2024 Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program Recipients Announced

Five traditional artists in Oregon will receive a $3,500 stipend to teach traditional art forms to apprentices from their same cultural communities, Tribes, sacred, or occupational groups. The Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program (TAAP) is one way the Oregon Folklife Network supports traditional artists, or Culture Keepers, in Oregon. The stipend supports mentor artists in sharing their knowledge, skills, and expertise with apprentices of great promise who will be empowered to carry on and strengthen Oregon’s living cultural traditions.

A state-level honor of great prestige, TAAP awards are often a precursor for traditional artists to be nominated for the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship award. Funding for TAAP comes from the Oregon Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. Applications are accepted annually until October for funding in the following calendar year.

The artists to receive awards are:

Beth’Ann Gipson with Jennifer O’Dell – Cow Creek Band of Umpque Tribe of Indians Basket Weaving

Beth’Ann Gipson is a basketmaker, drummer, traditional regalia maker, and member of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians. Gipson is heavily involved in revitalization efforts for her Tribe, from drumming and singing to powwows to dance. Gipson is proud to be carrying on basketmaking traditions that are gradually making their way back into her community. Gipson’s apprentice, Jennifer O’Dell, is of the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Indians Tribe of Southern Oregon. She is honored to accept this apprenticeship position and is very excited to start a new basket. She is a hard worker, proud Culture Keeper, and has learned the art of patience when it comes to weaving basketry. She hopes that she will teach alongside Beth’Ann Gipson in the future.

Gipson and O’Dell’s artist profiles and samples of their work can be found at: https://mnch.uoregon.edu/bethann-gipson

Tetyana Horner with Tetyana Zelyanovska – Ukranian Weaving

Tetyana Horner was born in the former Soviet Union and grew up in post-Soviet Ukraine. In 2013, Horner sought out weaving classes at the Multnomah Arts Center. From there, she continued to learn, practice, source instructional books, and practice some more. Horner is slowly building her home studio so that she can begin teaching Ukrainian weaving to a more intimate audience. Horner’s apprentice, Tetyana Zelyanovska, lived in Ukraine until just four years ago. Since moving, she has tried to keep Ukrainian traditions alive in her family.  She was given a tapestry loom by a neighbor and taught herself some basics of tapestry weaving. She likes to make things by hand and has passion to continue to learn traditional Ukrainian weaving on a horizontal loom.

Horner and Zelyanovska’s artist profiles and samples of their work can be found at: https://mnch.uoregon.edu/tetyana-horner

Gayle Oram with Patti Jo Meshnik – Norwegian Rosemåling

Gayle Oram’s Norwegian Rosemåling painting career spans more than thirty years. Oram first encountered Rosemåling in 1977 in Petersburg, Alaska (a Norwegian fishing settlement with Rosemåling painted on the store fronts). Over the years, Gayle has conducted seminars, local classes, and has published eight books about Rosemåling. Oram’s apprentice, Patti Jo Meshnik, was first introduced to Rosemåling in June of 1980 in Montana. Her mother, the daughter of Norwegian emigrants, invited her to take a class with her. She had no idea at the time that Rosemåling would become such an important part of her story. Meshnik is eager to deepen her skills as a Rosemåler in efforts to preserve her Norwegian heritage. After this apprenticeship, she will continue the tradition by teaching Rosemåling classes.

Oram and Meshnik’s artist profiles and samples of their work can be found at: https://mnch.uoregon.edu/gayle-oram

Jayanthi Raman with Prekshita Jain – Nattuvangam, Rhythmic Structure of Bharatha Natyam Classical Indian Dance

Jayanthi Raman is an acclaimed performer, choreographer, and master teacher of the classical Indian dance form Bharatha Natyam for over the past four decades. She is a reputed scholar of her art form and an acclaimed nattuvangar (orchestra conductor of the live orchestra accompanying a dance recital). She has performed and toured in US and internationally, reaching wide audiences, some of who had never seen this genre of art. Raman’s apprentice, Prekshita Jain, was born in the culturally rich city, Bangalore, South India. Being from a traditional South Indian family, Jain was exposed to a lot of classical music and dance forms early in childhood. Growing up in musical family, Jain has a natural instinct rhythm. However, the beat cycles in Bharatha Natyam are unique, complex, and require training to understand.

