The

Michigan Traditional Arts

Program
MTAP artists clockwise from left: Kelly Church, Cherish Parrish, Bruce Bauman, Andrew DeVore, Johnnie Perona, DJ Krogol, Celeste Smith, Marva Brown, Rene Maeve, Guillermo Martinez, Johnnie Bassett, Ernie Hawks, Nic Gareiss, and Emily Doebler.

The Michigan Traditional Arts Program of Michigan State University seeks applications for its 2024 Michigan Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program, which facilitates the sharing of traditional knowledge between mentor artists and apprentices of their choosing in a variety of traditional, cultural, or occupational expressions. Nominations for the 2024 Michigan Heritage Awards are also open, a program which recognizes people who have dedicated their lives to the practice, education, preservation, and/or documentation of follk and traditional arts in Michigan.

Applications for both apprenticeships and heritage awards are due Monday, January 8, 2024. Application and nomination forms are available below or on the MTAP website under the apprenticeship or heritage awards tabs. Anyone considering putting together an application for either program should contact Micah Ling, at lingmica@msu.edu or msu.mtap@gmail.com. 

More about the 2024 Michigan Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program:

The Michigan Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program supports the continuation of traditional arts practiced in Michigan that are learned informally from one another in small groups and families. These range from decoy duck carving to storytelling, mehndi (henna) art application to Irish step dance, and tamale making to Finnish kantele playing. A mentor artist works with an apprentice artist, passing on the skills and knowledge about a particular traditional art for. The apprenticeship program awards a $2000 stipend in support of the instruction time the mentor artist spends with the apprentice. A gallery of past awardees is available on our website.

“Like its natural resources, Michigan’s cultural traditions are a treasured resource to be nurtured for future generations, which is why the apprenticeship program provides incentives to traditional artists to pursue their art and pass on these skills on to others,” says Micah Ling, coordinator of the apprenticeship program. “Many master and apprentice teams tell us that their apprenticeship was one of the most meaningful times of their lives, providing the opportunity and the means to pass on a living tradition to someone who will continue the tradition with care and attention.”

More about the Michigan Heritage Awards:

The Michigan Heritage Awards honor individuals who continue their family and community folk traditions with excellence through practice and teaching, or individuals who are recognized as outstanding community leaders in the maintenance, documentation, or presentation of traditional arts. The program was established to call attention to Michigan’s exceptional tradition bearers and supporters of traditional culture whose contributions to our state’s heritage. These are the state’s only formal recognition for artists and cultural heritage practitioners in a statewide program. Awards are annually presented to Michiganders who participate in a wide range of cultural practices, both to the practitioners and to those who work to support or document those traditions. These include, for example, material culture (carving, fiber art traditions, pottery, foodways, dress), performance (music, dance, storytelling), and community leadership (festival production, archival documentation, folk arts administration).

More about the Michigan Traditional Arts Program:

The Michigan Traditional Arts Program is the statewide program that advances cross-cultural understanding in a diverse society through the documentation, preservation, and presentation of the traditional arts, folklife, and everyday culture in Michigan.

This statewide program is based at the MSU Residential College in the Arts and Humanities and is supported by partnerships with MSU University Outreach and Engagement, the MSU Museum, and MSU’s Matrix: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences.

The Michigan Traditional Arts Program of Michigan State University announces honorees in an annual program celebrating cultural heritage in Michigan: the 2023 Michigan Heritage Awards.

The Michigan Heritage Award (MHA) is the state’s highest distinction to honor individuals who continue their family, community, or cultural traditions with excellence and devotion. The awards were given out following a thorough review by an independent panel of three folklife, community arts, and cultural scholars and educators.

“The Michigan Heritage Awards are presented each year to honor master tradition bearers in Michigan who continue the folk traditions of their families and communities through practice and teaching,” explains Marsha MacDowell, Director of the Michigan Traditional Arts Program.

