,X v CD _£ 4— ' t 2 < D .. TO ^ ■■ rn s >-♦ » Cover: Hands of Elizabeth Schiff, master, German beaded baby cap making, North Dakota. Since 1983, nearly 3,000 master artists in 42 states and three U.S. territories have teamed up with apprentices to pass on the arts of their cultural heritage. I w* Opposite: Minnie Ka'awaloa, master (R), Laurie Hera, apprentice, lauhala weaving/hat making, Hawai'i. In Good Hands: State Apprenticeship Programs in Folk & Traditional Arts :Jfe, aVOB I'm sure now that my daugh- ter, Alice, will make baskets of white oak and sedge grass and bottom chairs. I really don't believe she would have started had we not got in- volved with this program . . . Thank you for not letting this part of my tife die, but to grow and keep on keeping on. I want to leave it in somebody's hands and I would like it to be her. Azzie Roland Master basketmaker Louisiana National Endowment for the Arts 1996 Quilting in Kansas. Chinese ° und e country - „ ■ ■ ■ state apprenticeship opera in New York. Hispanic santos carving in Colorado. Hide tanning in Alaska. programs in the folk and traditional arts are helping people to "keep on keeping on" with the cherished traditions of their community. The pro- grams, usually sponsored by a state arts council, bring a master artist together with a committed apprentice for intensive instruction in a traditional craft or performing art. Artist teams apply for grants to pay for supplies, teaching time, and apprentice travel. A panel selects participants based on critera such as artistic quality and fea- sibility of study plan. Master and apprentice work together on a project that often culminates in a public presentation or a con- tinuing partnership. Ernest Murray, master (L), Steve Cookson, apprentice, Ozark johnboat paddlemaking, Missouri. I've been searching for a teacher for years and she is the one. Aunty Jane [Lily Jane Ako Nunies] believes that if you have a gift, you must pass it on. Donna Lee Cockett, apprentice lauhala weaver, Hawai'i Apprenticeships have a ripple effect that is felt far beyond the artist pair and long after the end of the grant period. ArtlStS build skills and confidence while gaining new recognition and opportunities. C0mmiinitl6S enjoy positive publicity and affirm the value of their cultural her- itage. SpOnSOr 3g6nCI8S reach out to underserved populations and enrich their programming. Aft tOTfTIS that might have disappeared find a new lease on life with a younger generation. Bonnie Chatavong, master (L), Line Saysamondouangdy, apprentice, Laotian weaving, Hawai'i. Diversity and Economy Nationwide, most apprenticeships focus on crafts among ethnic minorities, with American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Asian/Pacific Islander Americans especially well-represented; Anglo and European Americans make up 39% of participants. Teams are widely dispersed across and within U.S. states and territories, from inner-city Detroit to rural Mississippi to village Guam. Each program sets its own priorities and selection criteria according to local needs. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Folk & Traditional Arts Program has provided major funding for m state apprenticeship programs since 1983, supporting 34 out of 38 active pro- Apprenticeship programs grams in 1995. Program grant serve an impressive diver- budgets ($io,ooo-$3o,ooo) m m m r and typical awards ($1,000- sity of people, art forms, $2,500 per team) have and geographic regions. remaned stable over the years <^fc^ \ I ' Opposite: Edith "Baby Edwards" Hunt, master (L), Germaine Ingram, apprentice, African American tap dance, Pennsylvania. Bronius Krokys, master (L), Joseph Kasinskas, apprentice, Lithuainian folksinging, Pennsylvania. \ The apprenticeship pro- gram has a great impact on a rural state like this. We've done a lot to recog- nize the diversity of North Dakota people, many of whom were never recog- nized before. Mary Louise Defender- Wilson (Dakota-Hidatsa) Master storyteller, panelist Member, North Dakota Council on the Arts More than lessons in technical skills, apprenticeships are per- Intimate Conservatories sonal and cultural relationships-what one observer calls "intimate conservatories." Masters pass on stories, lore, and language along with "tricks of the trade" and the finer points of style. "You weave slowly so you can hear more stories," says one apprentice. "What I most treasure is gaining a friend," writes another. The results of apprenticeships are as varied as the artists and art forms involved. In Florida, an appren- tice learned 30 old-time fiddle tunes and now performs with her teacher. In Colorado, an apprentice started a class in santos carving at a vocational school. In Massachusetts and Oregon, apprentice singers were trained to officiate at Hmong weddings. In American Samoa, a team built a tradi- tional house bound with 130 Fred Dolan, master (L), Shawn Gillis, apprentice, duck decoy carving, New Hampshire Opposite: Shoba Sharma, master (center), apprentices Samhitha Udupa (L) and Anitha Seth (R), Indian Bharathanatyam classical dance, Pennsylvania. miles of coconut fiber. * Ola Belle [Reed] shared her banjo style, her incred- ible repertoire, her life his- tory and her family history, her political and religious outlooks and her recipes, her famous chicken soup, and her strength of moun- tain-bred character. Judy Marti Apprentice banjo player Pennsylvania Apprenticeships often lead to state, local, and national Awards and Rewards awards for master artists, including the prestigious National Heritage Fellowship. Some