The Kentucky Arts Council has awarded $9,000 in grants to three master traditional and folk artists who will spend the next year teaching skills and practices vital to the state's cultural heritage to apprentice artists working in the same art form.
The arts council's Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grants facilitate and support the recognition and continuation of Kentucky cultural traditions. Funding allows apprentice artists to study face-to-face with masters in their field to advance toward the same status within a specific folk art community.
"The folk and traditional arts apprenticeship program relates directly to conserving the vibrant and varied art forms that can be found in Kentucky communities," said Lori Meadows, arts council executive director. "The arts council is dedicated to recognizing their contributions to the state's culture and assisting these artists who share the art forms with present and future generations."
The folk and traditional arts masters who will receive grants are:
Appalachian furniture maker Terry Ratliff, of Martin, will teach Joseph Ratliff, of Martin; $3,000
Thumb-picking guitarist Steve Rector, of Greenville, will teach Marty Olson, of Russellville; $3,000
Fiddler Scott Moore, of Westview (Breckinridge County), will teach Dave Howard, of Louisville; $3,000
For more than 20 years, the Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grant has supported a wide variety of traditional art forms practiced in Kentucky, including square-dance calling, jazz music, Chinese traditional dance, gospel music, fiddling, drumming and basket making.
Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grants are awarded annually by the arts council. For more information about the grant application process, contact Mark Brown, folk and traditional arts program director, at 502-564-3757, ext. 495.
The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, creates opportunities for Kentuckians to value, participate in and benefit from the arts. Kentucky Arts Council funding is provided by the Kentucky General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.