Receiving a 2023 Michigan Heritage award for their traditional arts achievements are:

Ashokbala “Ashoka” Rao of Swartz Creek (Genesee County) for kathak dance

Photograph courtesy the artist

Larry “Lorenzo” Lopez of Lansing (Ingham County) for Mexican folkloric and Latine dance
Photograph by Nic Gareiss

The Pretty Shaky String Band of East Lansing (Ingham County) for community leadership in old-time string band music

Photograph courtesy the artist

Sheila Graziano of Chelsea (Washtenaw County) for clogging

Photograph by Peggy Brisbane, Wheatland Music Festival

“The attention and honor extended to these artists through the Michigan Heritage Awards are important not only to them but to all of us who cherish the state’s cultural heritage,” explains MacDowell. MHA Coordinator Micah Ling notes, “We seek nominations from around the state so that the awards continue to reflect the great diversity of skills, ethnicities, communities, and cultural backgrounds of Michiganders. It is a true delight each year to learn more about our home and its people.” Individual celebrations will take place in the artists home communities, with a group celebration to be announced in the fall.

The Michigan Traditional Arts Program is a statewide program “to advance cross-cultural understanding and equity in a diverse society through the documentation, preservation, and presentation of traditional arts, folklife, and everyday culture in Michigan.”  MTAP is headquartered at MSU’s Residential College in the Arts and Humanities and is supported by MATRIX: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences, MSU’s Office of University Outreach and Engagement, and the Michigan State University Museum.  

The Michigan Traditional Arts Program of Michigan State University seeks applications for its 2023 Michigan Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program, which facilitates the sharing of traditional knowledge between mentor or master artists and apprentices of their choosing in a variety of traditional, cultural, or occupational expressions.

Applications for 2023 Michigan traditional arts apprenticeships are due Monday, January 2, 2023. Apprenticeship application forms are available online at http://traditionalarts.msu.edu/programs/michigan-traditional-arts-apprenticeship/. Anyone considering putting together an application for either program should contact Micah Ling, at lingmica@msu.edu or msu.mtap@gmail.com. 

More about the 2023 Michigan Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program:

The Michigan Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program supports the continuation of traditional arts practiced in Michigan that are learned informally from one another in small groups and families. These range from decoy duck carving to storytelling, mehndi (henna) art application to Irish step dance, and tamale making to Finnish kantele playing. A mentor or master artist works with an apprentice artist, passing on the skills and knowledge about a particular traditional art for. The apprenticeship program awards a $2000 stipend in support of the instruction time the master artist spends with the apprentice. A gallery of past awardees is available online.

“Like its natural resources, Michigan’s cultural traditions are a treasured resource to be nurtured for future generations, which is why the apprenticeship program provides incentives to traditional artists to pursue their art and pass on these skills on to others,” says Micah Ling, coordinator of the apprenticeship program. “Many master and apprentice teams tell us that their apprenticeship was one of the most meaningful times of their lives, providing the opportunity and the means to pass on a living tradition to someone who will continue the tradition as well.”

More about the Michigan Traditional Arts Program:

The Michigan Traditional Arts Program is a statewide program that advances cross-cultural understanding in a diverse society through the documentation, preservation, and presentation of the traditional arts, folklife, and everyday culture in Michigan.

This statewide program is based at the MSU Residential College in the Arts and Humanities and is supported by partnerships with MSU University Outreach and Engagement, the MSU Museum, and MSU’s Matrix: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences.

2022 MHA Awardees (from left): Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus of North American, Alfred “Bruce” Bradley, Ara Topouzian, and Drs. Yvonne and William Lockwood

The Michigan Traditional Arts Program of Michigan State University will award honorees in its annual program celebrating cultural heritage in Michigan, the 2022 Michigan Heritage Awards, on October 9, 2022 at 4:00pm during a virtual Zoom ceremony.

The event details can be found on the Facebook event page: https://fb.me/e/2dBF0akGU

The event Zoom link can be found here: https://msu.zoom.us/j/98152638256

Michigan Heritage Awards (MHA) are the state’s highest distinction to honor individuals who continue their family, community, or cultural traditions with excellence and devotion. The awards were decided following a thorough review by an independent panel of three folklife, community arts, and cultural scholars and educators.

“The Michigan Heritage Awards are presented each year to honor master tradition bearers in Michigan who continue the folk traditions of their families and communities through practice and teaching,” explains Marsha MacDowell, Director of the Michigan Traditional Arts Program.