Raman and Jain’s artist profiles and samples of their work can be found at: https://mnch.uoregon.edu/jayanthi-raman-0

Arturo Zavala with Jason Villa – Mariachi Trumpet and Musicianship

Arturo Zavala is an acclaimed Eugene-based mariachi trumpet player. Zavala is a second-generation mariachi musician – his father, a professional mariachi himself, taught him and his brothers. Currently, Zavala plays locally with Mariachi Monumental, a group he formed with his compañeros (bandmates) in 2012. He also teaches mariachi to local high school and middle school students. Zavala’s apprentice, Jason Villa, is a first-generation Mexican American who grew up in California. Music has been a part of Villa’s life story from an early age. He plays saxophone, trumpet, and guitarrón. Villa is excited to further his knowledge of trumpet and mariachi so that he can pass it on to the next generation. After his apprenticeship, he will take what he’s learned and apply it directly to his career as an instructor.

Zavala and Villa’s artist profiles and samples of their work can be found at: https://mnch.uoregon.edu/arturo-zavala

Culture Keepers Roster updates requested

by Emily Hartlerode

Each year we ask culture keepers to please review your personal artist page for accuracy. Here’s how:

  • Visit the Culture Keepers Roster
  • Type your name into the Name box and click Search. Your profile should come up.
  • Review your contact information, fees, and programming, then fill the roster survey to indicate your approval or request any updates or corrections.

Approving your profile keeps the Roster current and user-friendly, which helps all tradition keepers earn paid opportunities to support your collective work preserving Oregon’s rich cultural heritage.

I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve all accomplished. Thank you for participating in the Roster and giving us your feedback!

$700 for 2-hour presentations in Portland

by Emily Hartlerode

OFN is helping Osher Lifelong Learning fill three dates with a few short programs (from 1-3pm) for retired professionals passionate about engaging with community and pursuing active learning. The program starts with a 30-minute introduction by OFN explaining our mission and how to use the Culture Keepers Roster. Your one-hour artist presentation or demonstration to follow can be informational, hands-on, or both. In the final 30-minutes I will facilitate an audience Q&A for the selected artist. $700 is all-inclusive of your artist fee, meal allowance, and transportation to their Portland (Tigard-area) facility.

Click this link to submit your brief proposal and indicate your availability. Please indicate every date you are available. Osher Lifelong Learning will review artist proposals for selection.

Funding for Native Artists: apply by Sept 30!

In partnership with the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+), Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums (ATALM) is launching a dynamic six-month program that will empower, nurture, and celebrate 20 talented Native craft artists.For the purpose of this program, “craft artist” is defined as artists who create or reproduce handmade objects for sale and exhibition using a variety of techniques such as weaving, pottery, beadwork, needlework, jewelry making, and other forms.

Key Program Features:

  • Funding of $10,000 for each of the 20 chosen artists.
  • Tailored training sessions to enhance business practices, including the production of a business and marketing plan.
  • Access to a wealth of resources, including materials, workshops, and tools.
  • One-on-one coaching from artists with successful careers. Coaches will receive national recognition for their leadership and generosity.

Applications for Craft Artists and Coaches/Mentors are now open through September 30, 2023.  Accepted artists will be announced on October 26 at the ATALM conference. Questions may be directed to grants@atalm.org.

As always, we are grateful for our partners and funders who make these life-changing programs possible. Thank you, CERF+ and the Ford and Windgate Foundations, for believing in the power of Native artists to foster creativity, preserve and advance cultural traditions, and ensure the longevity of Native craftsmanship.

