Apprenticeships in the Folk & Traditional Arts
about this program
Apprenticeships
The Apprenticeship Program connects master artists to skilled apprentices who receive training in a traditional art form. Teaching an apprentice gives the master artist the opportunity to refine his craft and gives the apprentice a chance to learn an art form that they, in turn, can teach others. Apprenticeships breathe life into the traditional arts and foster the continuation of that art form. In 2015 Texas Folklife relaunched this foundational folk and traditional arts program, thanks in part to support from a National Endowment for the Arts Partnership Award with the Texas Commission for the Arts. See below for current year program application and guidelines.
Most recent articles, events, video, audio and blog posts for this page:
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Posted on Tue Oct 15, 2013
Texas Folklife, Texas Dance Hall Preservation, Inc., and the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center hosted a small gathering of local cultural leaders interested in developing the next generation of polka musicians and supporters. For seven years Texas Folklife has been producing a state-wide accordion contest, the Big Squeeze, for youth in all genres of Texas traditional music, and polka... -
Posted on Mon Nov 7, 2011
Texas Folklife presents its newest apprenticeship project in West African dance at Houston Community College’s"Movement Evolution: New Traditions in World Dance"Texas Folklife and the World Dance Program at Houston Community College (HCC) announce a not-to-be-missed night of authentic, regional dance performance from Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa featuring three artists taking part in its... -
Posted on Tue May 16, 2017Apprenticeships In The Folk & Traditional Arts: Bob Suttie & Charlie, Robbie Bubenik, Czech Polka Accordion ( Article )
As children, Robbie and Charlie Bubenik never went longer than a month without a polka show. Whether with their father, Bob Suttie’s group, Texas Legacy Czech Band, or another polka band, the exposure to this music at an early age curated a deep knowledge of the songs and melodies that typify Texas Czech Polka music. It wouldn’t be long before listening... -
Posted on Thu Mar 30, 2017
2017 APPRENTICESHIPS SHOWCASE AT TEXAS FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL! JUNE 10TH (4:30-6:30PM) STAGE 1: H-E-B UTSA INSTITUTE OF TEXAN CULTURES SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS Artists from the Apprenticeship Program will perform this year at the 2017 Texas Folklife Festival in San Antonio, Texas! The showcase will consist of several... -
Posted on Mon Nov 28, 2016Apprenticeships in the Folk & Traditional Arts: Valerie Ryals & Jessica Sell, Texas Style Fiddling ( Article )
The career of Texas style fiddler Valerie Ryals is a demonstration in firsts. As one of the first women to compete in Texas fiddling championships during a time when men dominated, Ms. Ryals won her first Junior World Championship at age 13, setting the stage for a series of distinguished accolades throughout her career. In addition to being the first and only lady fiddler inducted into the Texas... -
Posted on Thu Oct 6, 2016
From custom cowboy boots to conjunto accordion to Mardi Gras Indian suit sewing, the 2015 - 2016 Apprenticeship Program includes a diverse range of traditional and folk arts across the state. Click on each marker to read more about each master artist and apprentice participant on our website, watch video of performances, and browse photos. This program is made possible in part from a State... -
Posted on Tue Oct 4, 2016Apprenticeships In The Folk & Traditional Arts: Brian Marshall & Michal Marshall, Texas Polish Fiddling ( Article )
Growing up in a Polish neighborhood in Houston, Master Artist Brian Marshall remembers the prevalence of fiddle music within his family and the community. As he recalls, “In my house growing up, my uncles, myself, and everyone would get together and pass the fiddle around like a joint in a hippie commune. Everybody would lay on it some. Some played really well, some played kind of scratched... -
Posted on Mon Aug 22, 2016Apprenticeships in the Folk & Traditional Arts: Lee Miller & Dana Perrotti, Custom Cowboy Boots ( Article )
Some of the earliest introductions to shoemaking for Master Artist Lee Miller and Apprentice Dana Perrotti was a practice in trial and error. For Lee, an early attempt to change the shape of a boot’s toe with a saw resulted in the saw coming right off the boot entirely. Dana lovingly refers to one of her earliest projects making shoes as “that really ugly loafer”: “part of the reason it was so... -
Posted on Fri Aug 12, 2016Apprenticeships In The Folk & Traditional Arts: Augustin "Gus" Escobar & Bradley Williams, Accordion Tuning and Repair ( Article )
The various parts that make up an accordion can seem daunting upon first glance. The accordion and tuning repair shop that Master Artist Augustin “Gus” Escobar (pictured right, on the right) runs outside of his house in Schertz contains an immense array of accordions and accordion parts all throughout the workshop. As full accordions line the walls, various reeds and treble arms are organized... -
Posted on Fri Aug 5, 2016Apprenticeships In The Folk & Traditional Arts: Daniel Malik & Sydney Hermann, Texas Czech Polka Saxophone ( Article )
It was always a dream for Daniel Malik to perform with the famous polka musician Joe Patek. The Patek family were revered throughout the 20th century as one of, if not the, most popular polka orchestra throughout all of Texas. Many Texans may recognize the popular standard “Shiner Song,” an arrangement by the Patek band that has become the (un)official anthem of the Texas Czech people. So...