Collections by Name | Collections by Region

Michigan Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Collection

Since 1989 the MSU Museum's Traditional Arts Program has coordinated an apprenticeship program that encourages the preservation and perpetuation of traditional arts in Michigan by supporting apprenticeships for the purpose of passing on folk traditions. Master artists apply to the program with their selected apprentices and if selected teach their skills of production as well as cultural knowledge about their art forms. This program was established and supported initially by the National Endowment for the Arts; currently it is support by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

The collections from this program represent a wide variety of traditions produced by master artists in Michigan. For example, the collection includes woven palm fronds, cedar fan carvings, a range of Native American traditional art forms from quill work to black ash baskets, rag rugs, braided rugs, quilts, decorative welded gate, Ukrainian beadwork, Polish and Ukrainian decorated eggs, and much more. The collection also includes musical recordings, videotapes, field reports, interviews with artists, and photographs.

Donors and Fieldworkers

LuAnne Kozma, Sarah Stollack, Rebecca Clark, Janet Gilmore, James Leary, Laurie Sommers, Yvonne Lockwood, Marsha MacDowell, C. Kurt Dewhurst, Molly McBride, Micah Ling, Nick Schaedig

Exhibitions

"Native American Masters," Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs, Detroit, Michigan, January, 1993; Michigan State University Museum, East Lansing, Michigan, August, 1993 - February, 1994; Gerald R. Ford Museum, Grand Rapids, Michigan, March - April, 1994; Marquette Mission Park & Museum of Ojibwa Culture, St Ignace, Michigan, May, 1996 - October, 1996; Port Huron Museum, Port Huron, Michigan, August 12 - October 22, 2000; Fort Miami Heritage Society, St. Joseph, Michigan, January - May, 2002.

Publications

The annual awardees of this program are highlighted in the Michigan Folklife Annual, formerly the Festival of Michigan Folklife Program Book.