NEW YORK, NEW YORK (February 24, 2026) — The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) is pleased to announce the opening of its tenth annual competition for Nordic Folk Arts and Cultural Traditions in the Upper Midwest (North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan).
Through these fellowships and grants, ASF extends its reach beyond New York to foster the perpetuation of Nordic traditional arts and skills in the Upper Midwest, while also promoting cultural exchange between the US and Nordic countries.
Deadline: September 15, 2026
To read more about this competition, please click here!
Two kinds of awards are available — fellowships for artists and grants for public programs and community projects. All of our grants encourage both the practice of folk arts and cultures and the presentation of these arts to public audiences.
FELLOWSHIPS FOR ARTISTS
Fellowships for artists deepen the skills of master artists; foster relationships among masters of artistic and technical skills and their apprentices, thereby encouraging the development of traditional skills as well as the perpetuation of skills from generation to generation; and encourage the awareness of folk traditions by creating innovative projects with wide visibility and public appeal.
GRANTS FOR PUBLIC PROGRAMS & COMMUNITY PROJECTS
Grants for public programs and community projects encourage the preservation of Nordic cultural traditions through the support of community festivals, celebrations, and heritage events as well as workshops, performances, classes, and demonstrations. Applicants for public programs grants must be nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations.
THE AMERICAN-SCANDINAVIAN FOUNDATION
The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) promotes firsthand exchange of intellectual and creative influence between the United States and the Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. A publicly supported American nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, ASF has an extensive program of fellowships, grants, intern/trainee sponsorship, publishing, and cultural activities. Headquartered in New York City, ASF has members throughout the United States, and alumni and donors worldwide. For more information, please visit amscan.org.
