What's New

An Apprenticeship in Hawai’ian Hula

Master artist Kawika Keikiali`ihiwahiwa Alfiche (right) and apprentice Maka Aniciete.  Kawika holds some of the implements which Maka is currently in the process of making. Photo: Sherwood Chen

By Kawika Keikiali`ihiwahiwa Alfiche and Maka Aniciete

Editor’s Note: Master artist Kumu Hula Kawika Keikiali`ihiwahiwa Alfiche and apprentice Maka Aniciete are current participants in the Alliance’s Apprenticeship Program, and have been working on the preservation of different types of chant, the tradition of hula pahu (dances associated with the shark-skinned drum) and the making of certain hula implements.

From the mind of the master: Aloha mai kakou (greetings all)!  My name is Kawika Keikiali`ihiwahiwa Alfiche and I am the Kumu Hula (teacher of hula) of Halau o Keikiali`i, a traditional hula group based locally in South San Francisco, for 15 years now.  I am a Kumu Hula as well as a Native Practitioner of all things Hawaiian, which involves: lei-making, native plants, land cultivation and harvest, crafts, implements, and art.

I am haumana (student) of Kumu Hula Rae Kahikilaulani Fonseca of Hilo, Hawai`i.  His lineage of hula includes Uncle Henry Mo`ikeha Pa and Uncle George Lanakilakeikiahiali`i Naope who learned from many Kumu, including Mary Ahiena Kekuewa (Momma Fuji`i), Lokalia Montgomery and Thomas Hiona to name a few.  Before I fell under Kumu Rae, I was haumana of Tiare Maka Olanolan-Clifford and Aunty Harriet Keahilihau- Spalding.  I am part of the first ‘Uniki (traditional graduation for Kumu Hula) of Kumu Rae, who has been teaching for some 30 years.

As teachers, it is important to know the Kumu of our own Kumu because they are the guiding lights in our search for knowledge and whose flame burns brightly in our path of life through the hula.  Without them, we would not exist as these lineages take us back to the beginning of Hula itself.

Not too long ago, learning hula would be mostly a one on one kind of learning – Kumu ia Haumana (master to apprentice).  My Kumu, Rae Kahikilaulani Fonseca, actually lived with his Kumu (Uncle George Naope) for 3 years in his late teens so his learning was day and night.  Sometimes Uncle George would get up in the middle of the night and be inspired to pass on some kind of lesson to Kumu Rae – a dance, a chant, or perhaps a style of lei making.

Read more about Kawika Keikiali`ihiwahiwa Alfiche and Maka Aniciete’s apprenticeship in Hawai’ian hula on the Alliance’s website.

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An Apprenticeship in American Tap Dance

Master artist Sam Weber offers apprentice Tal Oppenheimer instruction in American tap dance. Photo: Sherwood Chen

By Tal Oppenheimer

Editor’s Note: Tal Oppenheimer is an apprentice working with master tap dancer Sam Weber as a participant in this year’s Apprenticeship Program. Prior to their apprenticeship, Oppenheimer had worked with Weber for two years, and has performed with the Bay Area Rhythm Tap Company in Berkeley since 2006. Below, she shares her thoughts on the form, its history, and her work with Weber as she completes her apprenticeship with him and prepares to attend Harvard University in the fall as an undergraduate, where she will also continue her tap dance practice.

Weber, whom Oppenheimer describes as “a master in all senses of the word,” is a nationally and internationally celebrated dance instructor, choreographer and virtuoso based in San Francisco.

For me, tap dancing is something I do all day, every day. I am constantly tapping my feet or practicing my newest dance under my desk in school, in the car, or when I'm just walking down the street. I tap to challenge myself, relax, and just have fun. I started tapping when I was six and don't plan to stop any time soon. I have taken tap classes from various teachers who each have distinct styles and methods of teaching, but that's what makes the classes so much fun. I believe that tap is about expressing oneself and communicating with others.

Read more about Tal Oppenheimer’s apprenticeship with Sam Weber on the Alliance’s website.

