Folklife Apprenticeships

Applications are currently closed.

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Clockwise from top left corner: Blues and Black gospel singer Doris Fields (Lady D) performs with her apprentice Xavier Oglesby during their apprenticeship showcase at the West Virginia Humanities Council, old-time banjo player Kim Johnson practices with her apprentice Cody Jordan, Kathy Evans teaches her apprentice Margaret Bruning during their “Sheep-to-Shawl” apprenticeship, and Ed Daniels demonstrates forest farming to his apprentice Clara Haizlett. Featured Image Caption: Clay County fiddler John Morris with apprentice Jen Iskow.

About the West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship program

The West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program supports West Virginia traditional artists working with dedicated apprentices on a yearlong apprenticeship in their cultural expression or traditional art form. These apprenticeships of traditional music, dance, craft, foodways, storytelling, and more—in any cultural community in the Mountain State—facilitate the transmission of techniques and artistry as well as their histories and traditions. We award $3,000 to support the teaching artist and $800 to the apprentice. Artists and their proposed apprentice must apply together. They may request an additional $400 to cover expenses such as documentation or public presentation supplies, necessary tools, and/or travel. Please note the program does not provide job training qualification.

Applications open every other year. Applications for 2026-27 may be available in July 2026 depending on available funding.

Guidelines and Application for the 2024-2025 West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program are available to download.

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2024_Application_WV_Folklife_Apprenticeship_CondensedDownload


If you need assistance with completing the application, please contact Jennie Williams at 304-346-8500 or williams@wvhumanities.org to discuss arrangements.

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Important Dates for 2024-2025:
Application available: July 1, 2024
Application closes: August 26, 2024
Review panel meets: September, 2024
Notification of Award: October 2024

Follow our social media @ wvfolklife for updates!

West Virginia Folklife is a project of the West Virginia Humanities Council. The West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship program is made possible by private donations to the WVHC and funding from the following organizations:

In 2024-2025, The West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program is supported in part by a Narrative Power Grant from The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation. Thank you, GKVF!

2024-2025 Folklife Apprenticeship Pairs

Read about the 2024-25 pairs here!

Tim Bing & Edwin McCoy, old-time banjo
Margaret Bruning & Nevada Tribble, fiber arts & weaving
Richard Eddy & Katie McCoy, fiddle repair
Bill Hairston & Aristotle Jones, Appalachian storytelling
Ginny Hawker & Mary Linscheid, Primitive Baptist hymn singing
Dural Miller & Linesha Frith, urban farming/gardening
Nancy Nelson & Chef KD Jones, Appalachian candy making
Taylor Runner & Annick Odom, square dance calling
Ben Townsend & Bodhi Gibbons-Guinn, old-time fiddle
Judy Van Gundy & Andrea Brandon-Hennig, white oak basketry

2022-2023 Folklife Apprenticeship Pairs

Read more about the 2022-2023 apprenticeship pairs and our 2022-2023 West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Showcases! Watch the 2022-2023 Showcases now.

Mushroom Foraging 

Sharon Briggs and apprentice Anthony Murray 

Sharon Briggs of Paw Paw in Hampshire County will lead an apprenticeship in mushroom foraging with Anthony Murray of Capon Bridge. Sharon, a full-time farmer and mycologist, owns and operates Peasant’s Parcel Mushroom Farm and Mycology Lab. She has been foraging and mapping mushroom locations in the Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands for over 20 years. When Anthony moved to the area, Sharon began to teach him how to identify and forage for mushrooms. He has been interested in mushroom hunting ever since. Anthony also helps Sharon on the farm and operates an apiary there.

Fiddle Repair 

Chris Haddox and apprentice Mary Linscheid  

Chris Haddox and Mary Linscheid, both of Morgantown in Monongalia County, will hold an apprenticeship in fiddle repair. A longtime musician, Chris studied luthiery from West Virginia instrument builders Bob Smakula and Gilbert Stiles, both of whom he apprenticed through the West Virginia Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program formerly supported by the Augusta Heritage Center. Mary is a multi-instrumentalist, song-writer, poet, and gardener whose art is inspired by Appalachians’ connection with their homeland. Mary is excited to learn fiddle repair because the practice empowers her to fix her own fiddles and those of the community, which helps to ensure the continuation of local music-making.

Clawhammer Banjo

Joe Herrmann and apprentice Dakota Karper

Joe Herrmann of Paw Paw in Hampshire County will lead an apprenticeship in clawhammer banjo with Dakota Karper of Capon Bridge. Joe is a founding member of the Critton Hollow String Band and has taught old-time music to many students. Dakota has been playing old-time fiddle for over 20 years and currently tours with the band Hemlock & Hickory. In 2019, she opened a traditional roots music school in Capon Bridge called The Cat and The Fiddle. Joe and Dakota apprenticed together previously in 2004 when Dakota was 11 years old through the Augusta Heritage Center’s former West Virginia Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program, and again in 2020 to study old-time fiddle with the West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program.