Receiving a 2022 Michigan Heritage award for their traditional arts achievements are:

  1. Alfred Bruce Bradley of Flint (Genesee County), for community leadership in tap dance
  2. Drs. William (1933-2017) and Yvonne Lockwood of Chelsea (Washtenaw County), for documentation, preservation, and publication of Michigan traditional art, folklife, and culture
  3. Ara Topouzian of Bloomfield Hills (Oakland County), for traditional Armenian music
  4. Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus of North America (Wayne County), for community organizing, supporting, and promoting Ukrainian bandura music

“The attention and honor extended to these artists through the Michigan Heritage Awards are important not only to them but to all of us who cherish the state’s cultural heritage,” says MacDowell. MHA Coordinator Micah Ling notes, “We seek nominations from around the state so that the awards continue to reflect the great diversity of skills, traditional knowledge, and cultural backgrounds of Michiganders. It is a true delight each year to learn more about our home and its people.”

The Michigan Traditional Arts Program is a statewide program “to advance cross-cultural understanding and equity in a diverse society through the documentation, preservation, and presentation of traditional arts, folklife, and everyday culture in Michigan.”  MTAP is headquartered at MSU’s Residential College in the Arts and Humanities and is supported by MATRIX: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences, MSU’s Office of University Outreach and Engagement, and the Michigan State University Museum.  

Learn more here: http://traditionalarts.msu.edu/ or by contacting the Michigan Traditional Arts Program at msu.mtap@gmail.com or (517) 353-5526.

2022 Michigan Heritage Awardees, clockwise from top left: Drs. William (1933-2017) and Yvonne Lockwood, Alfred “Bruce” Bradley, the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus, and Ara Topouzian

The Michigan Traditional Arts Program of Michigan State University announces the 2022 Michigan Heritage Awards honorees in the annual statewide program recognizing artists, practitioners, and community organizers working in the folk and traditional arts and everyday culture in Michigan.

The Michigan Heritage Award (MHA) is the state’s highest distinction to honor individuals and groups who have dedicated themselves to the teaching, preservation, presentation, and growth of their traditional art form. This includes familial, cultural, ethnic, religious, occupational, and regional traditions. The awardees were selected after a review of nominations by an independent panel of traditional arts specialists and practitioners.

“The Michigan Heritage Awards are modeled after the National Heritage Fellowships awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar programs exist in most states, serving to reflect and celebrate the diversity of cultural expressions found in the United States. Since 1985, over 130 Michigan artists and cultural organizations have received Michigan Heritage Awards,” explains Micah Ling, public programs coordinator for the Michigan Traditional Arts Program.

Receiving a 2022 Michigan Heritage Award for their traditional arts achievements are:

  • Alfred Bruce Bradley of Flint (Genesee County), for community leadership in tap dance
  • Drs. William (1933-2017) and Yvonne Lockwood of Chelsea (Washtenaw County), for documentation, preservation, and publication of Michigan traditional art, folklife, and culture
  • Ara Topouzian of Bloomfield Hills (Oakland County), for traditional Armenian music performance
  • **Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus of the Detroit Metro Area (Wayne County), for community organizing, supporting, and promoting Ukrainian bandura music

Ling notes, “We receive nominations both from groups with whom we have existing relationships, like past participants in our apprenticeship program or fieldwork documentation projects, and from new connections. It is always exciting to see which Michiganders and traditions will be nominated and selected.” Michigan Traditional Arts Program director Marsha MacDowell recognizes that “the program widens public awareness about the breadth and depth of traditional arts and culture in the state.” A virtual celebration will be held later in the summer via the Zoom platform, details to follow, and in-person celebrations will be announced at a later date.

The Michigan Traditional Arts Program is a statewide program “to advance cross-cultural understanding and equity in a diverse society through the documentation, preservation, and presentation of traditional arts, folklife, and everyday culture in Michigan.”  MTAP is headquartered at MSU’s Residential College in the Arts and Humanities and is supported by MATRIX: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences, MSU’s Office of University Outreach and Engagement, and the Michigan State University Museum.

Learn more here: http://traditionalarts.msu.edu/programs/michigan-heritage-awards/ or by contacting the Michigan Traditional Arts Program at msu.mtap@gmail.com or (517) 353-5526.