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The Alliance Featured on KFPA’s Music of the World with Kutay Derin Kugay

On Monday, June 7, 2008, the Alliance’s Associate Director Sherwood Chen and Apprenticeship Program participants Kawika Alfiche, Anuradha Sridhar, and Sruti Sarathy were featured on KPFA’s Music of the World hosted by Kutay Derin Kugay.

Visit KPFA’s website to listen to an audio archive of the program.

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Only One More Traditional Arts Roundtable Left in 2008!

The Alliance for California Traditional Arts continues with its Traditional Arts Roundtable Series, a free, participatory monthly series of gatherings at various locations in San Francisco for folk, traditional, and tradition-based artists and arts advocates. Sessions focus on specific themes and offer opportunities to engage in discussion, networking, and technical assistance in order to develop critical community amongst traditional artists and their allies.

Join us for our final session in 2008!

The Role of New Technology in Traditional Arts

Date:
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Time:
6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Location:
Bay Area Video Coalition, 2727 Mariposa Street, 2nd Floor
San Francisco, 94110

Featured Participants:
Anuradha Sridhar – South Indian classical Carnatic violin musician
Eugene Chan – Director of Technology, Community Technology Foundation
Chike Nwoffiah - Director, Oriki Theater; filmmaker

Join us to discuss examples of online and media tools for traditional arts promotion, learning and cultural transmission, strategies to bridge the digital divide, new network developments online and online-only trends respective to opportunities and application/proposal processes.

To RSVP to this session, please call (415) 346-3800 or contact us via email.

This series is made possible with support from the San Francisco Arts Commission Cultural Equity Grants Program.

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The Alliance’s Traditional Arts Development Program makes contracts up to $1,500 to support consultancies, mentorships, and travel opportunities that foster a new level of growth for individual folk & traditional artists and organizations engaged in this field in California.  Requested services may be focused on organizational, program, and/or artistic development goals.  Individual artists and cultural practitioners, as well as organizations, whether incorporated or not, may apply.

A sampling of past contracts include:

Artistic Mentorships

Gen Taiko (San Francisco), an organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and presenting Japanese traditional arts including taiko (traditional Japanese drumming), traditional folk dance, and folk song forms. Its artistic director, Melody Takata, was trained by National Heritage Fellow Madame Fujima Kansuma to learn the Nihon Buyo (Japanese classical) dance called Kojo No Tsuki (Moonlit Castle Ruins). Ms. Takata taught the dance to four of her students and performed it at Gen Taiko’s 10th Anniversary Concert in November 2005.

Organizational Consultancies:

Kwashi Amevuvor (Los Angeles), a master drummer from Ghana, West Africa, worked with consultant Janet P***t, who assisted him with marketing and web design to develop professional promotional materials to publicize the work of the artist and the traditional cultural arts of Ghana. In addition, Ms. P***t’s consultancy supported Mr. Amevuvor’s efforts in organizing a cultural study tour of Ghana.

Travel Opportunities

The Eszterlánc Hungarian Folk Ensemble (Foster City) traveled to Southern California to perform for an audience of over two thousand at the annual Magyar Sajtónap (Hungarian Press Day) hosted by the newspaper California Hungarians. At this event Eszterlanc dancers had the opportunity to perform with members of the Karpatok Folk Ensemble of Southern California, which is led by Istvan Szabo.

Requests for organizational consultancies, artistic mentoring, and travel support may be submitted to the Alliance at any time.  Download the application and application instructions from the Alliance’s website or call (559) 237-9812 to request a copy be mailed to you.

The Alliance’s Traditional Arts Development Program is supported by grants from the California Arts Council, the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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Native Arts @ NEFA / Native Arts Exchange
New England Fondation for the Arts

Deadline – Ongoing

The Native Artist Exchange, a program of the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), provides support for Native artists residing in any of the 50 United States to travel to different regions of the country so that they may exchange artistic knowledge and skills. This fund is designed to encourage and assist American Indian, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian artists, and provides an opportunity for Native artists to teach, learn, and collaborate in traditional and/or contemporary Native art forms through travel from one region to another across the nation.

For more information, including guidelines and application materials, visit the New England Foundation for the Arts’ website.

