| From horsehead fiddle players to cedar weavers, diorama makers, and many more, check out the artists awarded a spot in the 2024 Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program. Created to preserve traditional arts, crafts, and skills, the Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program sustains cultural traditions important to Washington’s communities. Each skilled master artist will mentor their apprentice for at least 100 hours throughout the program year. Now entering its seventh year, over 130 people have participated. The Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program will culminate in a free event to introduce the public to these unique cultural traditions, date and time to be announced. The program is part of the Center for Washington Cultural Traditions. Meet the 16 teams of artists and culture bearers chosen to help preserve traditional skills across Washington State: Tradition: American folk music and Mississippi Delta blues fingerstyle guitar Master Artist: Rachel Harrington, Vancouver Apprentice: Jacob Saunders, Vancouver This team will focus on Mississippi Delta African American guitar picking, Scots/Irish storytelling of Appalachia, and Tex-Mex troubadour tradition. Tradition: Sahumadora (Fire Keeper) Master Artist: Araceli Jaime, Seattle Apprentice: Karol Alaniz, Auburn Aztec dance groups designate a sahumadora (fire keeper) with special knowledge of spiritual practices, to build an altar for healing and cleansing during ceremonies and gatherings. This team will focus on transmitting knowledge about traditional medicine and practices. Tradition: Ballet Folklórico Master Artist: Emilie Jimenez, Cheney Apprentice: Diana Corral Torres, Wenatchee This team will focus on learning footwork and skirt work for traditional Mexican dances from Jalisco, Sinaloa, Veracruz, and Michoacán. Tradition: Lutherie (instrument repair) Master Artist: Devin Champlin, Bellingham Apprentice: Mariah Roberson, Seattle This team will focus on the more difficult skills needed to assess, repair, restore, and maintain stringed musical instruments, particularly guitars, banjos, and mandolins. Tradition: Majolica Tableware Master Artist: Ann Marie DeCollibus, Ferndale Apprentice: Jessica Gigot, Bow This project will focus on creating uniquely decorated, hand-crafted tableware using the Majolica tradition in a modern, rural context. The team will tell the story of how food is grown and gathered using original imagery and surface design techniques. Tradition: Mohiniyattam Indian classical dance Master Artist: Anu Samrat, Bellevue Apprentice: Elaine Varghese, Duvall The apprentice will build on her knowledge of Mohiniyattam, a classical Indian dance form characterized by soft, flowy movements. Mohiniyattam was danced to sopana sangitam, devotional music sung in temples. Tradition: Mongolian Horse Head Fiddle Master Artist: Anu-Ujin Batbaatar, Mercer Island Apprentice: Temuujin Batbaatar, Mercer Island This team will explore the rich history and technique of the Morin Khuur, an iconic Mongolian instrument. The apprentice will learn traditional melodies, bowing techniques, and ornamentation styles. Tradition: Peruvian Retablos (dioramas) Master Artist: Fresia Valdivia, Lynnwood Apprentices: Magaly Bailon, Lynwood and Natalia Oblitas, Lynwood Dioramas tell the story of Peruvian history in miniature, foster artistic expression, and pass down cultural heritage. The apprentices will craft scenes of daily life with handmade and hand-painted figures. Tradition: Quileute Basketweaving Master Artist: Catherine Salazar, Forks Apprentice: Gloria Salazar, Forks This team will learn how to prepare raw cedar to create necklaces, woven baskets, hats, and headbands. Tradition: Black Quilting Master Artist: Brenetta Ward, Seattle Apprentice: JeLisa Marshall, Seattle Quilting is a beloved tradition in many cultures, but it is especially significant to Black culture in the United States. Enslaved people used quilting to maintain familial roots to Africa. This project will focus on techniques developed by Black quilters and the team will collaboratively complete a community-based, cultural story cloth. Tradition: Rabindranritya (Tagore Indian Dance) Master Artist: Piyali Biswas De, Sammamish Apprentice: Tonoya Biswas, Sammamish Rabindranritya is a unique Indian dance developed by Rabindranath Tagore, the first non-European Nobel literature laureate. It blends elements of classical and folk dances and uses graceful movements and poetic gestures to express emotions. Tradition: Son Jarocho Zapateado dance Master Artist: Yesenia Hunter, Yakima Apprentice: “A” Israel Aeden Hunter, Yakima Zapateado jarocho is the percussive dance steps that accompany of the music of son jarocho, a regional folk music style from Veracruz, Mexico. Tradition: Suquamish weaving and music and dance preservation Master Artist: Peg Deam, Suquamish Apprentice: Kyles Gemmell, Poulsbo This holistic project includes making regalia and basketry, learning traditional dyeing methods, and learning and teaching Suquamish songs and dances to pass on to future generations. Tradition: Chinese Porcelain Enamel Processes Master Artist: Cheryll Leo-Gwin, Redmond Apprentices: Amy McBride, Tacoma and Oliver McBride Youngers, Tacoma This team will focus on the traditional Chinese porcelain enamel process. CloIisonné enamel appeared in China in 1400 and became a main category of China’s decorative arts for furnishing temples and palaces. Copied by artisans, objects were story- and myth-bearing vessels to be handed down to future generations. Tradition: Native Cedar Weaving Master Artist: Donna McNeil, Eastsound Apprentices: Sia Aronica, Ellensburg and Janine Bufi, Ellensburg This project will focus on gathering cedar tree materials and processing them using traditional skills/techniques to create finished, usable items. Tradition: Ravenstail Weaving Master Artist: Janice Jainga-Lonergan, Seattle Apprentices: Dawn Davis, Milton and Ashley Schmidt, Everett This team will learn to weave wool in the Ravenstail style, an ancient design used to tell stories of the Tsimshian, Haida, and Tlignit people. |
