Since 1987, Texas Folklife’s Apprenticeships in the Folk and Traditional Arts Program has supported 369 folk and traditional artists pass on and learn a diverse range of art forms practiced in cultural communities across Texas. The Apprenticeship Program provides awards of up to $3,000 for artist mentors to offer one-on-one training in art, cultural, or heritage practices to dedicated apprentices for six to eight months. By refining artist mentors’ approaches to their crafts, broadening apprentices’ skills, and encouraging the transmission of knowledge within and between cultural communities, the Apprenticeship Program fosters the continuity of the folk and traditional arts in Texas.

Texas Folklife is proud to announce the 2022 Apprenticeships in the Folk and Traditional Arts Program awardees. The Apprenticeship Program fosters the continuity of Texas’ traditional arts through mentorship, artist development, and organizational support. Mentors and apprentices from across the region were chosen from a number of highly qualified applicants through a rigorous panel review process. From South Indian veena and Chinese erhu performance, conjunto accordion tuning and playing, western swing guitar and flamenco, cartonería and comida casera, and Native American storytelling, the selected artist teams represent the diversity of Texas’s folk art traditions.

 2022 Texas Folklife Apprenticeships in the Folk and Traditional Arts Awardees include:

– Mentor Felipe Perez (San Antonio) and apprentice Bernabe Perez (San Antonio) in the art of accordion tuning

– Mentor Juan Longoria, Jr. (Brownsville) and apprentice Manuel Tovar (Brownsville) in the art of conjunto accordion

– Mentor Jesús Muñoz (Albuquerque) and apprentice Andrea González (Sugar Land) in the art of flamenco
– Mentor Rajeswari Pariti (Argyle) and apprentice Vishnu Dokka (Austin) in the art of Carnatic veena performance
– Mentor Rocío Ramírez-Landoll (Waco) and apprentice Diane Torres (Waco) in the art of cartonería
– Mentor Veronica Castillo (San Antonio) and apprentice Rosie Torres (San Antonio) in the arts of ceramics and comida casera
– Mentor Whit Smith (Austin) and apprentice Ian Lee (Wimberley) in the art of western swing guitar
– Mentor Xelena González (San Antonio) and apprentice Excy Guardado (San Antonio) in the art of Native American storytelling
– Mentor Daniel Chen (McKinney) and apprentice Eric Wang (McKinney) in the art of Chinese erhu performance

The Texas Folklife Apprenticeship Program is made possible by a State Partnership Award from the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Texas Commission on the Arts and support from the board and members of Texas Folklife. Additional support is provided by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department and folk and traditional arts partners across Texas.

Texas Folklife is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to presenting and preserving the diverse cultures and living heritage of the Lone Star State. The National Endowment for the Arts designates Texas Folklife as the official folk and traditional arts organization for the state. Since 1984, Texas Folklife has honored traditions passed down within communities, explored the importance of traditional arts in contemporary society and celebrated the state’s vibrant heritage by providing arts experiences enjoyable and accessible for all generations. For more information, visit texasfolklife.org. 

More about the accordion related awardees Felipe Perez, Bernie Perez, Juan Longoria, Jr., Manuel Tovar in future USA News publications!