Tennessee Craft Invites Artists to Apply for the 2022 Master Artist Apprentice Program

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 5, 2021) — Tennessee Craft, in partnership with the Tennessee Arts Commission, announces the opening of the 2022 Master Artist Apprentice Program (MAAP) apprentice application process. This mentoring program offers artists a unique opportunity to learn traditional and contemporary craft skills firsthand from master craft artists.

All artists in the program choose challenging goals that will advance their skills and knowledge as craft artists. The MAAP was created to boost artists to the next level of their professional development during an intensive six-month one-on-one mentorship, not typically available in most learning environments.

Deadline for apprentice applications is November 1, 2021. APPLY HERE: cognitoforms.com/TennesseeCraft1/maapapprenticeapplicationfy2022

Meet the 2022 Master Artists

Ashton Ludden (Printmaking) Knoxville

Ashton Ludden is a printmaker, educator and sign artist. Her hand-engraved prints initiate a conversation about our relationship with wildlife as we continue to become further removed from the natural world. She received her MFA in Printmaking from the University of Tennessee in 2013, and her BFA in Engraving Arts and Printmaking from Emporia State University in 2009. Ludden’s prints have been exhibited in galleries nationally and internationally, as well as at animal education and welfare conferences. She teaches printmaking workshops regionally and nationally.

Jennifer Sargent (Fiber/Textile) Memphis

Jennifer Sargent is an artist based in Memphis, Tennessee. She has a BA in woven textiles from Middlesex University, London, England and an MFA in Fibers from Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona. Jennifer discovered tapestry at the Scheuer Tapestry Studio in New York and worked there for two years. She taught fibers at the University of North Texas for four years and at Memphis College of Art for twelve years, where she was also Director of Exhibitions for six of those years.

Jackie Schlicher (Clay) Nashville

Eight years ago, Jackie Schlicher sat at a pottery wheel for the first time in her life when she took a pottery class on a whim. Her most recent passion is in a surface treatment called sgraffito, a technique that essentially treats the surface of the clay as a canvas, allowing a variety of abstract and other visual designs to be expressed on the surface. This process combined with the exploration of new forms allows her work to be an ongoing and satisfyingly creative challenge.

To read the full bios of the 2022 Master Artists, visit tennesseecraft.org/programs/maap.

Stephen Hutchins, 2021 apprentice to Alan LeQuire, master clay to bronze sculpture artist, says, “Figurative sculpture is one of the most difficult tasks I've ever attempted, which keeps me engrossed and humbled. There were several moments when I felt the model was so far off that I should start over, but being part of this program has kept me accountable to produce a finished product.

With my new skills learned in clay modeling I'll be able to continue working on models and casting in bronze and other materials. It will help my stone carving career in that I'll be able to tackle more complicated and decorative projects knowing that I can model it in clay first to use as a reference and transfer the model to the stone. Not only will I be able to make molds and cast the clay models I make, but I'll also be able to use the same method of reproduction on my stone sculptures.”