WACultures is hiring a fieldworker for its Cultural Traditions Survey Fieldwork to be conducted in North Central Washington during the summer months of 2026. The contract is in the amount of $6,500, which includes both honorarium and travel expenses. Fieldworkers are expected to document between 5-8 cultural practitioners.
The purpose of this contract is to conduct ethnographic fieldwork resulting in interviews and documentation of folk and traditional arts and artists in North Central Washington (Douglas, Chelan, and Okanogan Counties). Those materials may be used to create online content for public dissemination for WACultures, and potentially lead to participation festival programing in Wenatchee, and participation in future Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program cohorts.
The Contractor will be expected to contact, schedule, and interview and document 5-8 traditional artists from the designated areas of Douglas, Chelan, and Okanogan Counties. Documentation should, at minimum, include recorded interviews and photographs of the artists and artwork created. Virtual trainings will be provided on documentary techniques and type of artists/ culture bearers desired.
Contractor may use their own equipment or photo and audio gear can be loaned to them by WACultures. Smartphones should NOT be used for documentation purposes.
An initial report will be required including all collected documentary materials, including interviews, photos, videos, and ephemera. A final report will be required indicating findings, leads that were not contacted or interviewed, and overall impressions of the area and the state of traditional arts.
To apply, send a resumé/ CV along with a letter of interest to wacultures@humanities.org with subject heading “Cultural Traditions Survey Application.”
The letter of interest should indicate your understanding of folk and traditional arts, any connections or familiarity with the area, and any previous work within the folk and traditional arts. Work samples of documentary work, though not required, are welcome. They should include no more than 5 images, 5 minutes of audio, and five minutes of video. Web links acceptable. Conversational Spanish is highly desirable.
Applications are due on Friday May 22.
Notifications will be made in early June and work can begin immediately upon notification.
WACultures is presented by ArtsWA and Humanities Washington with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
For inquiries contact Thomas Grant Richardson at thomas@humanities.org.