Apply by Oct 2, 2023 for Funds to Teach/Learn Traditional Arts

by Emily Hartlerode

The University of Oregon’s Oregon Folklife Network is accepting applications until Monday, October 2, 2023 for the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program (TAAP) for projects in 2024. The program offers traditional artists and culture keepers a $3,500 stipend to teach their cultural practices to apprentices from their same communities, Tribes, sacred or occupational groupsThe stipend supports master artists to share their knowledge, skills and expertise with apprentices of great promise, empowering them to carry on and strengthen Oregon’s living cultural traditions. Apprenticeship teams agree to a video interview, and make a public presentation, which can be hosted at the Museum of Natural and Cultural History at University of Oregon.

Oregon’s 2023 TAAP awards supported Kalapuya basketweaver, Stephanie Craig (Grand Ronde); South Indian vina and voice performer/teacher, Sreevidhya Chandramouli (Portland); Guinean master drummer/dancer, Alseny Yansane (Eugene), Mexican charro, Antonio Huerta (Springfield); and Hawaiian Hula dancer/teacher, Andrea Luchese (Ashland).

Oregon Folklife Network seeks a slate of artists in 2024 representing artists, demographics, and regions under-represented in the prior ten years of funding. All Oregonians practicing cultural traditions emerging from their heritage or Tribes are encouraged to apply. This program does not fund historic reenactments or cultural appropriation.

To learn more about application procedures and eligibility or to recommend a TAAP applicant, view our guidelines online, email ofn@uoregon.edu, or call 541-346-3820. Oregon Folklife Network staff members are available to provide application advice, and will provide feedback on draft applications up to one weeks prior to the deadline.

Completed applications are due no later than 5 pm on Monday, October 2 at the Oregon Folklife Network, 242 Knight Library, 6204 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-6204. NOTE: This is NOT a postmark deadline.  

Summer 2023 Letter from the Director

by Emily Hartlerode

It feels like Summer has been in full swing since May, when the damp Spring typical of Oregon’s Willamette Valley was chased off early by unseasonably hot temperatures. Weather comes through so many human senses that tug at memory in mysterious ways. Born and raised in Nebraska, I still sense an internal “tornado warning” when humid wind suddenly grows still, and all at once I’m a little girl in a silent prairie field looking up at the sky listening for the town whistle calling us to our cellars.   

Like memory, traditional arts powerfully root us to meaningful parts of our lives, and also uproot us from the present moment, transporting us to another time and place. Practicing our culture overloads our senses with memory.  Every day, Oregonians quietly weave plants from a homeland beneath our feet, and boldly dance the swirling colors and sounds from a homeland far away. Earlier this year, OFN hosted a spotlight series for six Ukrainian Artists conveying the importance of supporting their culture today. Coming up in August, we invite you to Eugene for Oregon Culture Nights to enjoy demonstrations by our Traditional Arts Apprenticeship teams. Know someone who practices their cultural traditions? Send them our guidelines (also in Spanish), as they may be eligible for a funded apprenticeship!  

Woman with long red hair and white dress stands on stage before a projected image of herself painting.

Maryna Malyarenko presents the Ukrainian art of petrykivka. (Photo by Iryna Stavynska)

 

Our staff, largely students training to strengthen future culture work, steward these projects while I tend the future of our organization. Funding from donors like you, plus grants from state and federal agencies, make our work possible. With our limited capacity we developed a modest slate of programming to support cultural sustainability across all Oregon, but we can do better! When asked if they prefer OFN to remain small or reach more deeply across the state and grow robust access across more cultural communities, the reply from our partners at the Oregon Arts Commission was clear. Thank you to OAC staff and commissioners for your challenge grant to develop a long-range plan for a larger annual budget. Please donate now and meet their challenge so OFN can unlock our goals and better serve you! 

