Announcing the Vermont Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program 2024/25 Cohort
Vermont Folklife is pleased to announce the latest cohort of master artist/apprentice pairs comprising the 33rd cycle of the Vermont Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program (VTAAP)! Seven projects from around the state were successfully funded and we look forward to following the artists and their work throughout the upcoming year.
With funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Vermont Arts Council, Vermont Folklife initiated the program in 1992 to support the continued vitality of Vermont's living cultural heritage. VTAAP provides stipends of up to $2,000 to master and apprentice pairs to cover materials and travel expenses associated with their apprenticeship, and to compensate the master artist for their time.
Apprenticeships are face-to-face learning opportunities where instruction addresses both the skills and techniques of an art form, as well as its meaning and use within the communities in which it is practiced. They pair a community-recognized master artist who has achieved a high level of expertise in their art form with a less-experienced apprentice.
The master artist and apprentice jointly plan when, where, and what they expect to accomplish during the apprenticeship. Apprenticeship schedules reflect the time constraints of both master artist and apprentice, and range from short-term, intensive sessions to meetings spread over a year.
More than 400 apprenticeships have been supported since 1992. The successful applicants of the 2024 - 2025 program cycle are listed here:
Scottish Lever Harp - Rachel Clemente / Ava Druzgalski
Traditional Abenaki Basket Making - Lynn Murphy / Lillian Maxham
Knitting - Leslie Roth / Charlotte Foster-Fell
Rolyang Lobling: Traditional Tibetan Music, Dance and Singing - Migmar Tsering / Tenzin Namsel
Stone Carving - Heather Milne Ritchie / Zahra Dana
Warp-Weighted Loom Weaving - Andrea Myklebust / Rebecca Ranta
Franco-American Fiddling - Donna Hebert / Isabella Rottler
In the coming months Vermont Folklife will share documentation and news related to these extraordinary projects. Stay tuned on our website, podcast, Facebook, and Instagram to follow their progress.
