Mentor artist Sandeep Das playing tabla with apprentice Veerane Pratap, 2020.
Mass Cultural Council’s governing Council recently approved our largest investment ever in Traditional Arts Apprenticeships – $100,000 – to preserve and continue vital ethnic and cultural art forms in a range of media. Not only do these mentoring partnerships help sustain living traditions, they also support intergenerational learning.
It is with delight that we announce the funding of 13 new apprenticeships in FY21 in the following traditions: Khmer ornaments and forms, wooden boat restoration, Wampanoag traditional art, Arabic calligraphy, North Indian tabla, narrative needlework embroidery, wooden ship steering wheel making, Ottoman/Turkish makam, the music of Epirus, Irish set and step dance, handmade western boot making, and bird taxidermy.
Congratulations to all the recipients. We wish them well in their learning endeavors.
Handmade western bootmaking – Sarah M. Guerin, mentor artist, and Diane Wagner, apprentice, in Wakefield, MA
Arabic calligraphy – Wafaa T. Alshimrty, mentor artist, and Bayda Asbridge, apprentice, in Weymouth, MA
Bird taxidermy – Victor F. Cole, mentor artist, and Nicole Baldelli, apprentice, in Newburyport, MA
Irish set and step dance – Kieran Jordan, mentor artist, and Rebecca McGowan, apprentice, in Dorchester, MA
Music of Epirus -Vasilis Kostas, mentor artist, and Lysander Jaffe, apprentice, in Newton, MA
Nepalese sarangi -Shyam Nepali, mentor artist, and Sophie Shrestha, apprentice, in Watertown, MA
Embroidery: Narrative needlework – Elizabeth Creeden, mentor artist, and Janice Card, apprentice, in Plymouth, MA
Wooden shipbuilding and restoration – Harold A. Burnham, mentor artist, and Katherine Dench, apprentice, in Essex, MA
Wampanoag traditional art –
Elizabeth James-Perry, mentor artist, and
Erin Genia, apprentice, in
North Dartmouth, MA
North Indian Tabla – Sandeep Das, mentor artist, and Veerane Pratap, apprentice, in Chestnut Hill, MA
Ottoman/Turkish makam -Mehmet Ali Sanlikol, mentor artist, and George Lernis, apprentice, in Belmont, MA
Wooden ship steering wheel design/build – Robert W. Fuller, Jr., mentor artist, and Christina Fuller, apprentice, in Halifax, MA
Historic investment of state COVID relief funds will support 1,000s of cultural organizations and creative individuals living and working in Massachusetts.