10/01/2026
Traditional Arts Indiana Celebrates Indiana Heritage Fellowship
Traditional Arts Indiana (TAI) will celebrate the Indiana Heritage Fellowship Award honorees and Apprenticeship Program teams on Friday, Oct. 2 at Bloomington’s Lotus World Music and Arts Festival. “This year, we are excited to partner with Lotus as we honor the recipients of the Indiana Heritage Fellowships, as well as our apprenticeship teams,” said Jon Kay, the director of TAI. “Our program celebrates the future of traditional arts in Indiana and honors those who steward traditional arts for their communities into the next generation.”
The Indiana Heritage Fellowship Award recognizes traditional artists who have made outstanding contributions to their artistic traditions. The award honors an individual’s lifetime achievement within an art form that is rooted in community life in Indiana. The 2026 Indiana Heritage Fellowship Award honorees this year are Danny Cain (hoop net making), Pu Ngai Chum (Chin basketmaking), and Leung Ching Ka (Chinese orchestra). In addition, we will be recognizing the 2025 recipients: Marlene Gaither (weaving), Shaomin Qian (Chinese calligraphy and stamp carving), and Peggy Taylor (weaving).
In addition to the Indiana Heritage Fellows, TAI will honor the culture bearers and their apprentices who participated in the TAI Apprenticeship Program. This distinct program supports the continuation of cultural practices throughout Indiana, enabling apprentices to learn essential knowledge and skills in traditional art forms from key tradition bearers. Apprenticeship teams will be on hand to show their work and share their talents with attendees starting at 5:30 pm. This program is supported by funds from the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC), Indiana University (IU), and the National Endowment for the Arts.
In 2025, the Traditional Arts Indiana Apprenticeship Program included the following apprenticeship teams: Brian Allen and Kendra Caudill (bluegrass guitar); Dan and Joshua DeYoung (restoration woodworking); Leung Ching Ka and Jacob Kopis (Chinese music); Dee Nierman and Richelle Kovener (rag rug weaving); Dani Tippmann, Ingrid, Cecelia, Lucy, and Frank Nicholson (bark basketry and plant knowledge); and Sherwin Underwood and Angie Soto (lowrider hopping).
In 2026, the Traditional Arts Indiana Apprenticeship Program included the following apprenticeship teams: Kwan Y. Hui, Daniel Hoang, and Amy Luo (lion dancing); Rajendra Kedlaya and Rishi Thadagani (Yakshagana); David and Jaden Martin (regalia making); Carol Powers and Sandra Dailey (pysanky); Iuri Hart Santos and Zeca
Lewis-Santos (Capoeira Angola); and Tyler White and Rob McCormac (mandolin building).
Traditional Arts Indiana is a partnership between IU Bloomington and the IAC. “It is a privilege to support Traditional Arts Indiana in this celebration of Indiana’s traditional arts and cultural heritage,” said Miah Michaelsen, IAC Executive Director. “The Indiana
Heritage Fellows and Apprenticeship Pairs demonstrate the rich fabric of Indiana’s creative community. Indiana is a stronger, more vibrant state thanks to the contributions of our artists and culture-bearers.”
The Apprenticeship and Indiana Heritage Fellowship Award Ceremony is free and open to the public and will be held Friday, October 2, 2026, from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM ET at the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival’s Arts Village in downtown Bloomington, Indiana (at Kirkwood Avenue and College Avenue).
