WACultures is seeking a qualified fieldworker to document the folk and traditional arts of North Central Washington during the summer of 2026. This project involves conducting ethnographic fieldwork and documenting 5–8 cultural practitioners through interviews and photography. The materials collected will help highlight the diverse heritage of the region and may be featured in public online content or future heritage programming. Conversational Spanish is highly desirable for this role.
Deadline: Friday, May 22nd
Contract Amount: $6,500 contract (includes honorarium and travel expenses)
Location: North Central Washington (Douglas, Chelan, and Okanogan Counties)
To apply, please submit a resumé and a letter of interest detailing your experience with traditional arts and your familiarity with the region to [email protected] with the subject line “Cultural Traditions Survey Application”.
Questions? Contact [email protected].
Go to wacultures.org to learn more.
WACultures is a partnership between Humanities Washington and ArtsWA.
@ArtsWA@HumanitiesWA #heritage #tradition #traditionalarts #folkarts #artists #culturaltraditions
Catch WACultures’ Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program teams at the 2026 Northwest Folklife Festival!
Experience living traditions and amazing artistry at the Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program (HAAP) showcase on May 22, Friday, 4 p.m. at the Bagley Wright Theater in Seattle Center.
Members of the Lao Senior Outreach Musical Ensemble will be playing the khaen and other traditional Lao musical instruments while HAAP Master Artist Sirichanh Sisavatdy and her Apprentice Keira Gan perform Lao classical dance.
All the way from Walla Walla, HAAP Master Artist Saraí González, her Apprentice Mariana Ruiz-González, and the rest of their group, El Color de México, will dazzle as they perform danza folclórica or Mexican folkloric dance.
Last but not least, HAAP Apprentice Amatra Jagannathan, under the mentorship of Grammy-award winning HAAP Master Artist Ganesh Rajagopalan, will perform Carnatic music on the Indian violin. She will be accompanied by Krishna Srikanth on the double-headed drum.
Don’t miss this unique gathering of Washington state’s traditional artists!
To learn more about WACultures’ Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program (HAAP), go to wacultures.org
To learn more about Northwest Folklife, go to nwfolklife.org.
Hope to see you all there!
@artswa@humanitesWA@nwfolklife@performance.elcolordemexico
Are you or someone you know a veteran interested in learning or teaching a traditional trade, craft, or skill? WACultures invites you to apply for the 2026-2027 Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program. The program provides financial support to a Master Artist and an Apprentice (or two) who want to preserve a cultural tradition important to their community.
WACultures believe in supporting veterans in creative pursuits after their military service. This program is in special collaboration with the Wellness, Arts, and the Military Program of ArtsWA to best serve military communities and their needs.
📆Deadline to apply: May 10, 2026, Sunday, 11:59 pm
👉🏽 Learn more: /heritage-arts-apprentice-program/
Questions? Contact [email protected].
WACultures is a partnership between Humanities Washington and ArtsWA.
@ArtsWA@HumanitiesWA #heritage #tradition #traditionalarts #folkarts #artists #community #apprenticeships #vetart #militaryart #militaryartist #veteranart #veteranartists #supportveteranartists #culturaltraditions #folkart #folkartist
📣DEADLINE EXTENDED! WACultures is accepting applications for the 2026-2027 Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program through May 10! The program provides financial support to a Master Artist and an Apprentice (or two) who want to preserve a cultural tradition important to their community.
📆Deadline to apply: May 10, 2026, Sunday, 11:59 pm
👉🏽 Learn more: wacultures.org
Questions? Contact [email protected].
WACultures is a partnership between Humanities Washington and ArtsWA.
ID: Japanese calligraphy HAAP team. L to R: Lisa Maria d’Aquila and Chiyo Sanada.
@HumanitiesWA@ArtsWA@chiyosanada #heritage #traditionalarts #folkarts #tradition #artists #community #apprenticeships
Heritage Arts Apprenticeships pave the way for community and connections that preserve and uplift important cultural traditions and practices in the state of Washington.
This Saturday, April 25 at 7 p.m., two former Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program (HAAP) teams will be at the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center for an evening full of music and lively conversation. Yesenia Hunter (master artist, son jarocho), “A” Hunter (apprentice, son jarocho), and the rest of the Hunter family will be in conversation with Daniel Cedeño (master artist, mariachi), Yajayra Ramirez (apprentice, mariachi), and the rest of Mariachi Noroeste. Dr. Christopher Mena of The Rhapsody Project will serve as the moderator.
The event is free and open to the public but please register here to reserve your spot: /e/by-the-people-traditions-in-dialogue-mexican-music-tickets-1986030629074?aff=oddtdtcreator
This is the first of three events sponsored through By the People: Conversations Beyond 250, a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils across the U.S., its territories, and the District of Columbia in collaboration with local partners. Together, these programs explore 250 years of the nation’s cultural life and imagine its shared future. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage as a complement to the 2026 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
Stay tuned for more events featuring HAAP teams in July and August!
Interested in applying to become part of the Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program? Click here to learn more: /heritage-arts-apprentice-program/
@wvmuseum@christopher.r.mena@therhapsodyproject@entangled_histories@mariachinoroeste
Get ready for an unforgettable celebration of music, culture, and community this Saturday!
