Grants to New Hampshire Apprentice and Master Artists to Study Culturally Significant Art Forms

Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grant

Agency

State

GrantWatch ID#

179332

Funding Source

New Hampshire State Council on the Arts (NHSCA)

Geographic Focus

USA: New Hampshire

Important Dates

Deadline: 06/30/23 11:59 PM EST - Completed online or postmarked/delivered before the close of business

Grant Description

Grants of up to $4,000 to New Hampshire apprentice and master artists to study and pass on culturally significant arts skills. Funding is intended to help communities share traditions and allow future generations to enjoy their cultural heritage. The goal of the grants is to preserve community cultural heritage through the learning and passing on of traditional arts – including crafts, music, and dance. Applications in traditions in which there is limited availability of master teachers will be more competitive than those that are widely taught in New Hampshire.

Apprenticeship grants fund a master traditional artist to teach an experienced apprentice in one-to-one sessions for a minimum of 65 hours over a period of six to ten months. Traditional arts are passed down from one generation to the next within communities through observation, conversation, imitation, and practice. They represent a sense of beauty, skills, knowledge, and community values refined over generations and are an important part of the living cultural heritage. Communities can be defined in many ways such as groups that share the same ethnic heritage, language, geographic area, religion, occupation, or way of life.

Grant funds may cover:

Master artist fees for teaching, supplies, and travel essential to the Apprenticeship
Apprentice supplies and travel costs essential to the Apprenticeship
Fees associated with sharing a community presentation

Funding Priorities:

Funding for Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grants is limited and awarded on a competitive basis. To provide for the equitable distribution of funds, when two applications have been determined as having equal merit by the review panel, the State Arts Council will give funding priority to master artists who are applying for the first time. Master Artist and/or Apprentices applying to this program who are not from the community where the tradition emerged will be considered a low priority.

Recipient

Additional Eligibility Criteria

Traditional artists active in any artistic or cultural expression that can demonstrate there is a community context for the tradition within New Hampshire may apply for a Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grant. Individuals interested in applying for this grant identify each other and apply together as a team. In some cases, the Heritage and Traditional Arts Coordinator can provide contact information for artists working in a particular traditional art form, but it is up to individuals interested in this grant to contact each other.

The master artist should:
- Be recognized by their community as an established and mature practitioner of the traditional art form.
- Demonstrate artistic excellence through supporting materials. There is no certification required to be considered a master artist.
- Strong connection and/or involvement to the community where the tradition emerged.
- Be able to express in the application a sincere interest and commitment to teaching the tradition to the proposed apprentice.

The apprentice should:
- Demonstrate experience and competency in the artistic tradition they want to study.
- Be able to express in the application a sincere interest and commitment to sharing with others the knowledge learned after the completion of the Apprenticeship.
- Strong connection and/or involvement to the community where the tradition emerged.
- Be at least 12 years old and have parental approval to apply if younger than 18.

Residency Requirements and Border State Apprenticeships
The State Council on the Arts recognizes that traditional art forms are often preserved regionally. Therefore, only one member of the apprenticeship team (master or apprentice) is required to be a resident of the state of New Hampshire; the other member of the team may be a resident of one of the border states: Vermont, Maine, or Massachusetts.

Ineligible

The grant does not cover fees for the apprentice’s time.

Restrictions: Each individual applicant, regardless of whether they are applying as a master artist or an apprentice, may submit only one application per year. Current undergraduate and/or graduate students are not eligible to apply to this grant program unless they are a New Hampshire resident.

This grant does not support:
- Traditional occupations such as fishing, farming, or logging, unless they include the making of crafts associated with the occupation such as fishnets, boat building, harness making, ox yoke making or wood carving.
- Contemporary fine arts and crafts, such as oil-painting, screen printing, etching, glass blowing, sculpture and ceramics.
- Theater arts such as opera, playwriting, or acting.
- Healing arts such as herbal medicine, therapeutic massage, or acupuncture. Decorative body arts such as tattoo or body painting.
- Military re-enactment. (Please note: Apprenticeships in historical styles (e.g., Colonial-era crafts) in which a direct line of transmission has been lost are eligible provided that the mentor artist is practicing with historical accuracy and cultural knowledge of the tradition.)
- Any cost item listed in the glossary under ineligible expenses.

Pre-Application Information

Applications must be completed online or postmarked/delivered to the NH State Council on the Arts office before close of business on June 30, 2023. Office hours are Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. The office is closed all state and most federal holidays. Late applications will not be accepted. The Council cannot accept applications transmitted by facsimile (FAX) or e-mail and is not responsible for uncompleted online applications or paper applications lost in transit. Errors and omissions may affect a panel's evaluation of the application, so please follow instructions and prepare the application carefully.

How to Apply:
Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their proposals with the grant coordinator before writing and submitting applications. Applicants should also review the legal and reporting requirements relevant to State Arts Council grants.

Drafts of narrative questions and budgets may be reviewed if submitted by email at least two weeks in advance of the application deadline. First time applicants are especially encouraged to submit drafts. Do not use the online system to submit drafts. Email drafts directly to the grant program coordinator.

A master artist and apprentice team should submit one application. If language or disabilities present barriers to understanding or filling out the form, the applicant may ask for assistance as needed. State Council on the Arts staff is available to provide technical assistance prior to application deadlines.

Recording Option: Traditional Arts Apprenticeship applications include the option of uploading an audio or video recording answering narrative questions. This option is intended to benefit applicants who feel more comfortable relaying information verbally than submitting written materials. Please contact the grant coordinator with any questions.

FAQs:
https://www.nh.gov/nharts/faq.html

Glossary:
https://www.nh.gov/nharts/grants/basics/glossary.htm

Estimated Size of Grant

A master artist and apprentice team may apply for a combined total of up to $4,000 per year. Within that amount, the maximum request for the master artist is $3,000 and the maximum request for the apprentice is $1,000.

Term of Contract

For projects between November 1, 2023 - September 30, 2024.

Contact Information

Apply online: https://nharts.submittable.com/submit/217596/fy2023-traditional-arts-apprenticeship-grants

Direct questions to
Kayla Schweitzer, Grant Coordinator
kayla.m.schweitzer@dncr.nh.gov
603-271-0795

For questions about the online application system at Submittable, please contact:
support@submittable.com
855-467-8264, ext 2

New Hampshire State Council on the Arts
Van McLeod Building
19 Pillsbury Street, 1st Floor
Concord, New Hampshire 03301

Grants to New Hampshire Apprentice and Master Artists to Study Culturally Significant Art Forms

Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grant

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