Ukrainian Traditional Arts and Culture: 2023 Spotlight Series

From February to April 2023, OFN helped bring 6 Ukrainian artists to the University of Oregon campus, providing UO students and the larger Eugene community with an opportunity to learn about Ukrainian culture and its role in the current Ukrainian resistance towards Russian invasion. The series featured folksinger and traditional dancer Inna Kovtun, bandura player Valentyn Lysenko, pysanka artist Kristine Mushkevych, weaver Tetyana Horner, petrykivka artist Marina Malyarenko, and filmmaker and illustrator Sashko Danylenko. For many UO students and Eugene residents, the series presented a unique chance to discover both traditional and contemporary Ukrainian arts, which are often understudied in the US. For Ukrainians living in Eugene, these events became a place to reconnect with their culture and find other Ukrainians.

Kristine Mushkevych. Photo by Iryna Stavynska

OFN graduate employee Iryna Stavynska (from Ukraine), was the main organizer of the series, who credits the help of many others, including fellow OFN Graduate Employee Elise O’Brien (from the U.S.). Read on as they share their impressions of being involved in organizing the series.

Iryna Stavynska, Folklore MA student, Fulbright scholar from Ukraine & Graduate Employee at OFN:

“It was one of the most meaningful things that I got to do during my time in the U.S. For 2 years living in Eugene, I never saw any Ukrainian events, or any other opportunities to learn about Ukrainian arts. I did not feel like there were places where I could really be Ukrainian here – not fully. But until the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, I never really thought about why things were this way. Seeing the war unfold, however, I realized that it was not a coincidence that Ukrainian culture is so underrepresented and understudied in the U.S. The same things that Russia is doing now – killing Ukrainians, occupying our land, and purposefully trying to destroy our culture by murdering Ukrainian artists, forcing Ukrainians to abandon our cultural practices and our language, and stealing and appropriating our heritage – it has done many times before, when Ukraine was part of Russian empire and USSR. For centuries, Russia has been an imperial power that was in the position to silence Ukrainian voices both through physical, brutal force and through cruel policies that forbade practicing Ukrainian language and culture. In the context of this centuries-long history of oppression, it is especially important that we recognize and amplify Ukrainian voices now. Events like this not only give much-needed support to Ukrainian artists (many of whom use their art as a way to raise awareness and fundraise in support of Ukraine), but also the very fact of uplifting Ukrainian culture is in itself an act of resistance, as it helps to sustain the very thing that Russia is trying to destroy – Ukrainian identity, culture, and dignity.”

Tetyana Horner. Photo by Iryna Stavynska

Elise O’Brien, Folklore MA student & Graduate Employee at OFN

Firstly, I want to thank Iryna so much for putting on this series and for having me involved in my small way. The series was impactful; I have learned so much from the Ukrainian artists who have presented. So much makes sense now after learning from Ukrainian personal experiences. In highlighting what I have learned, most importantly, I want to emphasize that folk art is an active resistance to imperialism and oppression.  

I was able to attend and assist with three Ukrainian artist presentations: Tetyana Horner, a weaver, Marina Malyarenko, a petrykivka artist, and Sashko Danylenko, a filmmaker and illustrator. Their presentations covered historic folk-art traditions in Ukraine as well as their modern counterparts. They emphasized folk arts’ role in resisting imperialism. Imperial powers have three goals: to dehumanize the population they are invading, to destroy that population’s cultural heritage and identity, and to remove the connection of people with their landscapes. Because folk art is rooted in place, in connection with the landscape, and uses materials sourced from the landscape to create art and craft, the connection of people with place is also part of cultural identity. When you support folk arts and traditional knowledge you reinforce cultural heritage and unique identity, and in this way, you are also actively resisting imperialism. If the argument of legitimacy of Russian invasion is that Ukraine has no unique culture, Marina, Tetyana and Sashko are the counterargument. 

Marina Malyarenko. Photo by Iryna Stravynska

Tetyana Horner and Marina Malyarenko practice weaving and petrykivka respectively, two Ukrainian folk art forms rooted in centuries of tradition. While,  Marina started her floral painting traditional art form about 5 years prior to coming to the United States, Tetyana dove into Ukrainian weaving after moving to the US. I think it is important to highlight that Tetyana and Marina are both self-taught for much of their craft, finding instruction in related fields and through online study. Even without immediate access to traditional teachers, they have still become incredible traditional folk artists. 