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The Guitar Center Music Foundation

Deadline: Ongoing

The Guitar Center Music Foundation’s mission is to aid nonprofit music programs across America that offer music instruction so that more people can experience the joys of making music.

The Guitar Center Music Foundation accepts grant applications throughout the year from 501(c)(3) organizations that offer music instruction programs to participants of any age.  The applicant program must successfully enhance the state of music education in the United States.  The Grant Committee reviews all applications three times yearly, and grant awards range from $500 to $5,000.

For more information visit the Guitar Center Music Foundation’s website.

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The Guitar Center Music Foundation

Deadline – Ongoing

The Guitar Center Music Foundation’s mission is to aid nonprofit music programs across America that offer music instruction so that more people can experience the joys of making music.

The Guitar Center Music Foundation accepts grant applications throughout the year from 501(c)(3) organizations that offer music instruction programs to participants of any age.  The applicant program must successfully enhance the state of music education in the United States.  The Grant Committee reviews all applications three times yearly, and grant awards range from $500 to $5,000.

For more information visit the Guitar Center Music Foundation’s website.

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Living Cultures Grants Program
Alliance for California Traditional Arts

Deadline: July 15, 2008

The Alliance’s Living Cultures Grants Program funds nonprofit organizations to support exemplary projects in the traditional arts in California.  Approximately 35-40 grants of up to $7,500 will be made in this funding cycle.  Descriptions of previously funded projects are available on the Alliance’s website.

Guidelines and application forms are now available online.  Alternatively, please call (415) 346-5200 to request a copy be mailed to you.  The postmark deadline for submission of proposals is August July 15, 2008.  Alliance staff is always available to discuss the program and is happy to work with first-time grant seekers.

The Living Cultures Grants Program is a project of the Alliance for California Traditional Arts in partnership with The Walter & Elise Haas Fund, The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, and The James Irvine Foundation. Additional support provided by the California Arts Council, the California Community Foundation, and The San Francisco Foundation.

For More Information Contact

Lily Kharrazi
Living Cultures Grants Program Manager
(415) 346-5200
Email

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The Collaboration Prize
The Lodestar Foundation

Deadline: July 15, 2008

The Lodestar Foundation introduces The Collaboration Prize, a $250,000 prize that recognizes collaborations among two or more nonprofit organizations that each would otherwise provide the same or similar programs or services and compete for clients, financial resources, and staff.

Nominations are accepted through July 21, 2008.

For more information, visit The Collaboration Prize’s website.

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Apprenticeship Program
Alliance for California Traditional Arts

Deadline: August 1, 2008

The Alliance’s Apprenticeship Program encourages the continuation of the state’s traditional arts and cultures by contracting master artists to offer intensive, one-on-one training to qualified apprentices.  Each contract will support a period of concentrated learning for individuals who have shown a commitment to and a talent for a specific artistic tradition.  Contracts of $3,000 will be made with California-based master artists to cover master artist’s fees, supplies, and travel.  Information about past Alliance apprenticeships is available at on the Alliance’s website.

Guidelines and application forms are now available online.  Alternatively, please call (415) 346-3800 to request a copy be mailed to you.  The postmark deadline for submission of applications is August 1, 2008.

The Alliance’s Apprenticeship Program is funded by The Columbia Foundation, the Fresno Arts Council, The Walter & Elise Haas Fund, The James Irvine Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support provided by the California Arts Council, the California Community Foundation, and The San Francisco Foundation.

For More Information Contact

Sherwood Chen
Associate Director
(415) 346-3800
Email

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Creative Connections Fund
James Irvine Foundation

Deadline: August 1, 2008

The Creative Connections Fund supports creativity and the expansion of diverse, relevant cultural offerings in local communities across California and primarily outside the San Francisco Bay Area.  The Creative Connections Fund aims to reach small and midsize arts organizations with a diversity of projects and ideas.  The Fund offers project grants of up to $50,000, over one or two years, through an open, competitive review process

For more information, including guidelines and application materials, visit the James Irvine Foundation’s website.

