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As one of the original programs of The Fabric Workshop and Museum, the Apprentice Training Program offers high school, college and post-graduate students the opportunity to learn all aspects of silk-screen printing on fabric. In the FWM’s professional studios, students design and print their own fabric yardage and assist staff in the production of artist residency projects. Silk-screen printing is an art form as well as an industrial skill, and the program is designed to provide students with new tools for artistic expression and self-empowerment.
Apprentices train over a 12-week term, either in the Fall (September-December), Spring (January-April) or Summer (May-August). Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis; however, deadlines for each session mark the last day for submission.
In addition to artistic training, apprentices are introduced to other programs of the museum, including exhibitions, collections, and education. During their term, apprentices are active participants in the FWM’s community and often develop lasting relationships with their peers and staff.
An annual exhibition of apprentice-designed fabric banners is held at The Fabric Workshop and Museum, or another venue in Philadelphia. Previous exhibitions have been organized for Philadelphia City Hall, the Gallery Shopping Mall, the Community Education Center, the Philadelphia Arts Alliance, and the Philadelphia Foundation Community Gallery.
High School Apprentice Training Program
Students from the Philadelphia area are encouraged to apply to the High School Apprentice Training Program. In two or three afternoons over 12 weeks, high school apprentices design and print a one-color repeat yardage, and assist in all areas of the studio. For high school students, the apprenticeship is job-training as well as an educational experience, and students earn minimum wage for their time. Students also receive portfolio and career guidance from artists and studio staff.
The High School Apprentice Training Program was created to provide excellent art education for teenagers from diverse economic and cultural backgrounds, with the specific goal of offering an opportunity unavailable to students in their schools. The FWM’s objective is to complement school resources and improve art education for high school age students in the Philadelphia region.
The application process includes an interview with the Apprentice Coordinator, to which each student must brings drawings, a portfolio, or journal of recent artwork. To apply, please complete an application form and return it by the appropriate deadline to:
Apprentice Coordinator
The Fabric Workshop and Museum
1315 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
College and Post-Graduate Apprentice Training Program
Students from Philadelphia and from other U.S. or international locations are invited to apply to the College and Post-Graduate Apprentice Training Program. A full-time and part-time program exists for these apprentices to advance their own art training while also participating in the daily operations of the studio.
Students design and print a one-color and a three-color repeat yardage, and assist with projects in the studio, archives, and administrative departments. Students also have the opportunity to give a short lecture on their own work, visit area cultural organizations, and work with visiting artists-in-residence.
The FWM actively recruits a diverse pool of candidates, with a special emphasis on international students. Recent apprentices have come to the FWM from nearly every state in the U.S., as well as from Japan, Ghana, South Korea, Germany, Finland, Kenya, Great Britain, France, and China.
To apply, please send a completed application form along with:
- 20 work samples: 35mm slides and digital files on CD-R accepted. DO NOT send original materials. Please note: digital images should be sized to 4x6 inches, 300 dpi.
- two letters of recommendation (can be included or mailed separately)
- resume
- self-addressed, stamped envelope for the return of your materials
- application fee: $25.00
Candidates are asked to bring samples of their work to the interview.
All materials must be postmarked on or before the appropriate deadline
Apprentice Coordinator
The Fabric Workshop and Museum
1315 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
High School Apprentice Training Program
Session Dates & Application Deadlines
Please note: Applications must be postmarked on or before deadline date.
Spring 2008
24 January-12 April 2008
Application Deadline 15 November 2007
Summer 2008
21 May - 25 July 2008
Application Deadline: 15 April 2008
Fall 2008
17 September - 12 December 2008
Application Deadline: 15 June 2008
Spring 2009
21 January - 17 April 2009
Application Deadline: 15 November 2008
College/Post Graduate Apprentice Training Program
Session Dates & Application Deadlines
Please note: Applications must be postmarked on or before deadline date.
Summer 2008
21 May - 25 July 2008
Application Deadline: 15 January 2008
Fall 2008
17 September - 12 December 2008
Application Deadline: 15 April 2008
Spring 2009
21 January - 17 April 2009
Application Deadline: 15 July 2008
For more information, please email
apprentice@fabricworkshopandmuseum.org
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