Applications Open for Arkansas Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program

Photo Submitted

Glass bowl created by Ed Pennebaker, 2023-2024 apprenticeship program mentor artist.

Arkansas Folk and Traditional Arts is accepting applications through Aug. 31 for the next installment of its statewide Apprenticeship Program, set for November 2024 through May 2025. 

Applications submitted via U.S. Mail must be postmarked by Aug. 31. Complete program information, guidelines and application instructions are available on the program webpage.  

Arkansas Folk and Traditional Arts will host a virtual event from 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20, to share more information about the program and application process with anyone interested. This event is free and open to the public, and registration is required.  

The Apprenticeship Program funds teams of mentor artists and apprentices who are committed to sustaining their artistic traditions and cultural heritage. Teams are required to develop a work plan for the upcoming project year, meet with each other regularly over the course of the year and finally, share their experience with their communities at the culmination of the project. By providing funding up to $3,000, this award honors and supports the traditional artists who dedicate time to passing their skills and knowledge on to apprentices over an extended period of time. The Arkansas Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program is supported by funding from the Arkansas Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. 

Arkansas Folk and Traditional Arts is a statewide program of the University of Arkansas Libraries.

About Arkansas Folk and Traditional Arts: AFTA is dedicated to building cross-cultural understanding by documenting, presenting, and sustaining Arkansas’ living traditional arts and cultural heritage. AFTA is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and works in partnership with stakeholder organizations and individuals, including the Arkansas Arts Council, Mid-America Arts Alliance, and Arkansas State University.

About the University Libraries: Located in the heart of campus, the David W. Mullins Library is the university’s main research library. Branch libraries include the Chemistry and Biochemistry Library, the Fine Arts Library, the Physics Library, and the Robert A. and Vivian Young Law Library. The Libraries provide access to more than 3.1 million volumes and more than 180,000 journals and offer research assistance, study spaces, computer labs with printing and scanning, interlibrary loan and delivery services, and cultural exhibits and events. The Libraries’ Special Collections division acquires, preserves, and provides access to materials on Arkansas and the region, its customs and people, and its cultural, physical, and political climate. Visit the Libraries’ website at libraries.uark.edu to learn more about services and collections.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.