The Illinois Arts Council’s Ethnic and Folk Arts Master/Apprentice Program recognizes the role of the master artist/apprentice relationship in the preservation of the state’s cultural heritage. In order to foster this teaching/learning arrangement, Ethnic and Folk Arts Master/Apprentice Grants will be awarded to a limited number of master artist/ apprentice pairs.

The Master/Apprentice Program generally supports art forms found in informal rather than institutional settings. Past awards have supported traditional art forms as diverse as East Indian dance, split wood baskets, African drum and dance, Chinese drum and bell music, and traditional American folk music.