Traditional Arts
Apprenticeship
This program is coordinated by Cultural Resources.
The Traditional Arts Apprenticeships are funded in part through support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.
To see additional past recipients and learn more about the apprenticeship program, visit www.cultural-resources.org.
The Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program helps communities preserve their own cultural heritage by providing teaching opportunities for accomplished mentors to pass on their skills to an apprentice of their choice.
Traditional Arts are passed down from one generation to the next, usually within families and communities, and can take many forms including vocal and instrumental music, dance, crafts, culinary and textile arts.
Based on their experience and commitment to a particular traditional art form, mentors and their apprentices apply to work together, usually for up to a one-year period.
Up to $3,000 is available for mentors’ teaching fees, supplies and travel costs.
Who can be a Mentor?
A mentor is a person steeped in, and expert in, a tradition, craft or technique. They are tradition bearers, acknowledged by their community as the person to carry on specific traditions. Usually learned by example rather than through formal academic training, a mentor is dedicated to passing on art forms that are rooted in their community’s cultural heritage.
Who can be an Apprentice?
An apprentice must have a basic ability and understanding of the traditional art form and demonstrate a commitment to working with the mentor. Mentors usually pick their apprentices. Apprentices should share a cultural background with their mentors.
2025-26 APRENTICESHIP
RECIPIENTS
Alexandra Conover Bennett
Northwoods Paddle Making
Apprentices: Ella Reilich Godino & Landon Sheaffer
Alexandra is a renowned Maine guide, paddle maker, writer, and traditional musician. In 1980, she co-founded North Woods Ways, a wilderness and guiding center based in northern Maine.
Allison Smith
Contra Dancer, Caller & Musician
Apprentice: Evan Viera
Allison Smith is a gifted contra dance caller, dancer, and musician from Atkinson, Maine. Allison discovered her love of contra dancing as a teenager from Dudley Laufman, a master dancer and caller and National Heritage Fellow recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Apphia Mpay
Congolese Fashion Design & Sewing
Apprentices: Josiane Mutangana, Elyse Uwera & Ruth Bocolo
Apphia Kamanda Mpay, a talented seamstress and designer, is orginally from the DRC and now makes her home in Westbrook, Maine. For the Congolese people, fashion is a cultural statement and a powerful form of self-expression, often blending European styles with traditional elements, showcasing specialized skills in tailoring, alterations, and creative design.
Brian Theriault
Traditional Snowshoe Making
Apprentice: Cody Theriault
With over 40 years of experience in snowshoe making, Brian J. Theriault, along with his father, Edmond Theriault, have devoted their lives to keeping this traditional art alive.
Ismael Hategekimana & Maurice Habimfura
Traditional Rwandan Drumming
Apprentice: [ Name Withheld ] & a Rwandan Student Group
Rwandan drumming is a cornerstone of cultural heritage, centered around the Ingoma drums—large, cowhide-covered instruments traditionally played by men to represent power and community unity. Ismael Hategekimana is a traditional drummer and member of Ikirenga Cy’intore, a Rwandan dance troupe based in Portland. Maurice Habimfura is a traditional dancer, choreographer, drummer and founder of Ikirenga Cy’intore.
[ Names Withheld ]
Pysanky & Traditional Singing
Two Apprentices
This award recipient is a recognized cultural advocate and traditional artist in Maine's Ukrainian community. She shares her culture by teaching a range of Ukrainian traditional arts, including pysanky, food ways, and folk singing. She teaches an inter-generational pysanky class for members of the Ukrainian community in Portland, as well as two apprentices.
Sokhoeun Sok
Cambodian Traditional Dance
Apprentices: July Kim, Angel Chhoeung, Thyda Kimball & Sarta Sam
Sokhoeun’s love of dance began at an early age. As a child in Cambodia, she studied at one of the country’s leading dance schools, where her aunt was also an instructor. With over 36 years of experience in Cambodian dance, Sokhoeun has devoted her life to preserving and sharing this beautiful tradition. Now living in Westbrook, Maine, Sokhoeun continues her aunt’s legacy by teaching Cambodian dance to new generations and is currently an instructor with Khmer Maine.
