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.
Most apprenticeships in this program will include approximately 80-120 hours of instruction. However, each art form has its own requirements and the lengths of apprenticeships will differ depending on the art form involved. If the art form is traditionally taught in group settings, such as ensemble dance, the master artist should choose a representative from the group to apply as the apprentice. Grant requests for fiscal year 2004 support activities occurring between date of notification (Fall, 2003) and August 31, 2004.
DEFINITIONS
Apprentice
An individual with some experience in a traditional or classical ethnic art
form who is commited to attaining mastery of that art.
Master Artist
An individual who is recognized within his or her community as an exemplary
practitioner of his or her particular traditional or classical ethnic art form.
Ethnic and Folk Arts
Those artistic practices which have a community or family base, express that
community’s aesthetic, heritage and tradition, and have endured through
several generations. These art forms should reflect the particular culture of
the ethnic, language, regional, tribal or nationality group from which they
spring.
Both the master artist and the apprentice must be:
- residents of the state of Illinois for at least 12 months prior to the application deadline
- citizens of the U.S. or holders of permanent resident alien status
As proof of residency, each must submit a copy of one of the following documents:
- Illinois driver’s license which includes the
date issued
and expiration date - State of Illinois ID card
- Illinois state income tax forms for the most recent year
- Voter registration card
Minor applicants (under 18 years of age at time of application) must submit a letter from a parent or legal guardian confirming the minor applicant’s residency at the parent’s or legal guardian’s address. A copy of one of the above listed documents belonging to the parent or legal guardian must accompany the letter.
Master/Apprentice awards are each a fixed amount. Each award will be divided into a $2,000 honorarium for the master artist and a $1000 stipend for the apprentice.
The master artist’s honorarium should be considered compensation for teaching the apprentice. The apprentice’s stipend is to be used for apprenticeship related expenses such as supplies, babysitting and travel. In addition, the apprentice is responsible for documenting the progress of the apprenticeship and should use a portion of the stipend for this purpose. Appropriate documentation is required as part of the project’s Final Report.
Applications to the Master/Apprentice Program will be reviewed by out-of-state jurors and non-voting, in-state specialists selected for their expertise with traditional ethnic and folk arts. Jurors will judge applications by the following criteria:
- artistic quality of both master artist and apprentice as determined by community standards
- traditionality of art form and master artist
- evidence of apprentice’s commitment to the traditional art form
- content and feasibility of work planned for the period of the apprenticeship
- quality and appropriateness of documentation (out-of-focus slides, scratchy tapes and the like are liabilities)
NOTE: Preference will be given to those artists whose work reflects their own heritage.
Priority will be given to apprenticeships that take place outside of institutional settings. Not-for-profit organizations involved in arts programming are encouraged to contact the Illinois Arts Council to obtain information regarding Program Grants for organizations. The Illinois Arts Council will not support an individual’s academic study.
The deadline for application to the Master/Apprentice
Program is September 1.
Funds support apprenticeships, which take place during any portion of the time between the date of notification and August 31, 2004.
Call the Illinois Arts Council if you have questions. Each master artist and apprentice may apply one time per fiscal year.
- Complete the application form
- Complete the applicant information sheet
- Prepare work samples in the appropriate format for the master artist and the apprentice
- Write the individual and combined narratives addressing the specified points
- One copy of proof of Illinois Residency for both Master and Apprentice. What is accepted as proof of not-for-profit status?
- Assemble application packets with correct number of copies and in order specified
Supporting audiovisual material (work samples) which gives evidence of the master artist's and the apprentice's abilities must accompany the application. Applications submitted without separate work samples will not be eligible for consideration.
You are strongly urged to submit the maximum samples for a more consistent, quality presentation. Be aware that the award decisions are heavily based on the work sample submitted. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to submit the highest quality work sample in the most professional manner possible.
Traditional craft artists
Include a minimum of six and maximum of nine slides of each person's work. Label
each slide with your name and put a red dot in the lower left-hand corner. Photographs
will be accepted but slides are strongly recommended.
