Master 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, master artist, and Diane Wagner, apprentice, in Wakefield, MA
Arabic calligraphy – Wafaa T. Alshimrty, master artist, and Bayda Asbridge, apprentice, in Weymouth, MA
Bird taxidermy – Victor F. Cole, master artist, and Nicole Baldelli, apprentice, in Newburyport, MA
Irish set and step dance – Kieran Jordan, master artist, and Rebecca McGowan, apprentice, in Dorchester, MA
Music of Epirus -Vasilis Kostas, master artist, and Lysander Jaffe, apprentice, in Newton, MA
Nepalese sarangi -Shyam Nepali, master artist, and Sophie Shrestha, apprentice, in Watertown, MA
Embroidery: Narrative needlework – Elizabeth Creeden, master artist, and Janice Card, apprentice, in Plymouth, MA
Wooden shipbuilding and restoration – Harold A. Burnham, master artist, and Katherine Dench, apprentice, in Essex, MA
Wampanoag traditional art –
Elizabeth James-Perry, master artist, and
Erin Genia, apprentice, in
North Dartmouth, MA
North Indian Tabla – Sandeep Das, master artist, and Veerane Pratap, apprentice, in Chestnut Hill, MA
Ottoman/Turkish makam -Mehmet Ali Sanlikol, master artist, and George Lernis, apprentice, in Belmont, MA
Wooden ship steering wheel design/build – Robert W. Fuller, Jr., master artist, and Christina Fuller, apprentice, in Halifax, MA
Grants of $1,500 are available to Massachusetts individual artists and independent teaching artists/humanists/scientists who have lost income as a direct result of COVID-19.
Applications in Crafts, Dramatic Writing, Film & Video, Music Composition, Photography, and Sculpture/Installation/New Genres can be submitted by February 8, 2021.