programs arrange annual receptions at the state capitol; others sponsor travel- ling exhibits, media documentaries, or school residencies to showcase artists. Publicity and acclaim often bring artists new invitations to present, Sell, Or teach their art. Yet the greatest reward for many comes from mentoring an J&* apprentice. "It gives me much satisfaction when I have created something beautiful, durable, and useful," writes master quilter Mary Ann Norton of Mississippi, "and even more satisfaction and The apprenticeship gave me back some things I'd almost for- gotten because nobody had asked me about it for so long. Charlie Smith, master old-time fiddler, Mississippi pleasure when I have helped someone else to learn how." Above left: Eva Castellanoz, master Mexican American wax corona maker and National Heritage Fellowship recipient (center), with daughter/ apprentice Erika Castellanoz (L), present gift to Governor Barbara Roberts at the Oregon state capitol. Above right: Peggy Langley, then apprentice (L), with Rex Cook, master, saddlemaking, North Dakota. From Apprentice to Master Saddlemaker Peggy Langley started making saddles for the horses on her family's North Dakota ranch in 1986, following book instructions and her own intuition. She tried asking cowboys for advice but found them unwilling to share their trade secrets with a woman. When the state folk arts coordinator called in 1991 to ask if she'd like to be part of a saddlemaking apprenticeship, "I thought it was a joke," Langley recalls. She convinced veteran saddlemaker Rex Cook to take her on. "He really put me through the paces," she says. "I learned I was doing everything right; I just needed more finesse and some shortcuts to make the work easier." The apprenticeship bolstered Langley's confidence and moved her to open her own saddlery. "When you make that Pe SSY Langley credits the state's first big cut into the leather, it's intimidating. Now I can do that part in a day," she reports. Wth more orders than she can handle and an apprentice of apprenticeship program With helping her own, even the rodeo cowboys are impressed. her tUffl 3 paSSIOtl into 3 pfOfeSSIOIl. If it wasn't for the NEA, I wouldn't be making pottery. Jerry Brown Master stoneware potter Everyone was hungry and ready for [shape note singing] schools. Art Deason Master shape note singer Every Saturday, Nora Ezell's six apprentices gather at her home Focus on Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to work on a Maple Leaf quilt. A 1992 National Heritage Fel- lowship winner who makes vivid African American "story quilts," Ezell expects her stu- dents to "get it just so straight from the beginning." The Alabama Folk Arts Appren- ticeship Program is known for its strong support of African American artists, its spon- sorship of group apprenticeships, and its funding of masters like Ezell year after year. Coordinator Joey Brackner takes pride in the program's role in revitaliz- ing flagship traditions like shape note hymn singing and stoneware pottery. Thanks in part to repeat grants and related publicity, the state boasts hundreds of com- munity "singings" and ninth-generation potter Jerry Brown was able to return to the fam- Opposile-. Arlin Moon, master (center), ily craft full-time. apprentice Tina Ray (L), Little Julie Ray, old-time fiddling. £>/■ \\ r J yl ilk •It Focus on Hawai'i There's a waiting list of people It's become a real status who want to study lauhala weaving with 73-year-old Minnie Ka'awaloa on the Big Island of Hawai'i. Apprentices attest to the love and lore she dispenses as she shows them how to harvest pandanus leaves or start the piko (center) for a woven hat. "Aunt Minnie has taken us under her wing with the culture, the language, the spirit," says Noelani Ng. It is this sense of prOtOCOl, Spirituality, and Values" that Hawaii Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program coordi- nator Lynn Martin aims to pass on. Though 80% Native Hawaiian, the roster also includes Cantonese opera singers, Laotian woodcarvers, and Okinawan dancers and musicians. thing to be part of the apprenticeship program. Native Hawaiians took the master artists for granted before; now they look up to them. It's done won- ders for their spirit. Nathan Napoka Panelist, State Foundation on Culture and the Arts Raymond Kane, master (center), apprentices Bobby Moderow, Jr. (L) and Harry Koizumi (R), Hawaiian slack key guitar. Hands of William Ka'awaloa, master, Hawaiian fishnetting. They [apprentices] got to know not only the tech- nique, but also the men- tality. They got to know who they are. Richard Martin Master African American tap/jazz dancer If I go away to the army and there's someone still here to play for [Irish] ceili dances, then I've done my job. Niall Gannon Master Irish fiddler Focus on Missouri One of the country's oldest and largest programs, the Mis- souri Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program has sponsored nearly 200 teams since 1984. Participants range from Mexican American mariachi trumpeters in Kansas City to wooden johnboat builders in the Ozarks to African American gospel singers in the Bootheei region. "When you're doing an apprenticeship, you really put your best behind it because they are going to be the role models for the oth- erS, says master Irish musi- cian Patrick Gannon. Apprentice- Cecil Murray, master (L), Jon Murray, apprentice, Ozark wooden johnboat making. ships have brought long-overdue acclaim to artists like tap dance master Richard Martin, who toured with Missouri Performing Traditions