BLOOMINGTON – Traditional Arts Indiana will celebrate the Indiana Heritage Fellowship Award winners and 2022 Apprenticeship Program pairs on Friday, Oct. 7th at a ceremony in Bloomington.
Traditional Arts Indiana (TAI) was established in 1998 and is a partnership between Indiana University Bloomington and the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC). TAI is dedicated to expanding public awareness of Indiana’s traditional practices and nurturing a sense of pride among Indiana’s traditional artists.
“At the Traditional Arts Indiana award ceremony, we celebrate the future of traditional arts in Indiana, and honor the potential of those who are stewarding these crafts and musical practices for their communities into the next generation,” Jon Kay, Director of TAI said. “The Indiana Heritage Fellowships honor the amazing accomplishments of three artists who have devoted their lives to the practice, promotion, and presentation of their traditional art. The recipients are recognized leaders in their home communities and have shared their talents with their community for decades.”
The Indiana Heritage Fellowship Award recognizes traditional artists who have made outstanding contributions to their artistic traditions. The award honors an individual’s lifetime achievement within an art form that is rooted in community life in Indiana. The 2022 Indiana Heritage Fellowship Award Winners are Sandra Brothers, a quilter from Allen County, Jim Smoak, a bluegrass musician from Washington County, and Kerry Zimmerman, a glass artist from Harrison County.
Sandra Brothers, a quilter from Allen County, is a 2022 Indiana Heritage Fellow. Brothers is a founding member of the Sisters of the Cloth Quilting Guild, an organization that helps preserve the art of quilting and promotes awareness of African American quilting and its history. Nominated by her “Sisters,” Sandra has devoted her life to promoting and educating others. Sandra has demonstrated quilting at the Smithsonian, has served on the board of the Quilters Hall of Fame, and was featured in the TAI exhibition Sisters of the Cloth: This is Our Story.
Indiana Heritage Fellow Jim Smoak, a bluegrass musician of Washington County, purchased his first banjo at age 12. He traveled through the eastern and southwestern United States in the 1950s and ’60s with Bill Monroe, Little Jimmy Dickens, Hylo Brown, and The Cumberlands and played at the first Newport Folk Festival in 1959 with Earl Scruggs. He stopped touring in the 1970s when he met his wife and they moved to her hometown of Pekin, where Jim now teaches students of all ages. He has twice served as a master artist in TAI’s Apprenticeship Program and is a featured artist in TAI’s Elder Music Series.
Kerry Zimmerman, Indiana Heritage Fellow, is a fourth-generation glass artist from Harrison County. Zimmerman Art Glass has been a staple of Corydon, Indiana since 1942. Zimmerman regularly demonstrates his craft to community members and school children from around the state and believes that his job is about more than just creating beautiful art; he also wants to help educate people by making each piece and experience personal. Today, he is teaching the fifth and sixth generations of Zimmermans their family craft. Zimmerman has twice served as a master artist in TAI’s Apprenticeship Program.
The TAI Apprenticeship Program supports the continuation of cultural practices throughout Indiana, enabling apprentices to learn essential knowledge and skills in traditional art forms from master artists. This program is a partnership between Traditional Arts Indiana, the IAC, and the National Endowment for the Arts. The following apprenticeship pairs will be recognized at the award ceremony.
- Amelia Culpher and Kamiesha Brown – Quilting
- Daniel Cain and Ervin Garrison – Hoop Net Making
- Larry Haycraft and Tyler Mason – Hoop Net Making
- Jim Smoak and Jeffrey Vessels – 5-String Banjo
- Katrina Mitten and Josey Cirullo – Great Lakes Beadwork Embroidery
- Kerry Zimmerman and Stephanie Zimmerman – Glass Art
- Marco Bautista and Aldebaran Bautista Montaño – Zapotec Dyeing Weaving
Learn more about the 2021 – 2022 Apprenticeship Teams.
“It is a privilege to partner with Traditional Arts Indiana to support Indiana’s traditional arts and cultural heritage,” said Miah Michaelsen, IAC Executive Director. “The 2022 Indiana Heritage Fellows and Apprenticeship Pairs demonstrate the rich fabric of Indiana’s creative community and the role it plays in creating a vibrant, thriving environment for all Hoosiers to enjoy.”
The 2022 Apprenticeship and Indiana Heritage Fellowship Award Ceremony is free and open to the public and will be held this Friday, October 7th, 2022, from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM ET at Maxwell Hall at Indiana University, Bloomington.