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Access to Artistic Development
National Endowment for the Arts

Deadline: August 11, 2008

Access to Artistic Excellence encourages and supports artistic creativity, preserves our diverse cultural heritage, and makes the arts more widely available in communities throughout the country. While projects in this category may focus on just one of these areas, the Arts Endowment recognizes that many of the most effective projects encompass both artistic excellence and enhanced access.

For more information, including guidelines and application instructions, visit the National Endowment for the Arts’ website.

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2008 Choreographer Collaboration Awards

Deadline: August 14, 2008

The Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation are pleased to announce their 2008 Choreographer Collaboration Awards Program.  The foundations will provide up to six grants of $75,000 each for the commission and premiere of six major new dance compositions, created by California choreographers in collaboration with other California artists.

These grants will be available to nonprofit Bay Area arts presenting organizations.  They will be aimed at California choreographers of great merit, each working in close collaboration with another California artist of their choosing (choreographer, composer, playwright, digital media artist, filmmaker, designer or other).  The resulting dance compositions will have their world premiere public performances in the Bay Area between December 2009 and June 2011.  Proposed commissions for original works in any dance style or format will be accepted.  Applicant organizations must be nonprofit and based in the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Santa Clara, San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano or Sonoma.

For more information, including guidelines and application materials, please visit the Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation’s website.

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Scandinavian Cultural Exchange
American-Scandinavian Foundation

Deadline: August 15, 2008 and October 1, 2008

The American-Scandinavian Foundation promotes the cultures of the Nordic countries in the United States and American culture in the Nordic countries by encouraging programs that will enhance public appreciation of culture, art, and thought. In establishing priorities, the Foundation considers the lasting benefits that may be achieved by any grant, and favors projects where its contribution will complement support from other sources.

For more information, including guidelines and application materials, visit the American-Scandinavian Foundation’s website.

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Opportunities & Resources

California Cultural Data Project
Training Sessions

The California Cultural Data Project (California CDP) is the most ambitious and comprehensive effort ever to gather and analyze information about the contributions of the cultural sector to California’s economy and quality of life.  During the coming year, applicants to many California grant programs will be asked to participate in the California CDP.

The California CDP will host training sessions throughout California July 10-18, 2008:

West Hollywood
July 10, 2008 – 5:00 pm
The Great Hall at Plummer Park

Los Angeles
July 11, 2008 – 12:00 pm
Barnsdall Gallery Theatre

Santa Rosa
July 14, 2008 – 10:00 am
Arts Council of Sonoma County

Mendocino (Ukiah)
July 15, 2008 – 10:00 am
Alex Rorabaugh Gym and Cultural Recreation Center

Arcata
July 16, 2008 – 10:00 am
Arcata Playhouse

Redding
July 17, 2008 – 10:00 am
Shasta Regional Community Foundation

Chico
July 18, 2008 – 10:00 am
City of Chico Council Chambers

Upcoming training sessions will also be offered in Los Angeles County, Palm Springs, and the Bay Area.  Please visit the California Cultural Data Project’s website for updated training session schedules.

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California Council for the Humanities Seeks Program Director

Deadline for Applications: July 9, 2008

The California Council for the Humanities (CCH) is a nonprofit organization devoted to strengthening communities in California by creating, sponsoring and promoting public humanities programs across the state. An innovator in statewide humanities programming, CCH has supported and created award-winning programs, including community-based history programs, youth programs, statewide reading and discussion programs, and Academy Award-winning documentary films. CCH is an independent state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), which provides a stable base of funding. Created in 1975 as a grantmaking organization, the Council now creates and manages projects of its own.

The mission of the California Council for the Humanities is to foster understanding between people and encourage their engagement in community life through the public use of the humanities. The Council has supplemented its annual grant from NEH by raising additional funds from foundations and donors committed to improving cross-cultural understanding and community engagement. The Council has a staff of 13 and its main office is located in San Francisco and houses all but two senior programs managers, who are located in Los Angeles and San Diego.

"How I See It," the latest phase of California Stories, the Council’s multiyear initiative, was launched in early 2007 and includes thoughtful and exciting programs focused on youth. Program descriptions are available on the Council’s website. These programs are expected to run into 2009. CCH is set to embark on a strategic planning process and the director of programs would be expected to join the staff and board in shaping a new direction for the organization and its programs.