Appalachian Storytelling

Bil Lepp and apprentice James Froemel 

Photo by Mike Keller

Bil Lepp of South Charleston in Kanawha County will lead an apprenticeship in Appalachian storytelling with James Froemel of Maidsville in Monongalia County. Bil has been writing and telling stories on stage for over 30 years. He became a full-time touring professional teller by 2003 after performing at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee in 2000. Bil is a five-time champion, and James a three-time champion, of the West Virginia Liars contest. James is also an accomplished storyteller and actor, having performed at multiple festivals and schools. They have both participated in the West Virginia Storytellers Guild.

Fiber Arts

Enrica McMillon and apprentice Barbara Weaner 

Enrica McMillon of Elkins in Randolph County will lead an apprenticeship with Barbara Weaner of Montrose in Tucker County to study fiber arts. They will specifically study fiber processing, dyeing with natural dyes sourced from locally harvested plants, and spinning fibers using a variety of tools for knitting and weaving. Enrica grew up in Helvetia, during a time when traditional practices of the 19th century were not still commonly taught. Enrica learned spinning, dyeing, and weaving at a young age from both of her grandmothers and has since utilized this knowledge as a foundation for her artwork. Enrica also researches large antique wheels traditionally used in West Virginia and has created a database of over 6,000. Barbara first learned to spin under Enrica’s teaching in 1980. Over the years, Enrica and Barbara have both been active members of the Mountain Weaver’s Guild in Elkins.

Old-Time Fiddle Tunes and Techniques 

Gerry Milnes and apprentice Annick Odom

Gerry Milnes of Elkins in Randolph County will be leading an apprenticeship in old-time West Virginia fiddle tunes and techniques with Annick Odom of Morgantown in Monongalia County. Gerry is a documentarian, teacher, writer, and award-winning musician. He started documenting traditional musicians and singers in Webster, Braxton, and Nicholas Counties in 1976. For 25 years, Gerry traveled widely as the Augusta Heritage Center’s Folk Art Coordinator, presenting old-time musicians at festivals throughout the country and producing traditional West Virginia Music recordings and films of West Virginia folklife. Annick is a Belgian-American musician born and raised in West Virginia. While she grew up playing classical violin, Annick is now a professional performer-composer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist with a strong interest in learning about the fiddle traditions of her home state.

Soul Food Cooking 

Xavier Oglesby and apprentice Brooklyn Oglesby 

Born in Beckley of Raleigh County where he still resides, Xavier Oglesby will lead an apprenticeship in soul food cooking with his niece Brooklynn Oglesby, also of Beckley. Xavier is a caterer and credits his knowledge of recipes and love of cooking to four generations of family members including his mother, father, and grandmothers. In the Black community, food traditions are often celebrated at church dinners and parties. Xavier and Brooklynn are excited to work together so that this cooking tradition will remain in their family and in their community. In 2018, Xavier participated in the West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program as an apprentice to Doris Fields (aka Lady D) of Beckley to learn and carry on the tradition of blues and Black gospel music.

2020-2021 Folklife Apprenticeship Pairs

2020 Folklife Apprenticeship Feature: Ed Daniels & Clara Haizlett, Agroforestry/ Forest Farming

Agroforestry/Forest Farming

Ed & Carol Daniels, and apprentice Clara Haizlett 

Sheep to Shawl: The Art of Raising Sheep and Creating Fiber Arts 

Kathy Evans and apprentice Margaret Bruning

Old-Time Fiddle

Joe Herrmann and apprentice Dakota Karper

Traditional Appalachian Herbalism

Leenie Hobbie and apprentice Jon Falcone 

Old-Time Banjo 

Kim Johnson and apprentice Cody Jordan 

Home Birth Midwifery 

Angelita Nixon and apprentice Christine Weirick  

2021 Folklife Apprenticeship Feature: Mehmet Oztan and Lafayette Dexter, Seed Saving and Related Storytelling

Seed Saving and Related Storytelling 

Mehmet Öztan and apprentice Lafayette Dexter 

2017-2018 Folklife Apprenticeship Pairs

Salt-Rising Bread

Genevieve “Jenny” Bardwell & Susan Ray Brown, and apprentice Amy Dawson

Blues and Black Gospel Music

Doris A. Fields (Raleigh County) and apprentice Xavier C. Oglesby (Raleigh County)

2018 Master Artist & Apprentice Feature: Marion Harless & Kara Vaneck, Green Traditions

Green Traditions

Marion Harless and apprentice Kara Vaneck 

Old-Time Fiddling

John D. Morris and apprentice Jen Iskow 

Old-Time Fiddling

Doug Van Gundy and apprentice Annie Stroud