Sashko Danylenko. Photo by Iryna Stranvynska

Sashko Danylenko is more modern in his art. His presentation was centered on a series of comic book style illustrations featuring everyday Ukrainians who became extraordinary after the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian military. In his stories, he shared how ordinary people become folk heroes. He told the stories of the Ghost of Kyiv, the Witch of Konotop, a man surfing a Russian tank, and of a postal worker who shot down a fighter plane. He shared with the audience videos of ordinary Ukrainians that went viral: small acts of disrespect and resistance to Russian troops that created a cascading effect worldwide. At the JSMA presentation, Sashko’s prints of everyday heroes were available for sale along with t-shirts and totebags. Half of all his profits go to individuals and organizations in Ukraine.

Marina and Sashko are part of a creator’s collective organized to partner creatives in the U.S. with projects and organizations in Ukraine. These are projects that actively support Ukrainian resistance, support the people of Ukraine, and raise money for Ukrainian organizations. These projects range from illustrations for tactical medicine apps to auctioning off fine art. Sashko’s film work includes animations for children suffering from anxiety from the war. 

Helping Iryna with her presentation of Ukrainian folk artists was the most informative and rewarding part of this school year. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Come Join Us to Celebrate our Oregon Culture Nights with Some of our TAAP 2023 Awardees

Come join us for our Oregon Culture Nights series highlighting our current year’s Traditional Apprenticeship Artists Program awardees. The Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program is a yearly program that offers a $3,500 stipend to traditional master artists and culture keepers to aid in the teaching of their traditional arts to an apprentice from their same community. Each year, a select few are given this funding to pass on their traditions to others, at the end of the program the artists are required to showcase the work they have been doing with their apprentice. The Oregon Folklife Network offers them a spot in our Oregon Culture Nights where we can showcase their work to our community.

August 10th Sreevidhya Chandramouli:

The series will begin in August where we will start off the event with Sreevidhya Chandramouli who is a tenth-generation descendant from the illustrious Karaikudi Vina Tradition of South India. The Vina is a traditional Indian stringed instrument. Sreevidhya’s apprentice this year is Nidhi Yadalam who has been working with Sreevidhya for a few five years. They will be giving a performance and Q&A on Thursday, August 10th at 6:00 pm.

August 17th Antonio Huerta:

Please join us to welcome back Antonio Huerta, who will perform the following week, the week of August 17th, where he will perform traditional charrería, a traditional skill in horsemanship, cattle work, and sophisticated rope work. Antonio grew up in Jalisco Mexico where his family made their living farming and raising cattle, horses, donkeys, pigs, and chickens. He learned charrería and his horsemanship skills from his father and grandfather and hopes to pass on these traditions to others. His apprentice this year is Miguel Ruiz Topete, Jr. a young Charro from Corvallis, Oregon. Miguel learned from his father, who trained horses and inspired his passion for riding, roping, and cattle work. Antonio will be showcasing his rope skills during his performance and giving a demonstration on charrería, before opening the floor for a quick Q&A.

August 24th Kumu Hula Andrea Luchese:

Next up in the series on Thursday August 24th, is Kuma Hula (Master teacher) Andrea Luchese, the founder and teacher for for Hālau Hula Ka Pi’o O Ke Ānuenue “the arch of the rainbow,”, a Hawaiian cultural dance school. She learned under the teachings of Kumu Hula Raylene Haʻaleleʻa Kawaiaeʻa and Kumu Hula Keala Ching in the hula traditions of Halau ʻO Haʻaleleʻa and Na Wai ʻIwi Ola. Her apprentice is Tia ‘Ohi’a Lehua Kumakua ‘Ahihi McLean, born and raised in Maui. She began her schooling in Hula at age five, reignited her passion for it as an adult, and began learning from Kuma Hula Andrea in 2010. Please join us to hear Kuma Hula Andrea and her apprentice Tia for their performance and Q&A.

