Artists and Afros

Public Radio

Artists Talk with LVA: October 1, 2026

Nahla Joy joined us in the studio to talk Artists & Afros. Tune in to Artists Talk with LVA each Thursday at 10 am on 97.1 FM or Artxfm.com.

Nahla Joy is an African painter whose work is rooted in memory, identity, and place. Raised in South Louisville and carrying an Arabic name, she brings a unique perspective to Kentucky’s art scene. Joy specializes in acrylic cityscapes that reimagine familiar environments through a lens of surreal optimism, using bold color and layered compositions to explore what it means to find water in a metaphorical desert. She earned her BFA in 2024 and will finish her MFA at the University of Louisville with a thesis exhibit in March 2027. During her undergraduate studies, she was honored with the Winthrop Allen Memorial Prize in Creative Art. She currently teaches for LVA’s Children’s Fine Art Classes.

The 3rd Annual Artist & Afros Art Sale will be this weekend, October 4 & 5, from 12 - 5 pm at The Norton Sports and Learning Center. Admission is free to the pubic.

2026 Artists & Afros
Nahla Joy

Public Radio

Artists Talk with LVA: September 25, 2025

Shauntrice Martin, Kenyatta Bosman and Ashya Watkins join us to discuss the upcoming Artists & Afros event. Tune in to WXOX 97.1 FM / Artxfm.com each Thursday at 10 am to hear Artists Talk with LVA.

Shauntrice Martin is a mother, abolitionist, curator, and artist. Her work includes Feed the West (she worked to give free healthy groceries to 50,000 families in less than 9 months) and Artists & Afros--Kentucky's only Black fine arts expo. Shauntrice is developing a Black arts district in the historic West End of Louisville, KY. Her archival work has been featured at the Speed Art Museum, Roots 101 African American Museum, the Kennedy Center, Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture & History, Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, and the Carnegie Cultural Arts Center.

Kenyatta Bosman (they/them) is an artist, photographer, & model. They attended the Kentucky College of Art + Design.

Ashya Watkins is an artist, painter, & muralist, and RBT Training Specialist at LittleStar ABA Therapy. She is also the Track Coach at Francis Parker School.

2025 Artists and Afros Expo
Shauntrice Martin, Kenyatta Bosman, & Ashya Watkins