Southwest Folklife Alliance Celebrates over a Decade of Master-Apprentice Artist Awardees in First Gathering

Tucson, AZ— For over a decade, the Southwest Folklife Alliance (SFA) has been providing direct monetary awards to heritage-based artists in Arizona to support them in passing on their artforms. Later this month, SFA convenes past and present recipients of the award in Tucson for the first time to celebrate, meet one another, and share work. The event will feature live performances by several artist awardees and is open to the public.

Since 2015, the Master-Apprentice Artist Award program—the first of its kind in Arizona—has awarded nearly 100 master artists-apprentice teams, helping them to continue and pass on heritage-based practices in music, dance, weaving, jewelry, foodways, storytelling, and more.

A ceremony will also honor the 2025 recipients of the annual award, who include a Tohono O’odham burden basket maker, a Passamaquoddy basket weaver, an origami artist, a quilter and fiber artist, a Ukrainian Pysanky artist, two Congolese gospel singers, an Afro-Latin salsa dancer, a Navajo silversmith, and a Hopi silversmith.

“It’s an honor to be able to support artists working at the top of their fields, to continue cultural traditions and practices and ensure they are passed on to future generations,” said Denise Uyehara, SFA’s Program Manager of Artist Services. “It’s hard to imagine such talent and integrity could fit in one room, but we are making that a reality with this convening and we are thrilled to see what transpires.”

SFA’s annual Master-Apprentice Artist Award program is made possible by a partnership with the Arizona Commission on the Arts (ACA), supported by the National Endowments for the Arts Folk & Traditional Arts through a State Partnership Grant. Funding also comes from individual gifts from local donors.

Learn more about the award program here: https://southwestfolklife.org/new-master-apprentice-awardees/

Learn more about the event here: https://southwestfolklife.org/event/17386/

When: February 28, 1:00-4:00pm
Where: YWCA Frances McClelland Community Center: 525 N. Bonita Ave, Tucson, AZ 85745
Free parking and admission.

RSVP: by February 15 (https://airtable.com/appY9SpSxC1eCm2Vh/pagwRL87kpvhG61NM/form)

More info: Denise Uyehara at duyehara@arizona.edu.
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The Southwest Folklife Alliance (SFA) is an affiliate non-profit organization of the University of Arizona in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, the official state-designated folk arts partner of the Arizona Commission on the Arts, and the parent-producing agent of the annual Tucson Meet Yourself Folklife Festival. The organization offers yearlong programs that celebrates and preserves the art, culture, heritage, foodways, and folklife of the borderlands region.