Each Performance will start at 6:00 and last the full hour, with a fifteen-minute Q&A.

Oregon Folklife Network receives $20,000 from the Oregon Arts Commission, Develops Strategic Plan

After years of ups and downs in funding, the Oregon Folklife Network is pleased to announce it has been awarded $20,000 from the Oregon Arts Commission. This grant is designated to assist OFN in reaching its goal of financial stability after significant, campus-wide funding cuts in 2018.

Major revisions to the University of Oregon’s budget model at that time reduced the Oregon Folklife Network’s annual budget by $100,000. This revision was fortunately not based on OFN’s performance. Nevertheless, the drastic reduction in funding meant that OFN had to look elsewhere for support. Despite the massive disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal rescue funds allowed some much-needed, yet temporary stability for the last few years.

With those rescue funds coming to an end, OFN had to make a choice: reduce the scope of its programs and focus more closely on a narrow set of goals, or commit to building back up its annual budget to support a wider range of traditional arts- and culture- based programming for the state of Oregon.

The Oregon Arts Commission, a longtime partner of OFN, granted this $20,000 to help create a strategic financial plan, which will allow OFN to continue offering and refining a variety of cultural events. It has decided to use this grant to hire Kelley Nonprofit Consulting to provide a comprehensive strategic plan. Kelley has a reputation for guiding cultural agencies serving underserved communities. OFN acting director, Emily Hartlerode, is confident that their assistance will be a great benefit: “I feel like we’re in good hands, working with people who are compassionate about the kind of work we do, and conversant with the kinds of funders that support the work that we do.”

This much-needed operational assistance will help OFN achieve its goals for stability, hiring new staff, and supporting existing and new statewide folklife programs. Thank you again to the Oregon Arts Commission and Kelley Nonprofit Consulting.

Written by Jessica Oravetz

2023 Staff updates

We thank these Winter and Spring Graduate Employees for your service and say goodbye to Program Coordinator, Tim Herrera, who moved on to a teaching position at UO’s Department of Anthropology, and Fullbright Fellow, Iryna Stavynska (Ukraine), who spent a full year supporting OFN. Interested in joining the team? Contact us for short-term opportunities, or watch for the Program Coordinator position opening in late summer!

Jessica Oravetz is a first-year M.A. student in Folklore and Public Culture. She earned her B.A. in History and German with a minor in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies from Western Washington University. She was deeply inspired by her mentors and professors at WWU to pursue teaching and interdisciplinary, humanities-focused studies at the graduate level. Her primary interests lie in asking what it means to live well. She hopes to explore the emotional experience as a part of the human experience, and how people have turned to folklore in order to navigate those waters. Her other interests include dipping chocolate truffles, fostering kittens for the local humane society, and playing the harp. 

Oravetz assisted OFN with coordinating its Culture Fest program, which connects Oregon arts institutions with OFN’s Culture Keepers Roster to lead events. 

Headshot of woman with short curly hair, and glasses. Wearing a white button up shirt and blue tie.Elise O’Brien is a graduate student in Folklore Studies and Landscape Architecture at University of Oregon.  She lives, works and plays in rural Lane County.  Her research is interdisciplinary and flows from the confluence of culture and design. Elise enjoys crossing the rural/urban divide, works with art supply access for the unhoused (might art supplies be considered a basic need?), leads guided meditations to envision design potentialities, and endlessly ponders utopian imaginaries. She asks: “Are there cultural solutions for design issues?” Are there spatial solutions for cultural problems?” Elise is on the local planning committee for American Folklore Society in Portland Nov 1-4, 2023 and also works for the APRU Sustainable Cities and Landscapes Hub. Her future work will be in climate resilience, and she is presently inspired by how folk life acts as resistance to imperial and colonial projects.

Summer staff include Yosser Saidane and CiCi Becker, plus interns Ariel Lutnesky and Cassie Hoglund.