We’ve been hard at work preparing for our showcase of son jarocho and mariachi featuring Central Washington heritage artists, and we can't wait to share it with you. Come listen, learn, and watch as the rhythms, stories, and traditions are brought to life this Saturday, April 25th at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center.
Check out the video for a sneak peek of the music you’ll experience! RSVP at the link in our bio/event page.
"By the People: Conversations Beyond 250" is a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils in collaboration with local partners. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.
@wvmuseum@humfed@smithsonianfolklife@smithsonian@wacultures
#humanities #history
Are you interested in teaching or learning a traditional trade, craft, art, or skill? Take it from Japanese calligraphy Master Artist Chiyo Sanada and apply now for the Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program!
📣Apply now: WACultures is accepting applications for the 2026-2027 Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program. The program provides financial support to a Master Artist and an Apprentice (or two) who want to preserve a cultural tradition important to their community.
ℹ️ Info session: Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
💻 Register for the info session: https://us02web.zoom.us/.../register/egHuWI3kQdmQ7KYpqtgt4A
📆 Deadline to apply: May 3, 2026, Sunday, 11:59 pm
👉🏽 Learn more: /heritage-arts-apprentice-program/
Questions? Contact [email protected]
WACultures is a partnership between Humanities Washington and ArtsWA.
ID: 2025-2026 HAAP Master Artist Chiyo Sanada.
@artswa@humanitieswa #heritage #traditionalarts #folkarts #tradition #artists #community #apprenticeships
Last month, Humanities Washington and WACultures held Open House on Tap—an office happy hour of sorts—at Single Hill Brewing in Yakima where a number of friends turned up, including past HAAP Master Artist Mersaedy Aktins, Yesenia Hunter, and her partner James Hunter. Mersaedy’s recent project has been making bustles for traditional Yakama dances. Look out for our next Open House On Tap! 🍻
@entangled_histories@bigriverndn509
Join us on April 22, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. to learn more about WACultures’ Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program!
The Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program supports individuals seeking to preserve traditional practices important to their community, heritage, and identity, including (but not limited to) music, dance, visual arts, language practices, verbal arts, traditional skills, foodways, occupational arts, and storytelling. Apply by May 3!
WACultures staff will host a casual, virtual information session where we’ll talk about the application process, eligibility requirements, and any other questions you might have!
Please register here to attend: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/egHuWI3kQdmQ7KYpqtgt4A#/registration
See you soon!
Join the nationwide exploration of 250 years of America’s cultural life and imagining our shared future, “By The People: Conversations Beyond 250.” Through community-driven programs across the country, this series brings people together to celebrate heritage, storytelling, and the arts.
Here in Washington, the three-part series kicks off with “Traditions in Dialogue (Mexican Music)” on Saturday, April 25, 7 PM at the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center.
Members of the Mariachi Estrellas del Valle and the Hunter family will participate in an evening filled with the vibrant sounds and stories of mariachi and son jarocho. There will be a lively conversation, plus a demonstration and public Q&A – inviting you to engage with the richness and diversity of cultural traditions in America.
The first in a three-part series by Humanities Washington, this program features artists from WA Cultures - Washington’s Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program, highlighting the connections between heritage arts and the communities that sustain them. Watch for details about the Seattle event in July featuring Pacific Northwest native weavers, and the Spokane event in August featuring Iu-Mien dance and Mongolian folk music.
Learn more and RSVP here for the April 25 event! /52tn379m
By the People: Conversations Beyond 250 is a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils across the U.S., its territories, and the District of Columbia in collaboration with local partners. Together, these programs explore 250 years of the nation’s cultural life and imagine its shared future. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage - Smithsonian Folklife as a complement to the 2026 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
@smithsonianfolklife@humfed@wvmuseum@wacultures
#ByThePeople2026 #SmithsonianFolklife #2026Folklife #MyHumanitiesCouncil
Vancouver muralist Christian Barrios has been working with apprentice Marianna Cruz to help develop her style, skills, and project design to execute public murals across Vancouver and Portland. Most of the work they’ve done together can be seen in Vancouver’s International District, on what’s referred to as the Fourth Plain corridor, including this one designed by Marianna based on her tia.
Both are deeply involved in La Casita as an art and community space. As Marianna says, “We’re all family here.”
Thank you @chrisjhoods and @marianna_cruzzz for sharing your art!
@humanitieswa@artswa@lacasitaculturalcenter
Back in January, WACultures staff set out to visit HAAP Master Artist Sirichanh Sisavatdy and her Apprentice Keira Gan to learn about traditional Lao dance but were delightfully met with, not just dancing but, also a joyous ensemble of traditional Lao music played by elders in the community! Thank you, Sirichanh and Keira for welcoming us into your community for an evening of dance, music, and not to mention delicious food! Khop jai!
Slide 1: HAAP Apprentice Keira Gan holding a saw
Slide 2: Lao elders playing the khaen, saw, and other traditionial Lao instruments
Slide 3: HAAP Apprentice Keira Gan playing the saw
Slide 4: HAAP Apprentice Keira Gan and HAAP Master Artist Sirichanh Sisavatdy performing with other Lao elders including Master Artist Sirichanh’s mother.
@artswa@humanitieswa #laomusic #laodance