**As we celebrate the award to the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus, we are conscious that the Ukrainian and Ukrainian American communities in Michigan are watching a tragedy unfold in their home country. Ukrainian Michiganders are encouraging people to support humanitarian aid by donating to the Ukrainian Congress Committee of AmericaUnited Ukrainian American Relief Committee and Razom Emergency Fund, or to organizations on the list linked here.

Honoring individuals who carry on traditions with excellence is the focus of two annual programs coordinated by the Michigan Traditional Arts Program (MTAP) of Michigan State University: the Michigan Heritage Awards, and the Michigan Traditional Arts Apprenticeships.

Nominations for 2022 Heritage Awards and applications for the apprenticeships are due Monday, January 3, 2021. Heritage Award nomination forms and apprenticeship application forms are available online at http://www.traditionalarts.msu.edu. Anyone considering putting together an application for either program should contact Micah Ling, at lingmica@msu.edu or msu.mtap@gmail.com. 

Support for the 2022 Michigan Heritage Awards and the Michigan Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program  is provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and generous contributions from individuals.

More about the 2022 Michigan Heritage Awards:

Since 1985, the MSU Museum’s Michigan Traditional Arts Program has, through its Michigan Heritage Awards, honored the achievements and dedication of Michigan’s traditional artists and traditional arts advocates. The awards recognize these practitioners in the areas of performance, material culture, and community leadership. 

The 2021 awardees were:

Anny Hubbard of Sault Ste. Marie (Chippewa County), for birch bark cut out work

Dr. Deborah Smith Pollard of Detroit (Wayne County) for African American gospel music radio presenting, documentation, and community leadership

“The attention and honor extended to these artists through the Michigan Heritage Awards are important not only to them but to all of us who cherish the state’s cultural heritage,” explains Marsha MacDowell, director of the Michigan Traditional Arts Program.  “We seek nominations from all over the state so that the awards continue to reflect the great diversity of skills, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds of Michiganders,” she adds.

More about the 2022 Michigan Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program:

The Michigan Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program supports the continuation of traditional arts practiced in Michigan that are learned informally from one another in small groups and families. These range from decoy duck carving to storytelling, mehndi (henna) art application to Irish step dance, and tamale making to Finnish kantele playing. A master artist works with an apprentice artist, passing on the skills and knowledge about a particular traditional art for. The apprenticeship program awards a $2000 stipend in support of the instruction time the master artist spends with the apprentice. A gallery of past awardees is available online. In 2022, the program will be able to award 6 apprenticeships. 

“Like its natural resources, Michigan’s cultural traditions are a treasured resource to be nurtured for future generations, which is why the apprenticeship program provides incentives to traditional artists to pursue their art and pass on these skills on to others,” says Micah Ling, coordinator of the apprenticeship program. “Many master and apprentice teams tell us that their apprenticeship was one of the most meaningful times of their lives, providing the opportunity and the means to pass on a living tradition to someone who will continue the tradition as well.”

More about the Michigan Traditional Arts Program:

The Michigan Traditional Arts Program is a statewide program that advances cross-cultural understanding in a diverse society through the documentation, preservation, and presentation of the traditional arts, folklife, and everyday culture in Michigan.

This statewide program is based at the MSU Residential College in the Arts and Humanities and is supported by partnerships with the National Endowment for the Arts, MSU University Outreach and Engagement, the MSU Museum, and MSU’s Matrix: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences.

Gospel music radio presenter and scholar Dr. Deborah Smith Pollard, courtesy the artist
Birch bark and multimedia artist Anny Hubbard, courtesy the artist

The Michigan Traditional Arts Program announces honorees in an annual program celebrating cultural heritage in Michigan: the 2021 Michigan Heritage Awards.

The Michigan Heritage Award (MHA) is the state’s highest distinction to honor individuals who continue their family, community, or cultural traditions with excellence and devotion. The awards were given out following a thorough review by an independent panel of three folklife, community arts, and cultural scholars and educators.

“The Michigan Heritage Awards are presented each year to honor master tradition bearers in Michigan who continue the folk traditions of their families and communities through practice and teaching,” explains Marsha MacDowell, Director of the Michigan Traditional Arts Program.

