Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program
Applications open April 2, 2026 | Applications close May 3, 2026 11:59 PM | Notification in July.
OVERVIEW
The Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program supports individuals seeking to preserve traditional practices important to their community, heritage, and identity, including (but not limited to) music, dance, visual arts, language practices, verbal arts, traditional skills, foodways, occupational arts, and storytelling.
Folk and traditional arts are the bedrock of artistic and cultural communities. Humanities Washington and ArtsWA are pleased to co-sponsor WACultures and its Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program, with significant support from the Washington State Legislature. To date, over 150 people have participated in the program!
HOW DOES THE PROGRAM WORK?
Master Artists and Apprentice(s) work together over the course of one year to teach and learn knowledge and skill related to a tradition in their community to preserve and cultivate it for future generations. Master Artists and Apprentices must apply as an existing team. Applicants commit to spending at least 100 hours of one-on-one time together during the program year (July–June).
WHAT DO PARTICIPANTS GAIN?
The Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program helps to maintain important cultural traditions and practices in the state of Washington. The program provides a supportive mentoring environment, networking opportunities, as well as important professional and leadership skills.
ELIGIBILITY
All current residents of Washington State are eligible and encouraged to apply. At least one team member must be a Washington resident to be eligible. Master Artists who served within the last two cohorts are not eligible to apply in the current cycle.
FUNDING
Master Artists receive a $4,000 honorarium for their work and Apprentices receive $1,000. Teams may also request up to $1,000 for materials and/or travel.
WHO IS CONSIDERED A MASTER ARTIST?
A Master Artist is an expert steeped in a tradition, craft, or technique. They are a “tradition bearer” or “culture keeper” endowed with the right to carry and pass on a tradition or skill, by formal training or acknowledgement and respect of their peers and community members related to the tradition outlined in the application.
WHO IS CONSIDERED AN APPRENTICE?
An Apprentice is an individual that will learn a skill or tradition from a Master Artist and make a commitment to carrying it on after the apprenticeship. The Apprentice may be a novice or may have some previous training but is now seeking additional, direct training from a Master Artist.
PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITIES
- Regular Meetings – Participants meet in-person with each other over the course of one year and according to the Plan of Work submitted as part of their application. Teams will also meet with WACultures staff via Zoom on a quarterly basis.
- Site Visit – WACulture staff will conduct a site visit to document progress midway through the year. Participants will sign release forms consenting to documentation and may opt out of certain aspects if necessary (for example, if recordings should not be created of certain practices due to their religious or spiritual significance).
- Public Event– Teams will present their work in a public event. The form of this public event will be determined with WACultures staff.
- Evaluation – Participants will be required to complete a brief evaluation form to assess progress made, skills learned, and value of participating in the program.
APPLICATION REVIEW CRITERIA
Reviewers will evaluate applications and make funding recommendations based on:
- Relevance and importance of the tradition to the cultural history of a community/communities in Washington State
- Master Artist’s expertise
- Demonstrated level of commitment and appropriateness of Apprentice
- Potential impact of the apprenticeship on the vitality of the tradition
- Feasibility of work plan
- Washington State geographic area represented
APPLICATION ASSISTANCE AND DRAFT REVIEW
WACultures staff can aid in completing the application, offer feedback on a completed application draft, and answer questions.
THOMAS GRANT RICHARDSON (HE/HIM)
Director
206-682-1770
thomas@humanities.org
JERA LEGO (SHE/HER)
Program Manager
206-682-1770
jera@humanites.org
Contact Us
Have questions or ideas, or want to get involved with WACultures?
We?d love to hear from you! Email us, or fill out the form below: