Error message

  • Notice: Undefined property: stdClass::$field_display_adsense_ads in eval() (line 8 of /home/u0kg4n9w5x3b/public_html/studiopotter.org/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).
  • Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in eval() (line 8 of /home/u0kg4n9w5x3b/public_html/studiopotter.org/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).
  • Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in eval() (line 8 of /home/u0kg4n9w5x3b/public_html/studiopotter.org/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).
  • Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in eval() (line 8 of /home/u0kg4n9w5x3b/public_html/studiopotter.org/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).
  • Warning: Use of undefined constant sidebar - assumed 'sidebar' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in eval() (line 8 of /home/u0kg4n9w5x3b/public_html/studiopotter.org/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).

Grants for Apprenticeships

 

 

2024 Application

The 2024 Grants for Apprenticeship application is now open.
Apply here via Slideroom.

The deadline for applications is 11:59 p.m. EST on September 30, 2024. Following confirmation with the grant recipients, awards will be announced on October 20, 2024. The grant cycle will begin in January of 2025 and will conclude in December of 2025. Please note that this schedule is different from previous grant cycles.  

All applications must be submitted jointly by both the apprentice and mentor. To prepare, you can view an application preview here: Application Preview PDF. Please contact apprenticeships@studiopotter.org if you have any questions.

The 2024 Grants for Apprenticeships applications dates are as follows:

  • September 1st: Applications officially open via Slideroom
  • September 10th: Optional Reviews of Applications Deadline. Submit your application by this date to receive feedback from us and a chance to make changes and resubmit before the September 30th final deadline This review is provided back to the applicant teams by September 20.
  • September 30th: Deadline to Submit Applications
  • October 20th: Announcement of Awards
  • January 1, 2025: Earliest possible start date for the Apprenticeship

Grant Program Mission

Established in 2019 and funded by an anonymous donor, Studio Potter’s Grants for Apprenticeships Program supports emerging artists who want to become full-time studio potters and mentor-potters who wish to take on apprentices. This grant program honors the mission of Studio Potter and the legacy of its founder, Gerry Williams, by fostering individual careers in studio pottery, contributing to the life and future of ceramics, ensuring the continuity of a centuries-old tradition in non-academic education.

Studio Potter strongly affirms its commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusiveness. The Grants for Apprenticeships Program is committed to supporting the development of BIPOC artists and increasing their presence in studio pottery. Applicants from all races, genders, identities, ethnicities, and religions are encouraged to apply.

Studio Apprenticeship Defined

Apprenticeship is a studio-based, hands-on educational model that offers entry into a community of practice through the direct transmission of skills, attitudes and a mode of living. The goal of apprenticeship is to learn and understand the practical, administrative, and creative work of running a professional ceramics studio. 

Apprenticeship is person-to-person, mentor-to-student training that emphasizes hands-on work and experiential immersion. Apprentices learn by participating in the daily life of their mentor, learning their skills, and experiencing  their values as makers. Apprenticeships preserve cultural heritage and promote the professional advancement of studio potters. 

Apprentices learn by doing. The bulk of their work is focused on the daily tasks of maintaining a pottery studio - cleaning, mixing clay and glazes, loading and firing kilns. Apprentices work side-by-side with their mentor, learning the methodology through direct observation and practice.  Most apprenticeships are a deeply individual experience, and each is tailored to meet the specific needs of the mentor, the skills of the apprentice, and the demands of the studio. 

Apprenticeship is:

  • Immersion in a living practice
  • Supporting the apprentice’s creative and technical development
  • Willingness to open one’s life to another person

Apprenticeship is NOT:

  • A workshop or a series of classes taken by an apprentice
  • A residency
  • An assistantship or job (an apprentice can be paid for their labor, but an apprenticeship is a deeper experience)

Application Information

The Grants for Apprenticeships Program offers annual grants of $15,000 to support apprenticeships in studio pottery. Arrangements for the apprenticeship should be in place at the time of application and apprentices and their mentor-potters apply jointly in one application. 

