Secretary Browning Requests Applications for Folklife Program Master Artists and Apprentices

Interested masters and apprentices must apply as a team

Tallahassee, Florida –

Secretary of State Kurt Browning today announced that the Florida Department of State is seeking master artist and apprentice applications for the 2012-13 Florida Folklife Apprenticeship Program. Expert practitioners of traditional arts and people with a strong commitment to learning and perpetuating Florida folk arts are encouraged to apply.

The Florida Folklife Apprenticeship Program provides an opportunity for qualified apprentices to study traditional arts for an extended period with recognized master folk artists. Traditions supported by the program to date have included Bahamian Junkanoo costume making, Seminole patchwork, Irish fiddling, Afro-Caribbean percussion, Cracker cow-whip making, Japanese flower arranging, African American blues and many more.

Although applications are accepted throughout the year, the annual deadline is May 15.  Interested masters and apprentices must apply as a team by submitting the joint application to the Florida Folklife Program in the Division of Historical Resources. The program provides a stipend to the master/apprentice teams as well as funds for supplies.

For an application or additional information, contact State Folklorist Blaine Q. Waide, Florida Folklife Program, Bureau of Historic Preservation, 500 S. Bronough Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250 or call 850.245.6333 or 800.847.PAST. Applications can be found on the Florida Folklife Program website at www.flheritage.com/preservation/folklife/apprenticeship. The Florida Folklife Program is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Folk and Traditional Arts Program.

About the Florida Department of State’s Florida Folklife Program

The Florida Folklife Program, a component of the Florida Department of State's Division of Historical Resources, documents and presents Florida’s folklife, folklore and folk arts. The program coordinates a wide range of activities and projects designed to increase the awareness of Floridians and visitors alike about Florida’s traditional culture. Established in 1979 by the legislature to document and present Florida folklife, the program is one of the oldest state folk arts programs in the nation. For more information about Florida folklife, visit www.flheritage.com/preservation/folklife/.