IACA Reveals 2023 Ethnic & Folk Arts Master/Apprentice Awardees

The Illinois Arts Council Agency has announced the twelve awardees of Ethnic & Folk Arts Master/Apprentice Awards in the Performing Arts category. Master artists each receive $3,000 cash awards to instruct their chosen apprentices via one-on-one sessions.

Traditional, ethnic, and folk arts practices that are eligible for support include those which have a community or family base, express that community's aesthetic, heritage, or tradition, and have endured through several generations. These art forms are expressions of the regional, national, tribal culture, or language group from which they originate. Master/Apprentice Awards are given in two broad categories: Performing Arts and Material Culture. For fiscal year 2023, all Master/Apprentice Awards were given in the Performing Arts category.

Awards were based on the recommendations of three reviewers who are folklorists and cultural specialists. The review panel members were Joey Brackner, folklorist and filmmaker, Alabama State Council on the Arts (retired), Diana Liao, Education and Engagement Specialist, Japan House, University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign, and Ronnie Malley, musician and Executive Director, Intercultural Music Production. John Gardner, Executive Director of Company of Folk, serves as a program consultant for the IAC's Ethnic & Folk Arts Master/Apprentice Award. The IACA Board has final authority on all grants and awards issued by the agency. IACA Board member Marsha Ryan served as the Panel Chair.

FY23 Ethnic & Folk Arts Master/Apprentice Awardees

Master Artist Name, City, Apprentice Name, City, Ethnic/Folk/Traditional Art to be studied.

Asha Chandrashekara Adiga, Aurora, and Khristi Blocton, Aurora, Bharatanatyam – Indian classical dance

Kioto Aoki, Oak Park, and Helen Nagata, DeKalb, Taiko – Japanese drumming

Tatsu Aoki, Oak Park, and Jill Kiku Taura, Chicago, Japanese shamisen – 3-string lute

Edith “Mama Edie” Armstrong, Chicago, and Carmenita Peoples, Chicago, African American storytelling

Sandip Barman, Lisle, and Tyler Krais, Lisle, Hindustani music

Sean Cleland, Chicago, and Jennifer Mullen Ingerson, Chicago, Traditional Irish fiddle

Rika Lin, aka Yoshinojo Fujima, Skokie, and Yukio Nang, Skokie, Japanese classical dance

Subhadra Natarajan, Naperville, and Achintya Ram, Naperville, Indian Carnatic vocal music

Daniel Rojas Rivera, Chicago, and Claire Happel Ashe, Macomb, Joropo music on the Llanera harp

Angela Tam, Chicago, and Judy Liu, Chicago, Classical Chinese dance

Vanitha Veeravalli, Naperville, and Nikitha Velavan, Aurora, Bharatanatyam – Indian classical dance

Wanees Zarour, Chicago, and Clara Marie Mikhail, Chicago, Traditional Arabic Maqam Music

2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats

Best Featured Performer in a Play - Top 3

1. Laurie Metcalf - Death of a Salesman

7.8% of votes

2. Danny Burstein - Marjorie Prime

5.6% of votes

3. Alden Ehrenreich - Becky Shaw

5.1% of votes

Vote Now! View Live Stats