Essex shibuilder wins arts fellowship
by Joel Brown
Boston Globe Correspondent
When called on his cell phone to ask about his big award from the National Endowment for the Arts, Harold A. Burnham said this:
“Could you call me back in about five minutes? I’m landing the boat at the dock.”
Figures. An 11th-generation Essex shipbuilder, Burnham built the 55-foot pinky schooner Ardelle, which he was docking at Gloucester Maritime on Wednesday morning, along with a number of other wooden ships that still sail local waters.
This week, Burnham was announced as one of nine recipients of 2012 NEA National Heritage Fellowships, the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. His fellow honorees include Tejano accordionist Leonardo “Flaco” Jiménez and dobro player Mike Auldridge.
The fellowship comes with $25,000 and is intended to recognize that “these artists have honored the history of their art forms while also incorporating their own creativity and innovation to carry the art forms into the 21st century.”
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