and received the Missouri Arts Award. For coordinator Dana Everts-Boehm, the real Sign of success is whether relation- ships and traditions continue after the grants end. tii always be coming back to help Cecil [Murray] build boats, or if I can't find another reason, just to pester him," says apprentice Steve Cookson. Larry McNally, master (R), James Walsh, apprentice, Irish button box accordion. V X m 91 Focus on North Dakota It took a lot of visits, gifts, and respectful listening for D. Joyce Kitson (Lakota-Hidatsa) to find someone to teach her Hidatsa bird quillwork. Only a few elders know how to prepare the thin gull feather quills to create striking designs on cloth- ing and regalia. The North Dakota Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program gives priority to endangered art forms like this, along with Kurdish lute playing and German beaded baby cap making. "The tradition will keep on going and become part of someone's life, versus two hours of enjoyment for SOme audience members," explains coordinator Troyd Geist. The invest- ment has paid off in places like Dickinson, where apprenticeships in Ukrainian embroi- dery, ritual bread decoration, folk dance, and pysanky (ritually decorated eggs) have helped fuel a cultural revival. Hands o/Angie Chruszch, master, Ukrainian pysanky. People that are dying [elders], and their culture is dying-they're thankful to see even one person coming out to keep our traditions alive. I could be working as a secretary, but I'm choosing to do this. That's where my heart is, in tanning a hide, doing beadwork. I'd like to see projects like this expand- ed, not cut back. D. Joyce Kitson (Lakota-Hidatsa) Master beadworker/ hidetanner Apprentice quillworker In ten years of working for the tribe, I've never seen a project that has brought Indians togeth- er in this way. Theresa Hoffman (Penobscot) Member, Maine Arts Commission Director, Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance If basketmaking isn't done in the household, then a kid can't learn anytime he wants to. Richard Silliboy (Micmac) Master basketmaker and panelist • Focus on Maine The first people emerged from the bark of "basket-trees" (brown ash trees), according to a Passamaquoddy creation legend. Many Maine Indians grew up with the sound of ash being pounded for baskets to sell door-to-door. But the craft was languishing when the Maine Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program was launched in 1990. Grants "gave the elders some incentive to take the time with some of the younger generation," says participant car- ol Dana (Penobscot). The program also spurred the formation of a state Brown Ash Task Force to preserve the resource and the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance to advocate for artists' needs. A tradition once linked with poverty now thrives as a source of cultural pride. Unfinished potato baskets by Jim Tomah. Donald Sanipass of Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance strips brown ash. Apprenticeships are by far our most direct and suc- cessful way of supporting traditional artists. Kathleen Mundell Folk Arts Coordinator Maine Arts Commission There's a whole body of artistic wisdom that is being passed on. We will be so impoverished if we don't have that. Lynn Martin Folk Arts Coordinator State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Hawai'i Thousands of artists supported, hundreds of "good news" media High artistic quality. Public popularity. Cost effectiveness. stories, scores of vanishing traditions preserved. Apprenticeship programs appear to be in good hands. Yet with changes at the NEA and many state arts agencies, these pro- grams face an uncertain future. They must diversify their funding and forge new partner- ships to survive. In Wisconsin, master Winnebago ceremonial bowl and spoon carver Myron Lowe took care to teach apprentices "the ethics of the craft," as coordinator Richard March describes: "how to find suitable burls in the woods, how to remove them without killing the tree, and how to notch another tree in such a way that in 30 years, the tree would produce another suitable burl for a future woodcarver." With COntmUSQ support, apprenticeship programs will put another notch in the tree. Richard Silliboy, master (R), and Valentine Pulchies, apprentice, seek brown ash trees for Micmac Indian basketmaking, Maine. This booklet was made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts Folk & Traditional Arts Program to The Fund for Folk Culture. For additional copies of this or the full-length report of the same title, please contact: Director, Folk & Traditional Arts Heritage & Preservation Division National Endowment for the Arts The Nancy Hanks Center 1100 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Room 720 Washington, D.C. 20506 Text: Susan Auerbach Design: Leslie Baker Graphic Design Photo Credits: Cover, pages 9, 16: Troyd Ceist, courtesy North Dakota Council on the Arts Page 1 : Carl Hefner, courtesy State Foundation on Culture and the Arts Pages 2, 14, 15: Dana Everts-Boehm, courtesy Missouri Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program Pages 3, 12, 13: Lynn Martin, courtesy State Foundation on Culture and the Arts Pages 4, 5, 7: Jane Levine, courtesy Pennsylvania Heritage Affairs Commission Page 6: Jill Linzee, courtesy New Hampshire State Council on the Arts Page 8: Eliza Buck, courtesy Oregon Folk Arts Program Page 1 1 : Joey Brackner, courtesy Alabama State Council on the Arts Pages 18, 19, 21 : Cedric Chatterley, courtesy Maine Arts Commission