Illinois Arts Council Ethnic & Folk Arts Master/Apprentice Grants

ETHNIC & FOLK ARTS MASTER/APPRENTICE PROGRAM GRANTS AVAILABLE FROM THE ILLINOIS ARTS COUNCIL

Master Artist/Apprentice Relationship Preserves Illinois’ Cultural Heritage

Applications are now available online and in hardcopy for the Illinois Arts Council’s Ethnic & Folk Arts Master/Apprentice Program. This program recognizes the vital role of the master artist and apprentice relationship in the preservation of Illinois’ cultural heritage. Master/Apprentice awards are $2,000 and $1,000, respectively.

The Illinois Arts Council’s Ethnic & Folk Arts Master/Apprentice Program generally supports art forms found in informal rather than institutional settings. A “Master Artist” is an individual recognized within his or her community as an exemplary practitioner of his or her traditional or classical ethnic art form. An “Apprentice” is an individual with some experience in a traditional or classical ethnic art form who is committed to attaining mastery of that art. Past awards have supported traditional art forms as diverse as East Indian dance, Chinese drum and bell music, African drumming, and American folk music.

“Illinois is exceptionally rich in cultural heritage,” says Terry A. Scrogum, Illinois Arts Council Executive Director. “Ethnic and Folk Arts Master/Apprentice Grants help to foster this learning arrangement and sustain the diversity of these traditional art forms.”

The deadline for application to the FY09 Ethnic & Folk Arts Master/Apprentice Program is September 1, 2008. Guidelines and application materials are available from the Illinois Arts Council website: www.state.il.us/agency/iac .

For further information about this program and/or to receive a hardcopy of these materials, please contact Susan Dickson, Acting Director of Ethnic & Folk Arts, Literature & Presenters Programs, at 312/814-6740, or email iac1.program1@illinois.gov.