Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Recognizes Erie Folk Artists with Grants
Each year the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts offers up to $4000 for a master folk artist to teach their tradition within their community. Folk arts can come from ethnic groups (like Amish quilts or Nepali Tamang drumming) or geographic regions (like Appalachian square dancing) or occupational groups (like fly tying or decoy carving). What all folk arts have in common is that they are passed down from one generation to another in non-academic settings.
Erie Arts & Culture is pleased to announce that two Erie based artists received an Apprenticeship award in September. Each will spend a year working intensively with a mentee. David Kambowa, a composer and multi-instrumentalist, is teaching the musical traditions of the African Pentecostal church to Jackson Kabarole. Both men were born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and now live in Erie. This is the second year of funding for them. David states, “Our apprenticeship has made our community stronger and prouder. This project is growing new musical leaders. Jackson was once my student but now he is my colleague. Young people can see that our African culture is important.”
The second recipient is Charles Elliott, owner of TaleWeavers, a furniture builder and restorer. who specializes in seat-weaving traditions such as rushing, cane, and wicker. The grant will allow him to go more deeply into various techniques with a trusted shop assistant.
Erie Arts & Culture Folklorist in Residence, Kelly Armor, has assisted many artists in the past 20 years to obtain this grant. “In our fast-paced, modern society, it can be hard for people to find the time to keep their traditions going. It has funded the teaching of dance traditions of Acholi (South Sudan), Kathak (India) and Kirat Rai (Nepal), Bosnian and Nepali balladry, West African clothing design, and South Sudan henna and hair traditions. This grant has allowed all these art forms to flourish in Erie by taking root in a new generation.”
The grant deadline is in April. The master artist chooses a time frame and schedule and creates a plan of what skills and knowledge they want the apprentice to learn. The master and apprentice apply together and the apprentice must be a Pennsylvania resident. Contact Kelly with questions or to obtain a grant application.
The video below was created by Kelly Armor.