Musicians
Submit a minimum of 3 minutes of each person's work on separate audiotapes,
compact discs (CDs), DVDs or VHS videotapes. Samples should be cued to a segment
that represents the applicant's best work. CDs should be labeled with the track
numbers of the selections the applicant wishes the jury to hear.
Dancers and Choreographers
Submit a minimum of 3 minutes of each person's work on separate and labeled
DVDs or VHS videotapes. Samples should be cued to a segment that represents
the applicant's best work. Work samples should represent the dancer's best work
and technique.
Storytellers
Submit a minimum of 3 minutes of each person's work on separate and labeled
DVDs or VHS videotapes. Samples should be cued to a segment that represents
the applicant's best work. Work samples should represent the applicant's best
work and technique.
All Performing Artists
Clearly identify the master and apprentice when submitting documentation
which includes ensemble work. For example, "The master artist is wearing
a red shirt and enters from stage left".
Note: Jury will review no more than 5 minutes of submitted
work samples.
NOTE for DVD submissions: when possible, format the DVD to include links on
the menu/title page to each separate piece and/or section.
All of the following materials must be submitted together at the time of application to be considered eligible:
- Original application packet collated and stapled in the following order: original signed Master Apprentice cover sheet, application narrative, and work sample information sheet. Refer to the Companion to the Application for requirements on the narrative and the work sample sheet.
- Nine collated and stapled copies of the application packet.
- One copy of proof of Illinois Residency for both Master and Apprentice. What is accepted as proof of residency?
- Appropriate audiovisual work samples.
- Three copies of the Applicant Information Sheet–included in the application download.
NOTE: Do not bind copies; do not submit copies in folders
Applications must be postmarked by the deadline. Hand delivered applications must be received by 5pm. If the deadline occurs on a weekend or legal holiday, the next weekday automatically becomes the deadline date. Applications may be mailed or hand-delivered to the following address:
Illinois Arts Council
James R. Thompson Center
100 W. Randolph, Suite 10-500
Chicago, IL 60601-3298
NOTE: Applicants hand-delivering their applications must visit the building’s SERVICE CENTER on the ground floor to have their application package scanned prior to delivering it to the IAC offices on the 10th floor. In addition, applicants must bring photo identification, such as a driver’s license, to gain access to the IAC offices.
[none in master/apprentice?]
Applicants will receive notification from the Grants Office acknowledging receipt of the application, within eight weeks of the application deadline. The jury will meet in the fall to review the applications. Review meetings are open to the public. Applicants may attend; however, they may not address the jury. Notification of review meeting dates will be posted on the Review Meeting page.
grant notification requirements
Organizations that receive an IAC grant will be required, as part of their grant agreement, to notify by letter their state representative, state senator and the Office of the Governor indicating the IAC grant amount and the project or program it helps support. Copies of these three letters must be submitted to the IAC with the signed grant agreements, cash request and other required documents before grant funds will be released. Names of the individuals to be addressed can be obtained from your County Board of Elections or at www.elections.state.il.us
Grantees must submit final reports within 30 days after the end of the grant period. The master and apprentice must each submit his/her own final report. Final report forms will be mailed to each artist at the end of the apprenticeship grant period. Appropriate documentation (slides, tapes or video) of the apprenticeship accomplishments must be included with the final report. A small portion of the apprentice’s stipend should be used to produce this documentation.
The Internal Revenue Code provides that the full amount of a Master/Apprentice grant is taxable to its recipient. If you have any questions about your own income-tax liability, you should contact the Internal Revenue Service or your tax counsel.
Work samples of Master/Apprentice recipients will be retained or copied by the Illinois Arts Council for its archives or submission to a public-use archive. By submitting work samples, applicants give permission to the IAC to use images and content in IAC produced publications.
