By Natasha Anderson
Applications for the 2021/2022 North Carolina In These Mountains Appalachian Folklife Apprenticeship program are due Monday, April 5. The program, sponsored by South Arts, supports 12-month apprenticeships in the folk and traditional arts of the cultural communities within North Carolina’s Appalachian Regional Commission counties.
“Folklife Apprenticeships are an investment in both artists and the communities whose cultures they keep,” says North Carolina Arts Council folklife director Zoe van Buren. “The apprenticeship teams are making a commitment not only to one another but to a lifetime of stewardship of the cultural knowledge and skill they hold in their hands, because the arts they are teaching and learning come full of stories, values and relationships.”
Apprentice Chisolm Leonard learns Shaker tape weaving. Photo courtesy of Brandy Clements and Dave Klinger
Since the program began in 2019, grants have been awarded for mentor/apprentice pairings in the field of Cherokee metalsmithing and blacksmithing; storytelling and ballads; chair caning; and fiddle tunes of the North Carolina/Virginia border. While apprentices work to achieve mastery of their field of study, they also gain a deeper understanding of the evolution of their craft.
“One of the most important things I’ve learned is that the tunes we’ve worked on are not just some musical equivalent of mantelpiece decorations or simply pieces to be performed,” says Trevor McKenzie, apprentice to fiddler Paul Brown. “These tunes are part of a larger story, one that is complicated and often accompanied by the uncomfortable weight of history.”
Chisolm Leonard, apprentice to Brandy Clements and Dave Klingler of Silver River Center for Chair Caning, notes that in addition to bringing him an unexpected sense of pleasure, the apprenticeship has benefited his furniture restoration business. “In the past, I had to send chairs I’d repaired to others for seat replacement,” says Leonard, “but I can now do it myself. It’s been the icing on the cake.”
The partnerships also have a positive impact on the mentors. Clements and Klingler were inspired to create a comprehensive curriculum for their apprentices that will also enhance their workshops and educational mission. “As we struggle with the effects of the pandemic,” says Clements, “this opportunity is a weekly reminder of why we invested so much time and money into the business all these years—preservation of the craft through education.”
Brown echoes the sentiment. “The meetings, all online due to the pandemic, are the high point of my week,” he says. “Trevor asks great questions that prompt me to think in new ways about how this fiddle music evolved.”
Applications for 2021/2022 apprenticeships will be reviewed by a panel, and two mentor/apprentice pairings will be selected. All applicants must be 18 years or older. Selected pairs will be announced in May. Apprenticeships will take place from July 2021 through June 2022. Mentor artists will receive a grant award of $7,000. Apprentices will receive a grant award of $3,000. Applicants should describe who is responsible for any supply costs. Typically, the apprentice is expected to cover the cost of supplies. Alternative distributions of funding may be considered upon request.
Guidelines and application instructions are available at NCArts.org/invest-arts/grants-artists/folklife-apprenticeships. Email zoe.vanburen@ncdcr.gov before applying.
