Artists Talk with LVA: October 12, 2023

As Open Studio begins we speak with 2 of the artists, Ton'nea Green & Victor Sweatt. Also in the studio will be J. Barrett Cooper talking about "The Weir" at Bunbury Theatre. Barrett & Victor were my 1st guests on this show as we celebrate being on WXOX/Artxfm.com for 10 YEARS! Tune in to WXOX 97.1 FM/Artxfm.com each Thursday at 10 am to hear Artists Talk with LVA.

J. Barrett Cooper is an Actor, Director, Fight Director, Dialect & Acting Coach, Former Prod. Dir.-Savage Rose Theatre Co. he has worked with Kentucky Shakespeare, Bunbury Theatre, CenterStage at the Trager JCC, Constellation Stage & Screen in Bloomington, IN, and recently appeared in the feature film White Noise, directed by Noah Baumbach. Currently, he is directing The Weir for Bunbury Theatre, which opens tomorrow and runs through October 28.

Ton’nea Green, a recent recipient of a Black Artists Fund grant, is a talented portrait artist. With this grant, Ton’nea aims to create beautiful paintings that reflect the lived experiences of children during this global pandemic. As a mother, Ton’nea wants this project to capture the complicated emotional experiences that many children have had to go through during this difficult time. Ton’nea will be participating In Open Studio Louisville this Saturday, October 14 at Mellwood Art Center.

Victor Sweatt is a Louisville-based, self-taught painter and muralist. Sweatt was born in Louisville. He has shown his work in both group and solo exhibitions and appears in public and private collections throughout the United States. Sweat is a signature member of Louisville Visual Art, the Kentucky Artist Pastel Society, and the Kentucky Watercolor Society. Victor is participating in Open Studio Louisville at the LVA Studios on October 14 & 21

Artists Talk with LVA: October 5, 2023

LVA will be featuring Tomisha Lovely-Allen in our booth at St.James Art Show and she is also our guest this week. Tune in to WXOX 97.1 FM/Artxfm.com each Thursday at 10 am to hear Artists Talk with LVA.

Tomisha Lovely-Allen is a self-taught artist from Louisville, KY.  She has been a passionate creator for as long as she can remember. She earned a full scholarship at Northern Kentucky University and graduated with a Bachelor's in Accounting and Associate in Business Administration in 1998 and earned a Certified Public Accountant license in 2002.  

She was chosen to illustrate a historic Kentuckian woman in the “Bluegrass Bold” children’s book project along with 35 other female artists, exhibit at the Arts Center of the Bluegrass Show “The Art of Being Black: Conversations and Experience,” and be grant recipient to the Fund for the Arts '“Black Artist Grant”. 

Artebella On The Radio: January 28

Painter Brennen Cabrera & Spoken word/visual artist Lance Newman will be the guests on this week's show. Brennen is showing at Mellwood Art Center & Lance is part of the cast of Romeo & Juliet Louisville 2020 at Actors Theatre. Tune in to WXOX 97.1 FM, or stream on Artxfm.com Thursdays at 10:00 am to hear Keith Waits speak with artists.

Brennen Cabrera was born December 4th, 1996 in Louisville, Kentucky. He is a mixed media painter, mainly self-taught with little to no formal education or training. His work has been exhibited around the Louisville, KY area, as well as parts of California, New York, and Chicago, IL. His one-person show, “Windows”, will be at Mellwood Art & Entertainment Center’s Pigment Gallery February 5-28.

Lance Newman II, was raised in Louisville, Kentucky. He is a writer, poet, host, actor, performing, visual, and teaching artist. His experience is the culmination of a 16-year career performing around the country. As a playwright, he helped create plays such as the “Smoketown Poetry Opera,“ ”The Westend Poetry Opera” and “The Blood Always Returns.“ Under the name, SpreadLovEnterprise, he teaches his creative writing and public speaking curriculum in schools, community centers, and service-providing organizations. He co-hosts the largest and longest-running poetry slam in Louisville; created the public art “LITS Project” on 4th st; and has been featured in newspapers, commercials, and the feature film “Frathouse.” Better known as ‘Mr. SpreadLove,’ a local man of worldly talent.

Vignette: Monica Barnett

"Derby Run" by Monica Barnett, Graphite, 40x30in, 2018, $750.00

Like many artists, Monica Barnett has studied and worked in various mediums throughout her career, but sometimes it is important to get back to basics.

“Recently, I have concentrated on drawing,” explains Barnett, ”specifically in graphite. My subjects: horses. I draw with a passion I hope is shown in the forms I create.”

In the quality of the drawings we find a blend of near scientific observation – in Barnett’s detailed examination of the musculature, with an idealized, almost romantic perspective – the animals are most often captured in motion, the mane extended. It is a point-of-view not unusual for an equine artist, especially one born and bred in Kentucky.

"Lippizaner" by Monica Barnett, Graphite, 30x40in, 2018, $750.00

Barnett does not restrict her choice of subjects to the thoroughbreds that are part of the identity of the Bluegrass State, her portfolio includes horses from France, Belgium, Wales, Austria, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, Norway, and the Netherlands.

Barnett participated in the 2018 Spring Art Show at Mellwood Art and Entertainment Center in February, and the Stella de Luce Art and Wine Show in March.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Education: BA, Berea College, Kentucky, 1986
Website: monicawbarnett.wordpress.com

Scroll down for images

"French Camargue Ponies" by Monica Barnett, Graphite, 40x30in, 2018, $750.00

"Before the Race" by Monica Barnett, Graphite, 30x20in, 2018, $250.00

"Dutch Warmblood" by Monica Barnett, Graphite, 40x30in, 2018, $750.00

"Soviet Draft Horse" by Monica Barnett, Graphite, 40x30in, 2018, $750.00

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Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2018 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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