LESA AKER IS a self-taught artist hailing from the beautiful rolling hills of southern Kentucky near Somerset. She has lived on a farm from the time she was born and has seen many circles of life which led her to appreciate the short time we have with our animal friends and our human ones as well.
Her medium of choice is pastel, as she find it allows for a vibrant and detailed expression of her love for animals. Her inspiration comes from the natural world and the incredible creatures that inhabit it.
She sees the beauty and magic that surrounds us, from the delicate flutter of a butterfly’s wings to the powerful presence of a majestic horse and the awesome rushing of a waterfall. She strives to capture the spirit and essence of each subject in her artwork, using color and texture to bring life to them on the paper. Each piece is a representation of her deep connection to nature where the beauty of the animal kingdom is celebrated, and the wonders of our surroundings are appreciated.

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Lexi Bass has a BA in Arts Administration from the University of Kentucky, a MA in Art from the University of Louisville and an MFA in Experimental and Documentary Arts from Duke University.
​She is currently a lecturer in Animation and Digital Art at the University of Kentucky School of Arts and Visual Studies and an experimental filmmaker and artist. Her films have screened widely in London, Amsterdam, and other European cities and Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and various locations across KY. Her new film Meander will air on Tuesday 15 Oct at the Lyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center at 6:30pm.

Meander (2024) Lexi Bass
As artificial intelligence replaces workers in our increasingly elderly global population, companies engineering AI race robots amidst human inequities and emerging problems of AI sentience. The sum spells disaster for the human race in the dystopian world of Meander, which evokes both ancient Greek mythology and near-future science fiction. Meander finds herself destitute in the Underworld with no way to finance escape other than offering her biological potential for surrogate pregnancy up to dubious experimentation in an underground facility. Meanwhile, filmmaker/narrator, Lexi Bass, recounts her experiences of pregnancy and motherhood at the precipice of age 40 and the loss of her own mother shortly after, questioning the future of humanity at the precipice of Artificial General Intelligence and Artificial Super-Intelligence.

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Last year LARRY PEMBLE, eldest son of famed Kentucky writer and photographer James Baker Hall and his family decided to establish the James Baker Hall Foundation with a mission to honor and continue Hall's interest in mentoring writers by providing direct support to Kentucky literary and visual creatives. Pemble, who is President of the Foundation along with Vice President JEANINE TRIPLETT, talk about the Foundation's first Book Award which will be presented to poet George Wesley Houp who will receive $3,000 and a publication from Accents Publishing.

In addition to discussing how the selection process was undertaken, Pemble and Triplett talk about why this award is so important in the literary world, and how they intend to honor Jim’s legacy by providing financial funding for emerging and established voices who specialize in continuing the unique voice that is Kentucky.

The 1st Book Award will be presented on Tuesday, 1st October at Spalding University.

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VISIONS IN TANDEM, is a collaborative Retrospective Exhibition of Dobree Adam's fiber art intertwined with Jonathan Greene's poems. Lexington Art League, August 2 to September 20, 2024

This collaborative retrospective exhibition of works in fiber and photographs intertwined with poetry considers dialogues of vision and voice in the spirit of haiga, the Japanese tradition of painting with haiku. The art of haiga is about the synergy of collaboration, the richness and depth of an added layer of meaning each work brings to the other.

This exhibition centers on brief encounters and in-depth responses to living on their Kentucky River farm as well as to their travels. These encounters have brought reactions to landscape, sense of place, colors and rhythms, ambience, architecture, culture, and design aesthetics as well as inspirations for new bodies of work.

In the spirit of haiga, consider how the poems, fiber art, and photographs are related, and how seemingly unrelated works influence or redefine one another.

Dobree and Jonathan have developed a deep artistic collaborative relationship over their 50 years together. Dobree has become not only Jonathan’s personal editor but also a major contributor in the publishing of many Gnomon Press books and books Jonathan has designed and/or produced for others. They have had collaborative shows at the Albrecht-Kemper Museum in Missouri, the Headley-Whitney Museum, and the Evansville Museum of Art.

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William M. Duffy’s solo exhibition currently at the Speed Museum, is the second installment of the Louisville Black Avant-Garde series, highlighting local, historically significant Black visual artists active from 1950–1980. A lifelong artist, Duffy first began with painting, silk-screening, and drawing. However, after witnessing a car crash destroy a bank building’s marble column, he felt compelled to ask for remnants of the broken stone; from then on, he taught himself how to carve and sculpt through research, improvisation, and repetition. This retrospective exhibition spans over 4 decades of creativity and presents not only the sculpture that Duffy is now known for, but also his earlier drawings, paintings, and digital art. In addition to featuring works of fine art, this retrospective also includes commercial works commissioned by local community groups and works made over the course of his long career as an educator in the Jefferson County Public Schools – and done in collaboration with his students.

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Cacey Nadalilo, Executive Director of the Chamber Music Festival of Lexington, shares insights into this year's highly anticipated festival, including the variety of programming and community outreach initiatives. Joined by host Kate Savage, Cacey highlights the festival's mission to bring world-class chamber music to Central Kentucky through an array of pop-ups, educational workshops, and main stage concerts. The conversation covers the festival's partnerships with local schools and the significant impact of their outreach programs designed to inspire young musicians. Bringing together renowned artists like Nathan Cole and Ken Olson, this year's festival promises a rich blend of traditional and contemporary chamber music performances. Cacey also delves into the logistics of hosting such an event, the selection of distinguished musicians, and the importance of community engagement in fostering a love for classical music.

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Phoebe White is a 14 year old multi-instrumentalist, singer / songwriter whose first nationally released album in 2022 when she was 12, debuted at number 7 on the Western radio charts.

​Phoebe was a featured guest on the GRAND OLE OPRY in 2023 where she performed with Grammy award winners Riders in the Sky. She was presented with a special honorary exhibit at the KENTUCKY MUSIC HALL OF FAME in 2023.
​She has also performed with Suzy Bogguss, and shared the stage with Michael Johnathon, David McLean, Bluegrass band of the year: The Farm Hands, members of Chicago, The Doobie Brothers, New Grass Revival, The McLain Family Band, and many more.
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Phoebe has performed multiple times on WOODSONGS OLD TIME RADIO HOUR and WOODSONGS KIDS as well as Best of America by Horseback on RFD-TV; The country music capital of Kentucky: Renfro Valley, The Kentucky Opry, and more. Phoebe is currently getting ready to release her new album Cowgirl’s Delight featuring Grammy Award winners Riders in the Sky and Suzy Bogguss.
​To listen to the WEKU/NPR interview here

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Samantha Simpson and Becky Alley, founders of the Muse Collective, a curatorial group in Lexington were inspired by the closure of Parachute Factory and the dearth of gallery space in the city. They discuss their innovative approach to building community and fostering inclusivity through pop-up exhibitions in unconventional spaces like garages and moving trucks. The guests share their vision of creating immersive art experiences enriched with music, poetry, and lectures, and their openness to showcasing works from beyond Kentucky. Challenges of balancing personal boundaries with community engagement are highlighted, alongside the excitement and flexibility their method allows. Their ongoing project, Blink, aims to nurture genuine relationships within the art world, emphasizing the collective's need for growth and collaboration.

For more and to connect with us, visit https://www.artsconnectlex.org/art-throb-podcast.html