Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 12, Number 9, 1 September 1995 — State funds apprenticeships in nā mea Hawaiʻi [ARTICLE]

State funds apprenticeships in nā mea Hawaiʻi

To learn from a master, one on one - that's an ideal opportunity, one that few artists or craftsmen would pass up. It's also the kind of opportunity that ean be extremeiy difficult - impossible even — to eome by, but the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts makes it possible every year by awarding funds to master-apprentice teams. This year 17 apprentices will be guided by 17 masters in such areas as oli (chant), slack key and steel guitar, lau hala weaving, ipu cultivation and decorating, and Hawaiian net making.

Nā mea Hawai'i make up 65 percent of the awards, but some of the apprentices will explore Cantonese opera singing, Japanese folk pottery, Okinawan drama, and Laotian weaving. "We hope that these awards will help to perpetuate the artistic traditions that make our eommunity unique," said Lynn Martin, SFCA folk arts coordinator. The awards range from $2,000 to $4,000 per team and the apprenticeship periods run from six to eight months.