An Apprenticeship in Chinese Lion Head Restoration
Text and photos by Russell Rodríguez, Interim Apprenticehsip Program Manager
The practice of hiding or masquerading identity, culture, and resistance from the dominant powers of society has been a constant through time. Corey Chan, a master artist in ACTA's Apprenticeship Program in 2011, explained that in China during a dynasty of oppressive rule, martial arts were prohibited to reduce the risk of insurgence. People who resisted the ruling power practiced martial arts under the guise of the lion dance. In later times, the convergence of these traditions remained significant to the point that only the best students of martial arts schools were allowed to perform the lion dance.
ACTA's Bay Area Traditional Arts Roundtable Series Begins Next Month
Calling all traditional and tradition-based artists and art organizations! ACTA's Bay Area Traditional Arts Roundtable Series 2012 -- offering opportunities for traditional artists and arts advocates to learn from one another through intimate discussion, technical assistance, networking, and sharing community-based arts and culture -- will begin on February 22, 2012, with a full calendar of events to be announced soon.
ACTA's Briefing, Weaving Traditional Arts Into the Fabric of Community Health, Featured in California Watch
ACTA's briefing, Weaving Traditional Arts Into the Fabric of Community Health -- the result of a study by UC Davis’s Center for Reducing Health Disparities, which links participation in traditional arts to individual and community health -- was featured this month in the statewide media outlet California Watch. Read the article by Patricia Leigh Brown on California Watch's website.
National Endowment for the Arts Grants Workshop Presented in Fresno
Join NEA staff for an informational meeting to learn how to apply to the National Endowment for the Arts for funding. Learn about the application process and requirements and have the chance to speak first-hand with an agency representative. The workshop will be held on February 1, 2012, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Arte Américas in Fresno. Application deadline is March 8. For information on the workshop and how to sign up, follow the Read More link below.
Donate to the California Arts Council by Checking Off the Arts on Your Tax Return
Want to help bring arts and arts education to California communities and schools? Contribute to the California Arts Council Fund on your annual state tax return! Look for the California Arts Council Fund in the “contributions” section. Thousands of children and millions of Californians can benefit from arts education and local arts through the state’s arts agency. In fact, ACTA is a California Arts Council grantee. With millions of Californians filing tax returns, if each one made even a $1 donation, it would raise a tremendous amount for the arts in California.
