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.