For more information and instructions for applying visit the CCH’s website.

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Online Training Courses to Master Proposal Writing

The Foundation Center hosts several online training courses in proposal writing.  The Statement of Need helps novice or inexperienced grantseekers master a critical component of proposal writing – preparing a statement of need.  The Project Description is an in-depth look into the preparation and writing of the project description section of a proposal.  The Budget demystifies the preparation of the project budget included in funding proposals.  The Comprehensive Course is a thorough, step-by-step guide to preparing an effective proposal for foundation support, covering every section of the proposal.  The courses include interactive exercises and assignments, case studies, a final exam, and a printable certificate of completion.  Lessons can be taken at any pace, and can be reviewed often.  For more information visit the Foundation Center’s website.

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FEATURES

What's New

Funding

Events

Opportunities & Resources

ABOUT ACTA

The Alliance for California Traditional Arts strives to "ensure California's future holds California's past" by providing programs and services to support the state's diverse living cultural heritage. The Alliance cultivates the growth of traditional arts and culture through Stewardship, Services to Artists, and Connection-Making.

Support ACTA

CONTACT ACTA

Website:
http://www.actaonline.org

Staff:
Amy Kitchener, Executive
Director
akitch@actaonline.org
559.237.9813

Sherwood Chen, Associate Director
sherwood@actaonline.org
415.346.3800

Lily Kharrazi, Living Cultures Grants Program Manager
lilyk@actaonline.org
415.346.5200

Suzanne Hildebrand, Administrative Coordinator
The New Moon Editor stoler@actaonline.org
559.237.9812

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Robert Arroyo, V.P. of Finance & Administration
Retired Instructor of Political Science & Chicano/Latino Studies, Fresno City College;
Retired Administrator, Fresno City College
Kingsburg, CA

Melanie Beene
Executive Director, Community Initiative Funds
San Francisco Foundation
San Francisco, CA

Jo Farb Hernandez, Secretary
Director, Natalie and James Thompson Art Gallery, School of Art and Design, San Jose State University
Director, SPACES
Principal, Curatorial and Museum Management Services
Watsonville, CA

Joel Jacinto,
Executive Director, Search to Involve Pilipino Americans
Los Angeles, CA

Sojin Kim, Ph.D.
Curator,History Department, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Los Angeles, CA

Amy Kitchener (ex officio)
Executive Director, ACTA
Fresno, CA

Frank LaPena
Professor Emeritus, American Indian Studies, CSU Sacramento;
Traditional Maidu dance master; Visual Visual Artist
Sacramento, CA

Malcolm Margolin
Founder and Publisher, Heyday Books
Executive Director, Heyday Institute
Berkeley , CA

Libby Maynard
Co-founder and Executive Director, Ink People Center for the Arts
Eureka, CA 

Chike Nwoffiah, V.P. of External Development
Executive Director, Oriki Theatre
Mountain View, CA

Peter Pennekamp, Executive Director
Humboldt Area Foundation
Bayside, CA

Charlie Seemann, Board President
Executive Director, Western Folklife Center
Elko, NV

Daniel Sheehy, Ph.D.
V.P. of Governance
CEO, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Washington, D.C.

Deborah Wong, Ph.D.
Professor of Music
University of California, Riverside

Honorary

Bess Lomax Hawes
Retired Former Director, Folk & Traditional Arts Program, National Endowment for the Arts
Woodland Hills, CA

FUNDERS

THE COLUMBIA FOUNDATION

EVENTS

The Living Tradition of the Guqin

Mi Coche – My Culture: Livin’ the Lowrider Lifestyle

Kumeyaay: Indigenous People of Southern California

Camp Fareta

Kularts 2008 Summer Arts Camp

Haitian Arts and Cultural Festival

Festival of Solos

Rhythmic Relations 2008

Persian Classical Music Workshops – Tar and Setar

Ho'ailona: Forces of Nature

Tercera Raiz

Patanjali: Legends of Yoga and Dance

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Proceeds from the plate sales will benefit the California Arts Council (CAC).

To subscribe to the weekly CAC Update, please visit their website.