ALBANY, N.Y. - August 19, 2025 - Following the remarkable success of its inaugural Irish American Heritage Museum (IAHM) Regional Irish Cultural Ambassador Scholarship (awarded in July 2025), the IAHM Board of Directors is pleased to announce that additional donations and sponsorship funding have been secured to continue this unique cultural and heritage scholarship program. The IAHM Regional Cultural Ambassador Scholarship provides geographically diverse opportunities to participate in artistic and educational programs throughout the United States.
Recipients of this award are designated as “IAHM Regional Irish Cultural Ambassadors” and are provided with a unique opportunity to share their Irish knowledge and artistic talents with similarly interested individuals and groups in other regions of the country with rich, distinct Irish cultural traditions. Scholarship recipients:
• Share their own Irish cultural talents;
• Exchange styles, art, and tunes with other Irish artists;
• Immerse themselves in the “trad” culture and life of another region; and,
• Return home to share those experiences with their communities.
Each Ambassador will explore the regional impact of the Irish in America through music and arts
education.
The Irish American Heritage Museum is proud to announce that the August 2025 Regional Cultural Ambassador Scholarship is open to alumni of New York’s Catskills Irish Arts Week who wish to attend O’Flaherty’s Irish Music Retreat, an immersive Irish cultural experience sponsored by the Traditional Irish Music Education Society (TIMES) in Texas. This year’s Retreat will take place from October 23–26, 2025, in a suburb of Dallas/Fort Worth.
Earlier this year, Katherine Kalinowski of Arlington, TX, was named IAHM’s first Regional Irish Cultural Ambassador. An alumnus of O’Flaherty’s Irish Music Retreat and the TIMEScommunity, Katherine attended the preeminent Catskills Irish Arts Week in New York this past July.
“Attending an Irish arts immersion week in another region of the United States was a great learning experience for me,” said Katherine. “I gained new perspectives on my instrument and returned home to Texas with a fresh take on techniques and tunes after playing with some of the best traditional Irish musicians from Ireland and the Northeast U.S. I am proud to be an IAHM Regional Irish Cultural Ambassador and IAHM member, and remain deeply grateful to the Museum for this opportunity.”
IAHM Executive Director Michael C. Clarke added:
“The success of our inaugural Cultural Ambassador Scholarship was clear the moment Katherine arrived in New York. Importantly, Katherine has continued sharing her experience with the Texas arts community since returning. We are grateful to the Museum’s supporters who followed this program closely, who recognize the importance of preserving Irish heritage, and who chose to generously support its continued regional expansion.”
“Katherine was thrilled to serve as IAHM’s rst Cultural Ambassador. And this October, we will be excited to welcome IAHM’s newest Ambassador to the O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat,” said Ken Fleming, the Executive Director of the Traditional Irish Music Education Society (TIMES) the governing organization for the camp. “At O’Flaherty’s, IAHM’s Regional Irish Cultural Ambassador will join with hundreds of participants and world-class Irish artists and will be saturated in Irish traditional music for three days and four nights. Our music community welcomes IAHM’s Ambassadors to Texas with both gratitude and open arms.”
Details and application instructions for the August 2025 Scholarship are below.
ABOUT IAHM’S REGIONAL IRISH CULTURAL AMBASSADOR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
The August 2025 IAHM Regional Irish Cultural Ambassador Scholarship is designed to immerse recipients (“Ambassadors”) in Irish arts, heritage, culture, and community experiences in different U.S. regions. Through artistic exchange and cultural collaboration, Ambassadors return home enriched and ready to share their new experiences with their own Irish communities.
Eligibility Requirements:
• Applicants must be 18 years or older.
• Must have attended Catskills Irish Arts Week as a student within the past 10 years.
• Must not have attended O’Flaherty’s Irish Music Retreat as a student.
• Must submit a 100-word description explaining why they would be a suitable IAHM Cultural Ambassador.
• Must fully participate in O’Flaherty’s Irish Music Retreat classes and activities.
• Must notify IAHM immediately if unable to attend for any reason.
Scholarship Includes:
• Reimbursement for one full-time tuition to O’Flaherty’s Irish Music Retreat (October 23–26, 2025) – $350 value.
• $650 stipend for travel and lodging in Midlothian, TX.
• Associate Membership to IAHM for the Ambassador and their family – $100 value.
• Guided tour of the Irish American Heritage Museum – Priceless.
Interested alumni of Catskills Irish Arts Week can apply for the scholarship to attend the October 2025 O’Flaherty’s Irish Music Retreat via IAHM’s online application. Applications will be accepted until COB September 5, 2025. The Ambassador chosen will be notifed immediately thereafter.
• For more information on IAHM, including current exhibits and events, click here.
• For more information on O’Flaherty’s Irish Music Retreat, click here.
• To download this press release, click here.