Eight Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Projects Selected Across the State
From Dr. Bradley Hanson, Director of Folklife, and Evangeline Mee, Traditional Arts Specialist –
The Tennessee Arts Commission Folklife Program has awarded funding to eight projects as part of the 2027 Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program. Entering its eleventh year, the program sustains and documents Tennessee’s living traditions by investing in the work of master artists and apprentices.
Each of the eight teams selected is committed to preserving a tradition that is deeply rooted in their cultural community. The artists will embark on one-on-one training for a twelve-month period.
“Although our state has a rich cultural heritage, many traditional art forms today are fragile. This program helps ensure these traditions last for generations to come,” said Anne B. Pope, Executive Director of the Tennessee Arts Commission. “For many artists, this program provides a significant investment in the sustainability of their family business or a way of life. Folklife practices enhance livability and the pride of place in all Tennessee communities, especially in our rural areas.”
The master artists awarded this recognition from the Tennessee Arts Commission have demonstrated exceptional skill and are widely respected by fellow artists, community members, folklorists, and arts leaders. Four of this year’s master artist and apprentice teams from Appalachia are supported through a special partnership with South Arts’ In These Mountains: Central Appalachian Folk Art & Culture initiative.
Each apprentice is selected by the master artist based on demonstrated aptitude and dedication to a chosen traditional art form. Tennessee’s folklife traditions encompass traditional music, crafts, dance, folk games, festival customs, foodways, occupational skills, and other community-based cultural practices. These traditions are passed from person to person through observation, imitation, oral instruction, and participation within communities connected by family, ethnicity, tribe, region, occupation, or religion.
“Tennessee is home to an extraordinary range of folklife traditions, some that have been passed down for centuries and others that reflect the state’s continually evolving cultural life,” said Dr. Bradley Hanson, Tennessee Arts Commission Director of Folklife. “Since 2016, the Commission has supported more than one hundred apprenticeship projects, helping ensure these traditions continue to thrive. Collectively, these artists reflect the remarkable breadth and vitality of Tennessee’s living cultural heritage.”
Master artists and apprentices will also share their work together in public performances and demonstrations. All projects are documented by the Tennessee Arts Commission Folklife Program to further archive and preserve the state’s current folklife practices.
A panel of folklife specialists reviewed a deep and highly competitive applicant pool and recommended the following awardees:
2027 Master Artists and Apprentices
Ian Kirkpatrick, master artist, and Ellie Smith, apprentice. Unaccompanied Balladry. Knoxville and Johnson City, TN. *
Hillary Klug, master artist, and Francesca Rainwater, apprentice. Contra and Square Dance Fiddling. Nashville and Murfreesboro, TN.
Jazmine LeBlanc, master artist, and Erika Roberts, apprentice. Black Appalachian Storytelling. Chattanooga, TN. *
Roxanne McDaniel, master artist, and Lark Bookout, apprentice. Dulcimer. Johnson City, TN. *
Martin Paschall, master artist, and Anna Atkins, apprentice. Stoneware Pottery. Paris and Buchanan, TN.
Damion Pearson, master artist, and Courtney Bookman, apprentice. Blues Harmonica. Memphis, TN.
Nesrin Simsek, master artist, and Yad Sharef, apprentice. Kurdish Daf. Nashville, TN.
Charlotte Underwood, master artist, and Joanna Underwood, apprentice. Agricultural Folkways. LaFollette, TN. *
* Projects are funded in part through a special partnership with the South Arts’ initiative In These Mountains: Central Appalachian Folk Art & Culture.
