Dear Friends of the Traditional Arts in California,
We are writing to ask you to support the Alliance for California Traditional Arts' (ACTA) Apprenticeship Program to encourage the continuation of cultural traditions in California. Since ACTA's first program launched in 1998, the Apprenticeship Program has supported more than 500 Master Artists and Apprentices in 46 California counties. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the program and we are seeking supporters to ensure that ACTA can continue awarding at least 18 contracts in the next year, so that significant traditional art forms can continue to be passed down to future generations.
The Apprenticeship Program is close to our hearts and the hearts of hundreds of other artists around the state because it enables intensive learning opportunities of cultural traditions. As participants in the Apprenticeship Program, we have experienced firsthand the impact of the program in our lives, our communities and our art forms. And we are not alone! ACTA has supported numerous art forms up and down the state including African American quilts; Indian Bharata Natyam and Kathak dance; Western saddle making; Chinese percussion; Native Hawaiian kahiko hula chant and dance; Pilipino Kulintang music; Mariachi music and Chicano murals, to mention just a few. Want to learn more about what ACTA has supported in your region? Visit them at: http://www.actaonline.org/content/find-artists-communities.
We are building a new California together, one that respects cultural diversity and the creation of beautiful art and ultimately a vibrant, healthy and tolerant society. You can also be part of this effort by donating $10 or more. Our goal is to raise $8,000 to support two apprenticeship pairs and the required program expenses. Last year 84 donors collectively gave $8,580. Can you help us reach our $8,000 goal by making a donation and passing this message on to your family, friends, and colleagues?
Sincerely,
Vanessa Vo - Master Artist AP 2014
Linda Yamane - Master Artist AP 2014
Aberto Lopez - Apprentice AP 2014
"Coming from a very small and far away country like Vietnam, which is rich with cultural heritage, I am honored to be a Master Artist in ACTA's Apprentice program for a second time (2011 and 2014). The program makes it possible for me to work with my apprentices to share, preserve, and develop our traditional art. Keeping traditional art alive is very challenging and is a huge amount of work. I by myself find it difficult to make things happen. Thus, through this program, my apprentices have a chance to study with me in depth, so they too can carry on and share with others the beauty of our 4000 years of cultural legacy." ~ Vanessa Vo, 2014 Master Artist
"As a current and past participant in ACTA's Apprenticeship Program, I can say that this program really makes good things happen! We so often have good intentions that get sidelined by the distance between people, our everyday life and work obligations, and economic limitations. But when we make a commitment through a formal agreement that supports our efforts, we move earth and sky to get together to teach and learn the cultural traditions so important to the health and continuity of our communities. Thank you, ACTA!"
~ Linda Yamane, 2014 Master Artist
"ACTA's Apprenticeship Program is a cultural beacon crucial to maintaining and disseminating California's rich history as a cultural melting pot. I am very grateful for the crucial support given to master instructor Eduardo MartÃnez Arvilla and myself by the program. With this support, we have been able to create awareness and help pass on Afro Colombian traditions to other people in this state and even beyond our borders. I hope that you will join us in supporting the preservation and dissemination of traditional arts in California... and beyond." ~ Alberto Lopez, 2014 Apprentice
We are writing to ask you to support the Alliance for California Traditional Arts' (ACTA) Apprenticeship Program to encourage the continuation of cultural traditions in California. Since ACTA's first program launched in 1998, the Apprenticeship Program has supported more than 500 Master Artists and Apprentices in 46 California counties. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the program and we are seeking supporters to ensure that ACTA can continue awarding at least 18 contracts in the next year, so that significant traditional art forms can continue to be passed down to future generations.
The Apprenticeship Program is close to our hearts and the hearts of hundreds of other artists around the state because it enables intensive learning opportunities of cultural traditions. As participants in the Apprenticeship Program, we have experienced firsthand the impact of the program in our lives, our communities and our art forms. And we are not alone! ACTA has supported numerous art forms up and down the state including African American quilts; Indian Bharata Natyam and Kathak dance; Western saddle making; Chinese percussion; Native Hawaiian kahiko hula chant and dance; Pilipino Kulintang music; Mariachi music and Chicano murals, to mention just a few. Want to learn more about what ACTA has supported in your region? Visit them at: http://www.actaonline.org/content/find-artists-communities.
We are building a new California together, one that respects cultural diversity and the creation of beautiful art and ultimately a vibrant, healthy and tolerant society. You can also be part of this effort by donating $10 or more. Our goal is to raise $8,000 to support two apprenticeship pairs and the required program expenses. Last year 84 donors collectively gave $8,580. Can you help us reach our $8,000 goal by making a donation and passing this message on to your family, friends, and colleagues?
Sincerely,
Vanessa Vo - Master Artist AP 2014
Linda Yamane - Master Artist AP 2014
Aberto Lopez - Apprentice AP 2014
"Coming from a very small and far away country like Vietnam, which is rich with cultural heritage, I am honored to be a Master Artist in ACTA's Apprentice program for a second time (2011 and 2014). The program makes it possible for me to work with my apprentices to share, preserve, and develop our traditional art. Keeping traditional art alive is very challenging and is a huge amount of work. I by myself find it difficult to make things happen. Thus, through this program, my apprentices have a chance to study with me in depth, so they too can carry on and share with others the beauty of our 4000 years of cultural legacy." ~ Vanessa Vo, 2014 Master Artist
"As a current and past participant in ACTA's Apprenticeship Program, I can say that this program really makes good things happen! We so often have good intentions that get sidelined by the distance between people, our everyday life and work obligations, and economic limitations. But when we make a commitment through a formal agreement that supports our efforts, we move earth and sky to get together to teach and learn the cultural traditions so important to the health and continuity of our communities. Thank you, ACTA!"
~ Linda Yamane, 2014 Master Artist
"ACTA's Apprenticeship Program is a cultural beacon crucial to maintaining and disseminating California's rich history as a cultural melting pot. I am very grateful for the crucial support given to master instructor Eduardo MartÃnez Arvilla and myself by the program. With this support, we have been able to create awareness and help pass on Afro Colombian traditions to other people in this state and even beyond our borders. I hope that you will join us in supporting the preservation and dissemination of traditional arts in California... and beyond." ~ Alberto Lopez, 2014 Apprentice
