5 Montgomery County Teams Receive $5K Maryland Traditions Grants

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Five teams made up of four master artists and three apprentice artists from Montgomery County each received $5,000 in grant money from the Maryland State Arts Council's Maryland Traditions program.

In total, Maryland Traditions awarded $75,000 to artists across the state to help them learn traditional arts from a master artist for a one-year teaching period. For the 2023-2034 granting period, MSAC awarded $5,000 in grant funding to master-apprentice teams.

Below are the five teams with Montgomery County residents to receive $5,000 grants via the Maryland Traditions program. The master artist is listed first.

• Samia Ahmad (Montgomery County) and Nora Ahsan (Montgomery County): Hindustani classical music
• Yara Cordeiro (Montgomery County) and Michael Rochon Jr. (Montgomery County): Afro-Brazilian capoeira
• Loretta Kelley (Montgomery County) and Laura Hummel (Carroll County): Norwegian Hardanger fiddle
• Catherine Lamont (Montgomery County) and Leó Qualls (Baltimore County): Hungarian folk dance
• Hess Stinson (Queen Anne's County) and Elana Casey (Montgomery County): Hoodoo healing