Eligibility and Requirements:

  • Apprenticeships are required to be in-person except in special cases. In-person collaborative work is at the heart of a successful apprenticeship. If your circumstances do not allow you to work in the same space, please contact us to discuss your needs at least 3 weeks prior to the application deadline. 
  • Most successful teams will have private studio space in which to work, rather than a group studio or community clay center that provides access for multiple artists.
  • The apprenticeship must take place in the USA. Mentors and apprentices must be legally able to work and earn income in the USA.
  • This grant is specifically for those making studio pottery. Sculptural apprenticeships are not eligible.
  • Apprentices must be eighteen years old or over, and cannot be enrolled in an academic educational program for the study of ceramics during their apprenticeship.
  • Grants cover proposed apprenticeship activities for January 1 - December 31, 2025. Proposed activities and goals should reflect one year of mentor/apprentice work. This is not required to be the first or only year of apprenticeship for the mentor-potter and apprentice team.
  • A typical team consists of one mentor and one apprentice. We will consider applications with up to two mentors if they are working collaboratively in the same studio, and up to two apprentices if they are working in the same studio and on the same timeline. The grant amount does not change based on the number of participants.
  • The studio space where the apprenticeship will be conducted must have liability insurance that covers the mentor and apprentice, and the mentor must provide a copy of the policy if they receive the grant.
  • GAP grants are only for individuals. Applicants should apply under their own name, not a business or organizational name. Organizations cannot apply.  
  • Grants are not transferable. Only the mentor and apprentice who applied may receive the grant. In the event a mentor or apprentice is not able to participate in the apprenticeship or choose to end the apprenticeship early, the grant is not transferable to a different apprentice or mentor and will be forfeited. 
  • Grants are given for exactly $15,000. Budgets should reflect spending for exactly $15,000. 
  • Neither applicant may have been awarded the GAP grant within the past 3 years. e.g. someone receiving the grant in 2022, and performing grant activities in 2023 would be eligible to apply for the grant in 2026 with activities in 2027. Applicants who have not received the grant previously will be given priority over past recipients.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

  • The Grants for Apprenticeships program offers one award of $15,000 per application. Five such awards are available for 2024.
  • Applications are submitted by the mentor/apprentice team jointly. You must have a mentor or apprentice as a partner at the time of application and should write you application as a team. Studio Potter cannot assist in locating a potential mentor or apprentice. 
  • Grant monies can be used to help meet the legitimate needs of the mentor and/or apprentice in carrying out the apprenticeship. Expenses such as moving costs, wages for the apprentice, housing, and capital improvements are eligible for funding. Both the mentor and the apprentice can receive funds from the grant. A strong application has a budget that reflects the situation and needs of both people to carry out a successful apprenticeship. To make it simple: write a budget to cover what you need to make your apprenticeship successful. 1-2 sentences of context are appropriate to include on a budget if needed.
  • Studio Potter cares deeply about people and apprenticeship. Applications that consider the liabilities, responsibilities, necessities, and possibilities of apprenticeship will be favored
  • Studio Potter does not provide a curriculum or recommended structure. This is a part of the application, and it is expected that the mentor and apprentice will collaboratively write their own plan for the year. (This is a part of the application, in the "formal proposal" section). A strong application includes a detailed and realistic plan for the apprenticeship that balance ambitious goals with realistic expectations to create a successful outcome.

More Background

The Grants for Apprenticeships Program is inspired, in part, by the dedication of Studio Potter’s founder, Gerry Williams, to supporting mentorship and hands-on learning throughout his life. Indeed, the very first issue of Studio Potter, published in 1972, featured content related to apprenticeships and included ads for apprentices and apprenticeships. In the nearly five decades of issues since then, Studio Potter has published numerous articles on apprenticeship, and, in 1981, it published the book Apprenticeship in Craft, edited by Williams. This book, a testament to Williams’s passion and advocacy, is available as a free download here.

Questions? Email apprenticeships@studiopotter.org

2019 Recipients

2020 Recipients

2021 Recipients

2022 Recipients

2023 Recipients

Watch the DISCUSSION with our 2019 GAP recipients.