Connecticut Museum of Culture and History welcomes new cohort of the Southern New England Apprenticeship Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Hartford, CT) The Connecticut Museum of Culture and History is pleased to announce the 27th cohort of the Southern New England Apprenticeship Program for traditional arts (SNEAP). Since 1998, the program has provided funding to mentor artisans to support their living cultural heritage practices and pass on their knowledge and skills to dedicated apprentices over 10 months of intensive study.
 

This program recognizes the many cultures and communities that are shared across the borders of the tri-state area of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The program encourages cross-state connections by supporting artisans and culture-keepers to travel, teach, and learn across state lines. The apprenticeships help sustain cultural expressions that are vital to each team’s ethnic or occupational communities.
  

The Museum would like to congratulate this year’s program awardees:  

• Saul Peñaloza (MA) will teach apprentice Kelli Garratt (RI) Puerto Rican Bomba drumming. 

• Jun Lin (CT) will teach apprentice Christine Yuan (CT) Chinese calligraphy. 

• Paul Williams (RI) will teach apprentice Michael “Huggie” Hudson (MA) Blues Guitar. 

• Rangrigkyi Thubten (CT) will teach apprentice Tenzinlhadol Thubten (CT) Gorshey (Tibetan Circle Dance). 

• Rick Liegl (CT) will teach apprentice Lara Miller (CT) Traditional New England Joinery and Carving. 

• Song Heng (RI) will teach apprentice Sophy Theam (MA) Roneat (Khmer Xylophone). 

• Sunanda Sahay (MA) will teach apprentice Meditha Sinha (CT) India’s Mithila Painting. 

• Val Ramos (CT) will teach apprentice Léo Meléndez (CT) Flamenco Guitar. 

SNEAP has built a network of over 195 skilled traditional arts apprenticeship teams. Over the last 27 years, SNEAP has established lasting trusted relationships with many of Southern New England’s communities and have seen former apprentices now step up into the mentor role both in community and in the program. Adding to our rich roster of mentors and apprentices, the Museum is thrilled to welcome these eight diverse teams to this year’s cohort.

The Southern New England Apprenticeship Program is managed in collaboration with the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History, Mass Cultural Council, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, and independent folklorist Winifred Lambrecht from Rhode Island. The Southern New England Apprenticeship Program is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and supported by Connecticut Humanities, and the Connecticut Office of the Arts (DECD). Learn more at www.connecticutmuseum.org/apprenticeship. 

Featured Image
Rick Liegl (Left) and apprentice Lara Miller (Right) displaying some of Rick’s pieces at the 40th annual Connecticut Antique Machinery Association Fall Festival on September 29, 2024, at the Eric Sloane Museum in Kent, CT.  

Media Contact
Samantha Skeels, Marketing and Communications Manager
sskeels@connecticutmuseum.org
860-969-6089 x105