Receiving a 2021 Michigan Heritage award for their traditional arts achievements are:

Anny Hubbard of Sault Ste. Marie (Chippewa County), for birch bark cut out work

Dr. Deborah Smith Pollard of Detroit (Wayne County) for community leadership in African American gospel music radio, concert promotion, and education

“The attention and honor extended to these artists through the Michigan Heritage Awards are important not only to them but to all of us who cherish the state’s cultural heritage,” explains MacDowell. MHA Coordinator Micah Ling notes, “We seek nominations from around the state so that the awards continue to reflect the great diversity of skills, ethnicities, lived experiences, and cultural backgrounds of Michiganders. It is a true delight each year to learn more about our home and its people.” A virtual celebration will be held later in the summer via the Zoom platform, details to follow, and in-person celebrations will be announced at a later date.

The Michigan Traditional Arts Program is a statewide program “to advance cross-cultural understanding and equity in a diverse society through the documentation, preservation, and presentation of traditional arts, folklife, and everyday culture in Michigan.”  MTAP is headquartered at MSU’s Residential College in the Arts and Humanities and is supported by MATRIX: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences and MSU’s Office of University Outreach and Engagement and the Michigan State University Museum.

Honoring individuals who carry on traditions with excellence is the focus of two annual programs coordinated by the Michigan Traditional Arts Program (MTAP) of Michigan State University: the Michigan Heritage Awards, and the Michigan Traditional Arts Apprenticeships.

Ordinarily, nominations and applications for these two programs are due December 1. Due to both the COVID-19 pandemic and recent notification of the receipt of federal grant funding for MTAP, the deadline has been extended. Nominations for 2021 Heritage Awards and applications for the apprenticeships are due Monday, January 4, 2021. Heritage Award nomination forms and apprenticeship application forms are available online at http://traditionalarts.msu.edu. Anyone considering putting together an application for either program should contact Micah Ling, at msu.mtap@gmail.com or 517-353-5526. 

Support for the 2021 Michigan Heritage Awards and the Michigan Traditional Arts Program is provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and generous contributions from individuals.

More about the 2021 Michigan Heritage Awards:

Since 1985, the MSU Museum’s Michigan Traditional Arts Program has, through its Michigan Heritage Awards, honored the achievements and dedication of Michigan’s traditional artists and traditional arts advocates. The awards recognize these practitioners in the areas of performance, material culture, and community leadership. 

The awardees in 2020 were:

  1. Bill Church of Hopkins (Allegan County), for storytelling and community leadership for the Gun Lake Tribe/Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians
  2. Nic Gareiss of Lansing (Ingham County), for percussive dance
  3. Paavo Nurmi of Hessel (Mackinac County), for Finnish distaff carving 
  4. Patricia Shackleton of Haslett/Sault Ste. Marie (Ingham/Chippewa Counties), for birch bark cut out work

“The attention and honor extended to these artists through the Michigan Heritage Awards are important not only to them but to all of us who cherish the state’s cultural heritage,” explains Marsha MacDowell, director of the Michigan Traditional Arts Program.  “We seek nominations from all over the state so that the awards continue to reflect the great diversity of skills, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds of Michiganders,” she adds.

More about the 2021 Michigan Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program:

The Michigan Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program supports the continuation of traditional arts practiced in Michigan that are learned informally from one another in small groups and families. These range from decoy duck carving to storytelling, mehndi (henna) art application to Irish step dance, and tamale making to Finnish kantele playing. A master artist works with an apprentice artist, passing on the skills and knowledge about a particular traditional art for. The apprenticeship program awards a $2000 stipend in support of the instruction time the master artist spends with the apprentice. A gallery of past awardees is available online. In 2021, the program will be able to award between 4 and 6 apprenticeships. Applications should include plans for safely observing COVID-19 restrictions as outlined by the state of Michigan and the Center for Disease Control.

“Like its natural resources, Michigan’s cultural traditions are a treasured resource to be nurtured for future generations, which is why the apprenticeship program provides incentives to traditional artists to pursue their art and pass on these skills on to others,” says Micah Ling, coordinator of the apprenticeship program. “Many master and apprentice teams tell us that their apprenticeship was one of the most meaningful times of their lives, providing the opportunity and the means to pass on a living tradition to someone who will continue the tradition as well.”.


