Our Program
The Maine Craft Apprentice Program (CAP) lasts for seven months, March through September. Applicants apply jointly, providing clear, agreed upon goals, a basic plan for how goals will be achieved, and a proposed budget for the apprentice’s honorarium. Both must also submit resumes and images of current work.
Partners and Funding
CAP is produced by the Maine Crafts Association in partnership with the Maine Arts Commission.
Eligibility
Eligibility requires participants to be at least eighteen years of age, current Maine residents, and apprentices must demonstrate foundational skills in the medium they wish to pursue. The program supports craft artists working in craft media, which does not include photography, painting or drawing. Please contact us if you are unsure if your media qualifies.
Selection Process
Applications are reviewed by a panel of Maine professionals for a first round elimination. The panel also interviews the finalist pairs with awards given to three or more joint applicants.
Honorarium
Both mentor artist and apprentice receive honorariums based on a recommended one hundred hours of one-on-one training ($3000 to the mentor, $1000 to the apprentice). The honorarium for the mentor artist covers their time and transference of knowledge/expertise, while the apprentice’s funds are for supplies/equipment.
Relationship
A majority of the training happens at the mentor artist’s studio. Occasionally they visit other studios or events of relevance to their goals. Although we provide a distinct structure for implementation, MaineCAP also allows for adaptations as the pair sees fit to maximize the experience for each. MaineCAP requires that the pair submit interim and final reports.
Alumni Network
To promote sustainability, the MCA/MAC will invite current participants and alumni to convene annually to discuss outcomes of MaineCAP, as well as to develop networking and foster further mentoring.
2020 Program Exhibition
To close the program, all artists participate in a Capstone exhibition. Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts is the 2020 organizational partner and (was supposed to) host the 2020 CAP Alumni Gathering and 2020 Exhibition, which is now taking place at Maine Craft Portland (due to COVID regulations). Maine Home + Design magazine is the exclusive magazine sponsor.
Masters & Apprentices: Work from Maine’s 2020 Craft Apprentice Program will be on view in the windows of Maine Craft Portland, 221 Congress Street, Portland ME from October 16 – November 15, 2020 with an all day Open House Friday, October 16.
Socially distanced public Open House with the artists Friday, October 16, 10am – 5pm. | Maine Craft Portland.
The exhibition features work created during the seven month apprenticeship by mentor artist/apprentice pairs: Thomas Berger and Anne Alexander (stone carving), Tim Christensen and Jena Merrill (ceramics), J.E. Paterak and Shelby Goldsmith (jewelry), Nisa Smiley and Jennifer Marshall (jewelry) and Chuck Lakin and Clifford Pettitt (woodworking), Kenneth Kortemeier and Will Wheeler (woodworking), Jayne Redman and Barbara Hopkins (jewelry).
Want to apply but need a match? Apprentices: Check our database of available mentor artists. Mentors: Register to be added to the database.
2021 Craft Apprentice Program: Timeline
12/09/2020 Application deadline
12/11 – 31/2020 Jurors review all applications
1/4/2020 -Notifications sent to all applicants Finalists contacted to schedule interviews for January 21st
1/21/2021 Finalists interviewed in person (or via Zoom pending CDC guidelines) by jurors @ Maine Arts Commission
1/22/2021 Snow date for interviews
1/29/2021 CAP participants are announced
3/1/2021 Apprenticeships begin
9/30/2021 Apprenticeships end
October 2021 Capstone Exhibition (date / location TBA)
October 2021 CAP Alumni Gathering (date / location TBA)
Your application must be submitted by midnight on December 8, 2021. There is no staff assistance after 4pm. The timeline can be found when you scroll up this page.
Pairs must to apply together. If you are interested in the program but need assistance pairing up with someone, then send a message on our Contact Us page. We offer our assistance but cannot guarantee a match will be made.
Applications should submitted through the Maine Arts Commission’s Grant Management System. However, we are willing to accept applications in other formats, please call or email Sadie to make arrangements: 207-205-0791, sadie@mainecrafts.org.
We accept PDFs and JPGs. You’ll see the designation beside each item we are requesting.
File formats may not exceed 2MB per item.
Once the participants for MaineCAP have been selected, all saved and submitted applications and file uploads, as well as user info will be deleted and removed from our website.
Click here to review our terms of service and privacy policy.
We do our best to provide a thorough set of info for MaineCAP. If you have a question please Contact Us.