Genesis Custom Posts - Excerpt not working

functions.php

<?php

add_theme_support( 'post-thumbnails' );


// Controls the length of the Posts and Custom Posts
function wpt_excerpt_length( $length ) {
	return 26;
	}
	
add_filter( 'excerpt_length', 'wpt_excerpt_length', 999 );


//* Start the engine
include_once( get_template_directory() . '/lib/init.php' );

//* Setup Theme
include_once( get_stylesheet_directory() . '/lib/theme-defaults.php' );


//* Set Localization (do not remove)
load_child_theme_textdomain( 'agency', apply_filters( 'child_theme_textdomain', get_stylesheet_directory() . '/languages', 'agency' ) );

//* Add Image upload to WordPress Theme Customizer
add_action( 'customize_register', 'agency_customizer' );
function agency_customizer(){

	require_once( get_stylesheet_directory() . '/lib/customize.php' );
	
}

//* Child theme (do not remove)
define( 'CHILD_THEME_NAME', __( 'Agency Pro Theme', 'agency' ) );
define( 'CHILD_THEME_URL', 'http://my.studiopress.com/themes/agency/' );
define( 'CHILD_THEME_VERSION', '3.1.2' );

//* Add HTML5 markup structure
add_theme_support( 'html5', array( 'search-form', 'comment-form', 'comment-list', 'gallery', 'caption' ) );

//* Add viewport meta tag for mobile browsers
add_theme_support( 'genesis-responsive-viewport' );

//* Enqueue Scripts
add_action( 'wp_enqueue_scripts', 'agency_load_scripts' );
function agency_load_scripts() {

	wp_enqueue_script( 'agency-responsive-menu', get_bloginfo( 'stylesheet_directory' ) . '/js/responsive-menu.js', array( 'jquery' ), '1.0.0' );
	
	wp_enqueue_style( 'dashicons' );
	
	wp_enqueue_style( 'google-fonts', '//fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=EB+Garamond|Spinnaker', array(), CHILD_THEME_VERSION );
	
}

//* Enqueue Backstretch script and prepare images for loading
add_action( 'wp_enqueue_scripts', 'agency_enqueue_backstretch_scripts' );
function agency_enqueue_backstretch_scripts() {

	$image = get_option( 'agency-backstretch-image', sprintf( '%s/images/bg.jpg', get_stylesheet_directory_uri() ) );
	
	//* Load scripts only if custom backstretch image is being used
	if ( ! empty( $image ) ) {

		wp_enqueue_script( 'agency-pro-backstretch', get_bloginfo( 'stylesheet_directory' ) . '/js/backstretch.js', array( 'jquery' ), '1.0.0' );
		wp_enqueue_script( 'agency-pro-backstretch-set', get_bloginfo( 'stylesheet_directory' ).'/js/backstretch-set.js' , array( 'jquery', 'agency-pro-backstretch' ), '1.0.0' );

		wp_localize_script( 'agency-pro-backstretch-set', 'BackStretchImg', array( 'src' => str_replace( 'http:', '', $image ) ) );
	
	}

}

//* Add new image sizes
add_image_size( 'home-bottom', 380, 150, TRUE );
add_image_size( 'home-middle', 380, 380, TRUE );

//* Add support for custom background
add_theme_support( 'custom-background' ); 

//* Add support for custom header
add_theme_support( 'custom-header', array(
	'header_image'    => '',
	'header-selector' => '.site-title a',
	'header-text'     => false,
	'height'          => 60,
	'width'           => 300,
) );

//* Add support for additional color style options
add_theme_support( 'genesis-style-selector', array(
	'agency-pro-blue'   => __( 'Agency Pro Blue', 'agency' ),
	'agency-pro-green'  => __( 'Agency Pro Green', 'agency' ),
	'agency-pro-orange' => __( 'Agency Pro Orange', 'agency' ),
	'agency-pro-red'    => __( 'Agency Pro Red', 'agency' ),
) );

//* Add support for 3-column footer widgets
add_theme_support( 'genesis-footer-widgets', 3 );

//* Add support for after entry widget
add_theme_support( 'genesis-after-entry-widget-area' );

//* Reposition the header
remove_action( 'genesis_header', 'genesis_header_markup_open', 5 );
remove_action( 'genesis_header', 'genesis_do_header' );
remove_action( 'genesis_header', 'genesis_header_markup_close', 15 );
add_action( 'genesis_before', 'genesis_header_markup_open', 5 );
add_action( 'genesis_before', 'genesis_do_header', 10 );
add_action( 'genesis_before', 'genesis_header_markup_close', 15 );

//* Remove the site description
remove_action( 'genesis_site_description', 'genesis_seo_site_description' );

