Local USA 829 Scenic Apprentice Program at Broadway Stages' Staten Island Campus

Standing from left to right Apprenticeship Administrator Kelsey Harro, (with baby Emerson Harro), Shane Ingersoll, Sarah Rigney, Deputy Borough President Ed Burke, Hanna Wellish, USA 829 President Beverly Miller, Sol Metcalfe-McDonald, Broadway Stages’ President Gina Argento, Jared Flynn, Instructor Jacquelyn Marolt, and Athena Parella. Sitting from left to right Rosalind McKelvey-Bunting, Martin Petrov, and Murphey Wilkins.

Founded in 1897, the United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829, an affiliate of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), is a labor union and professional association made up of over 4,000 members including designers, artists, craftspeople, and department coordinators. Organized to protect craft standards, working conditions, wages, and benefits for the entertainment and decorative arts industries, the members of Local USA 829 work in film, theatre, opera, ballet, television, industrial shows, commercials, and exhibitions.

In addition to negotiating agreements with major industry organizations, the Local offers its members a variety of courses, online training, and a three-year scenic artist apprenticeship program that is financed through a trust fund. As of September 2018, the program is being held in Staten Island at a facility donated by Broadway Stages and located at their new campus on Arthur Kill Road. The facility features a modern kitchen/lecture room, a separate tool room, and a large studio space with a brand-new paint deck. Surrounded by production studios, shops, and filming locations, the apprentices feel right at home.