More about the Michigan Traditional Arts Program:

The Michigan Traditional Arts Program advances cross-cultural understanding in a diverse society through the documentation, preservation, and presentation of the traditional arts, folklife, and everyday culture in Michigan.

The statewide program is based at the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities and is supported by partnerships with MSU University Outreach and Engagement, and MSU’s Matrix: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences. The MSU Museum holds the Michigan Traditional Arts Program archival and object collections.

2020 MHA awardees from left: Bill Church, Paavo Nurmi, Patricia Shackleton, and Nic Gareiss

The Michigan Traditional Arts Program of Michigan State University announces honorees in our annual program celebrating cultural heritage in Michigan: the 2020 Michigan Heritage Awards.

The Michigan Heritage Award (MHA) is the state’s highest distinction to honor individuals who continue their family, community, or cultural traditions with excellence and devotion. The awards were given out following a thorough review by an independent panel of three folklife, community arts, and cultural scholars and educators.

“The Michigan Heritage Awards are presented each year to honor master tradition bearers in Michigan who continue the folk traditions of their families and communities through practice and teaching,” explains Marsha MacDowell, Director of the Michigan Traditional Arts Program.

Receiving a 2020 Michigan Heritage award for their traditional arts achievements are:
Bill Church of Hopkins (Allegan County), for storytelling and community leadership for the Gun Lake Tribe/Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians
Nic Gareiss of Lansing (Ingham County), for percussive dance
Paavo Nurmi of Hessel (Mackinac County), for Finnish distaff carving 
Patricia Shackleton of Haslett/Sault Ste. Marie (Ingham/Chippewa Counties), for birch bark cut out work

“The attention and honor extended to these artists through the Michigan Heritage Awards are important not only to them but to all of us who cherish the state’s cultural heritage,” explains MacDowell. MHA Coordinator Micah Ling notes, “We seek nominations from around the state so that the awards continue to reflect the great diversity of skills, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds of Michiganders. It is a true delight each year to learn more about our home and its people.”

The Michigan Traditional Arts Program is a statewide program “ to advance cross-cultural understanding and equity in a diverse society through the documentation, preservation, and presentation of traditional arts, folklife, and everyday culture in Michigan.”  MTAP is headquartered at MSU’s Residential College in the Arts and Humanities and is supported by MATRIX: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences and MSU’s Office of University Outreach and Engagement.  

The Michigan Traditional Arts Program of the Michigan State University Museum announces honorees in a program celebrating cultural heritage in Michigan: the 2019 Michigan Heritage Awards.

The Michigan Heritage Award (MHA) is the state’s highest distinction to honor individuals who continue their family, community, or cultural traditions with excellence and devotion.

“The Michigan Heritage Awards are presented each year to honor master tradition bearers in Michigan who continue the folk traditions of their families and communities through practice and teaching,” explains Marsha MacDowell, Curator of Folk Arts at the MSU Museum and Director of the Michigan Traditional Arts Program.

Receiving a 2019 Michigan Heritage award for their traditional arts achievements are:

Elgia Hickok (posthumous award) formerly of Freeman Township (Clare County) for dulcimer playing and as founding member of the Original Dulcimer Players Club

Roger LaBine of Trout Lake (Ontonagon County) for wild rice cultivation, collection, and processing

Martin Solis, Jr., of Melvindale (Wayne County) for conjunto music- bajo sexto and vocals

“The attention and honor extended to these artists through the Michigan Heritage Awards are important not only to them but to all of us who cherish the state’s cultural heritage,” explains Marsha MacDowell, Curator of Folk Arts at the MSU Museum and director of the Michigan Traditional Arts Program. “We seek nominations from all over the state so that the awards continue to reflect the great diversity of skills, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds of Michiganders,” she adds.

The awards were given out following a thorough review by a panel of three folklife, community arts, and cultural scholars and educators. The nominations were considered based on depth of experience, community engagement, representation of the tradition, samples of work, and letters of recommendation when determining the merit of each award.