We’re continuing to support Arizona-based traditional artists and culture bearers in passing on their artforms though our annual Master Apprentice Artist Award. This year we’ll be making 10 awards—$5,000 for the Master artist and $500 to the emerging artist. Nominations are open now through May 15.
Artists are nominated by peers within their community, cultural institutions, apprentices, or by self-nomination. They are selected by a panel and awarded for their knowledge, dedication, and commitment to passing on living traditions from our region and beyond. Applicants include a wide variety of artists, including those working in traditions including, but not limited to:
- Handcrafts: weavers, basket makers, jewelers, mask makers, ritual objects, textile artists
- Occupational folklife: adobe makers, leather workers, ironworkers, foodways workers
- Oral traditions: storytellers, poets
- Performing arts: dancers, vocalists, musicians
This award is supported the Arizona Commission on the Arts through a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) State Partnership Agreement. The program is the first award program of its kind in Arizona. SFA joins over 30 Master-Apprentice award programs across the nation. The program affirms the organization’s commitment to individual heritage-based artists, economic development and the transmission of cultural knowledge.
Deadline to nominate an artist: May 15
Additional deadlines:
Invitation to Full Application: May 30
Full Application Deadline: July 15
Before nominating, read and download the Guidelines here.
Access the Nomination Form here.
Learn more about the program here and read about our past awardees here.
Featured image: Andrea Gallegos, Mariachi director, 2023 Awardee. Photo by Steven Meckler