2019-2020 Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grants Announced

The NH State Council on the Arts is delighted to announce the awarding of Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grants to 7 Master and Apprentice teams. Apprenticeship grants help communities preserve their cultural heritage through traditional crafts, music, and dance so that future generations can continue to benefit from them. Apprenticeship grants fund a master traditional artist to teach an experienced apprentice in one-to-one sessions over a period of six to ten months. Traditional arts are an important part of our living cultural heritage and represent a sense of beauty, skills, knowledge, and community values refined over generations. Nearly every state in the US has an apprenticeship program that is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Here are the 2019-2020 Traditional Arts

Apprenticeship Teams:

 





Photo: Felix and TJ at Hampton Falls
Oktoberfest, Fall 2018. Photo submitted
by Felix Taracena.

American Roots Music on the Upright Bass

Master Artist: TJ Wheeler (Hampton Falls, NH)

Apprentice: Felix Taracena (Hampton, NH)


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo: "Lord Nataraja - the cosmic dancer"

Photo from the recently concluded performance.

Aishwarya Balasubramanian, Bharathanatyam dancer.

Photo by a4 medias.

Bharatanatyam


Master Artist: Aishwarya Balasubramanian (Nashua, NH)

Apprentice: Swathi Jaisankar (Nashua, NH)

 

 

 

 

Photo: Preening Merganser by Fred Dolan.
Photo submitted by Fred Dolan.

Decoy Carving & Painting

Master Artist: Fred Dolan (Strafford, NH)

Apprentice: Paul Spencer (Rochester, NH)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New England Dance Calling

Photo: Dudley and Lindsay along with members of
Canterbury Country Dance Orchestra at Dudley’s home
in Canterbury, April 2019. Photo submitted
by Dudley Laufman and Lindsay Holden.

Master Artist: Dudley Laufman (Canterbury, NH)

Apprentice: Lindsay Holden (Chichester, NH)



 

 

 



Photo: Mother-of-God of Vladimir 
Icon by Marina Forbes, 2016.
Photo submitted by Marina Forbes.

Russian Iconography Painting

Master Artist: Marina Forbes (Rochester, NH)

Apprentice: Julia Luch (Lakeville, MA)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Photo: Carly Goss leading at the 2015 Maine All Day
Singing with Chris McKnight singing on the corner of
the front tenor bench. Photo by Aldo Thomas Ceresa.

 Sacred Harp Singing

Master Artists: Chris McKnight and Carly Goss (Bartlett, NH)

Apprentice: Ethan McNerney (Lovell, ME)



 

 

 

 



Photo: Arrowhead Cusp Latch by Garry Kalajian.
Photo submitted by Garry Kalajian.

Traditional Blacksmithing


Master Artist: Garry Kalajian (Bradford, NH)

Apprentice: Sam Durfee (Concord, NH)