free webinar by Nonprofit Quarterly (NPQ) on May 28.
Read “Building Resilient Organizations” by Maurice Mitchell on the NPQ website, or listen to it in English. O haga clic aquí para leer el artículo en Español. To dive deeper, watch a discussion between Maurice Mitchell and Cyndi Suarez, former Editor-in-Chief of NPQ, recorded when the article was first published in 2022. Then sign up for the free webinar to continue the conversation later this month.
Our monthly reading is part of the Collective Learning Series organized by NPN’s Department of Racial Justice and Movement Building (DRJaM).
NPN is generously supported by:
Barbara and Amos Hostetter, Doris Duke Foundation, Ford Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, Lambent Foundation, Louisiana Division of the Arts, Mellon Foundation, South Arts, Surdna Foundation, and our generous donors.
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