//* Reposition the secondary navigation menu
remove_action( 'genesis_after_header', 'genesis_do_subnav' );
add_action( 'genesis_footer', 'genesis_do_subnav', 7 );

//* Reduce the secondary navigation menu to one level depth
add_filter( 'wp_nav_menu_args', 'agency_secondary_menu_args' );
function agency_secondary_menu_args( $args ){

	if( 'secondary' != $args['theme_location'] )
	return $args;

	$args['depth'] = 1;
	return $args;

}

//* Relocate after entry widget
remove_action( 'genesis_after_entry', 'genesis_after_entry_widget_area' );
add_action( 'genesis_after_entry', 'genesis_after_entry_widget_area', 5 );

//* Remove comment form allowed tags
add_filter( 'comment_form_defaults', 'agency_remove_comment_form_allowed_tags' );
function agency_remove_comment_form_allowed_tags( $defaults ) {
	
	$defaults['comment_notes_after'] = '';
	return $defaults;

}

//* Register widget areas
genesis_register_sidebar( array(
	'id'          => 'home-top',
	'name'        => __( 'Home Top', 'agency' ),
	'description' => __( 'This is the top section of the homepage.', 'agency' ),
) );
genesis_register_sidebar( array(
	'id'          => 'home-middle',
	'name'        => __( 'Home Middle', 'agency' ),
	'description' => __( 'This is the middle section of the homepage.', 'agency' ),
) );
genesis_register_sidebar( array(
	'id'          => 'home-bottom',
	'name'        => __( 'Home Bottom', 'agency' ),
	'description' => __( 'This is the bottom section of the homepage.', 'agency' ),
) );



//* Customize the entire footer
remove_action( 'genesis_footer', 'genesis_do_footer' );
add_action( 'genesis_footer', 'sp_custom_footer' );
function sp_custom_footer() {
	?>
	<p>Whitby Art Society &copy; Copyright 2015 | Built by <a href="http://webdesigninwhitby.co.uk/" target="_blank">Webdesigninwhitby.co.uk</a> | <a href="http://whitbyartsociety.org/wp-admin">Login</a></p>
	<?php
}

page-featured-artists.php

<?php 
/* 
  Template Name: Featured Artists Page
*/

// Set varable for getting the excert of the custom post
  $my_excerpt = get_the_excerpt();

  $num_posts = 6;

  $args = array(
    'post_type' => 'artists',
    'posts_per_page' => $num_posts,
    'order'    => 'DESC'
  );

  $query = new WP_Query( $args );

?>


<?php get_header(); ?>

<div class="site-inner">
  <div class="content-sidebar-wrap">
    <main class="content">
      <article class="page type-page status-publish entry"

        <?php if ( have_posts() ) : while ( have_posts() ) : the_post(); ?>
    
        <h1><?php the_title(); ?></h1>            
        <?php the_content(); ?>
  
        <?php endwhile; endif; ?>


        <?php if( $query->have_posts() ) : while( $query->have_posts() ) : $query->the_post(); ?>

        <h3><a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></h3>
        <?php the_post_thumbnail('large'); ?></a>
    <!-- Echoing the varable that holds the excerts of the custom posts -->
    <!-- Following excert is not working -->
    
        <!-- <a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"><?php echo $my_excerpt; ?></a> -->
        <br>
        <br>
        <?php endwhile; endif; wp_reset_postdata(); ?>
      </article>
    </main>

    <aside class="sidebar sidebar-primary"> 
    <?php get_sidebar(); ?>
    </aside>
  </div>
</div>

<?php get_footer(); ?>

single-artists.php

<?php get_header(); ?>

<div class="site-inner">
  <div class="content-sidebar-wrap">
  	<?php if ( have_posts() ) : while ( have_posts() ) : the_post(); ?>
	    	<main class="content">
	    	<article class="page type-page status-publish entry"
			    <!-- Primary Column -->	
			    <!-- Change so it is the same name as the custom field, be carefull is it images or image -->
			    <h1><?php the_title(); ?></h1>
			    <?php the_field('images'); ?>		      		      

				<p><?php the_field('about_the_artist'); ?></p>
				<p><?php the_field('artists_website'); ?></p>
				<hr>
				<p>
					<?php previous_post_link(); ?> -
					<!-- the following code adds a link back to the portfolio page -->
					<a href="<?php bloginfo('url'); ?>/artists">Back to Featured Artists</a> - 
					<?php next_post_link(); ?>
			</article>
			</main>
			<aside class="sidebar sidebar-primary"> 
				<!-- Secondary Column -->
				<?php get_sidebar(); ?>
			</aside>
		</div>	
	  </div>
	<?php endwhile; endif; ?>
  </div>
<?php get_footer(); ?>