By completing the Applicant Information Sheet, all master artist applicants will automatically be listed with the Illinois Artists Registry, a computerized mailing list of Illinois artists. The Registry contains up-to-date basic information about listed artists and is designed as a comprehensive directory to link artists with professional opportunities.
You are encouraged to print this section as a reference for completing the application.
It may be helpful to use the printout as a checklist for compiling your application.
Please refer to appropriate section. In the narrative, clearly indicate each topic with a bold heading and a space between each topic. Answers should be printed or typed in black ink in a font no smaller than 10 points.
Please note: If this application is a continuation
of a previously funded IAC Apprenticeship with the same Master/Apprentice pair,
please answer the relevant questions below.
MASTER ARTIST
Answer the following questions on no more than two (2) pages.
Indicate “Master Artist” at the top of each page.
1. Background
- How did you learn the traditional art you wish to teach?
- When, where and from whom?
- How does the art form relate to your heritage?
- How has your art been recognized in the ethnic, language, regional, tribal or nationality group from which it springs?
2. About Your Apprentice
- How long have you and the apprentice worked together?
- What is your assessment of the apprentice’s potential and commitment to this art form?
- Why did you choose to apply with this student?
- How will the apprentice be able to help you in your work (i.e., teach some younger dancers, play music with you at performances, weave pieces of a basket or costume)?
APPRENTICE
Answer the following questions on no more than two (2) pages. Indicate “Apprentice” at the top of each page.
1. Background
- How did you learn the art form you wish to study further?
- When, where and from whom?
- How does the art form relate to your heritage?
2. Goals and Motivations
- Why did you choose to study with this master artist?
- Why do you wish to participate in this apprenticeship?
- Explain your plans for continuing to work in this art form after the apprenticeship has been completed.
If this application is a continuation of a previously funded IAC apprenticeship with the same Master/Apprentice pair, please answer the following questions together on no more than one (1) page:
- Describe apprentice's progress during the apprenticeship?
- How will this apprenticeship build on previous training?
- What additional techniques, songs, dances and/or musical pieces will the apprentice study?
To be completed by the master artist and apprentice on no more than one (1) page. (Funds support apprenticeships occurring between the date of notification in the fall of 2003 and August 31, 2004. Most apprenticeships supported in this program should include between 80 and 120 hours of instruction.)
- Describe how you will work together; include when, where, and how often you will meet.
- What techniques, songs, dances, stories, or specific objects will be learned and/or produced during this apprenticeship?
- How will you document the progress of the apprenticeship? (Video, photograph, audio recording or other means?)
work sample information sheet
NOTE: Both the master artist and the apprentice must submit documentation. Clearly label each sheet MASTER WORK SAMPLE or APPRENTICE WORK SAMPLE
On a sheet of paper, indicate the following for each work sample submitted:
- title of selection
- type of work sample (object, music, song, dance, story)
- date and place performed or date completed
- length of piece or size of object
- for CDs indicate track numbers of selections
- for audio and video tapes indicate where the selection is cued (at the beginning, the third section of a four part dance, etc.)
- if audio or video tape sample includes more than one selection, indicate title and length of each selection in the order they appear on the tape.
- Clearly identify the master and apprentice when submitting documentation which includes ensemble work. For example, "The master artist is wearing a red shirt and enters from stage left".
Both the master artist and the apprentice must complete the Master/Apprentice application and narratives. Each section is clearly marked "master" or "apprentice." The master and apprentice should complete the Apprenticeship Plan together. Both must complete and sign the Statement of Assurances on the Application cover sheet in the appropriate spaces.
Applicants below the age of eighteen are also required to have the form signed by a parent or guardian. Applicants below the age of eighteen may not apply as an apprentice with a parent as the master artist.
Each master artist and apprentice may apply one time per grant year.
An interactive PDF (Portable Document Format) file is available for download. In order to open this file, Adobe Acrobat Reader must be installed on your computer. It is free and easy to download from www.adobe.com
IAC staff Contact
Tamara Kubacki
Program Director
313/814-6740
Tamara.Kubacki@Illinois.gov