It was awarded by the PA Council on the Arts. It is a state grant, there is a large selection board, they have told me I submitted one of the best proposals they have every had come through. This is specifically a Folk Art Grant. Folk arts are traditional, cultural based arts. The grants are available to artists to train in art forms that are disappearing.
Why A grant, with out the grant I would not be able to travel and take two weeks to train with one of America's best spring pole turners, buy supplies to forge tools etc
The grant does not pay me, only my teacher. I am receiving knowledge which was almost lost.
Robin Wood, Jarrod Stone Dahl, Rodger Abramson, and a few Romanian turners have kept this tool alive. It is making a comeback, one person at a time. (they can be found on line and youtube).
This grant benefits myself and my community.
The grant had, like all grants have multiple pages to fill out. We had to list exactly what we were going to do each and every day, what skills were going to be taught, and how this will benefit our community.
We have a local living history museum that is all volunteer that has no one working in wood. I plan on spending time there showing, and demonstrating how to use the lathe.
I will also be doing free community presentations on how my apprenticeship worked.
Please understand I feel a huge responsibility as the first person in my county, and first wood worker to be awarded a folk art grant to do right by and for my community.
This is not something I take lightly. My family, grew up on farms in the area and made a lot of their own items. This is keeping the tradition alive. It is honoring the memory of my Grandmother who was an amazing craftswoman. She quilted and we did Psyanky eggs together.
I enjoy making things, always have. In my carvings I only use storm damaged or abandoned wood. I utilize what I am given. My wood is worked green. Its a different way to work from the power tool workshop.
In Sweden they call it SLOYD or SLOJD, it means farm house craft. There is a saying in Sweden "I am not UnCrafty" There is a great ted talk
Watch "I m not uncrafty - A craftsman definition of art: Jogge Sundqvist at TEDxUmea" Video at TEDxTalks by Jogge Sundqvist
There is also Greenwood Fest that happens in Plymouth MA and is headed up by Peter Follensbee who is on Roys show a lot. I attended this year and was blown away by the instruction and people that I met. Names like David Fisher (bowl carver), Jo Jo Wood (spoon carver), Beth Moen (bowl carver), Jogge Sundqvist (Sloyd artist) taught classes that I was able to take.
I will not get into the is it art is it not. I know what I make honors my Grandmother and the time she spent with me teaching me about who I am, where I come from, who I should be.
I have added two larger pictures of the lathe. I tell people its a Hemi, Its made from Hemlock
.
