Each year, Oregon Folklife Network’s Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program (TAAP) assists accomplished mentors in passing on their living traditions to promising apprentices of the same cultural community. A prestigious statewide honor, TAAP awards are often a precursor for traditional artists to be nominated for National Heritage Fellowship awards through the National Endowment for the Arts.
Meet Oregon’s 2021 TAAP awardees.
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- José Antonio Huerta taught Mexican Charrería to his apprentice, Rafael Acevedo Reveles.
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- Clair Kehrberg taught buckaroo leather working to her apprentice, Julianna Smucker.
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- LaRhonda Steele taught gospel singing to her apprentice, Lauren Steele.
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- Francisco Bautista taught Zapotec Weaving to his apprentice Daniel Bautista.
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- Alseny Yansane taught Guinean drum making and tuning to his apprentice, Papa Yansane.
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- Jayanthi Raman taught Asian Indian dance to her apprentice, Lavanya Mohanraj.
TAAP offers traditional master artists and culture keepers a $3,000 stipend to teach their art form to their apprentices, plus a $500 stipend to share their project with the public. The program does not fund historic reenactments or cultural appropriation. Applications are due annually by October 1 for projects taking place the following calendar year, and staff will provide feedback on drafts sent prior to Sept 1. To learn more, visit ofn.uoregon.edu, email ofn@uoregon.edu or call 541-346-3820.
TAAP is funded by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and Oregon Arts Commission.