Bill Fischer Award for The Visual Arts

Public Radio

Artists Talk with LVA: April 3, 2025

Sara Olshansky is the recipient of the 2024 Bill Fischer Award and will open a solo exhibit at The Quonset Hut on April 5. She discussed all of this in the studio this week. Tune in to WXOX 97.1 FM/Artxfm.com each Thursday at 10 am to hear Artists Talk with LVA.

Sara Olshansky is a Louisville-based artist interested in exploring addition and erasure of imagery on a single picture plane to demonstrate alternatives to linear Time, primarily through landscape painting. She also freelances as a writer for regional publications and has curated exhibitions locally. She is the recipient of the 2024 Bill Fischer Award for Visual Art There will be an opening reception Saturday, April 5, from 5 - 8 pm at The Quonset Hut for From Beneath and Far Below New Paintings by Sara Olshansky.

In 2017, she attended Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona where she participated in contemporary, Spanish fine art practices and engaged with international art institutions across Europe. Olshansky is represented in several public and private collections across the United States and has exhibited regionally.

Public Radio

Artists Talk with LVA: June 27, 2024

Sara Olshansky has won the 2024 Bill Fischer Award for Visual Art and she joins us in the studio this week. Tune in to WXOX 97.1 FM/Artxfm.com each Thursday at 10 am to hear Artists Talk with LVA.

Sara Olshansky was born in Louisville, Ky in 1995. She is currently a working artist based in Louisville. She graduated from the Hite Art Institute at the University of Louisville in 2018 with a BFA in 2D Studio Art, a BA in Art History, and a minor in Spanish Language.  In 2017, she attended Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona where she participated in contemporary, Spanish fine art practices and engaged with international art institutions across Europe. Olshansky is a draughtsperson and 2D media artist. She is interested in exploring addition and erasure of imagery on a single picture plane and how this technique might mirror construction and perception of lived experience.

The Bill Fischer Award is granted by the Community Foundation of Louisville and Louisville Visual Art.

Public Radio

Artists Talk with LVA: March 28. 2024

This week we talked briefly with Gad Niyiragira from the Community Foundation of Louisville about the Bill Fischer Award for Visual Art. Deadline to apply is April 8.

Then Scott Scarboro talked about his latest project:

Scotchamo - "Station to Stereo"

Performing LIVE in the Art FM Performance Studio Friday, March 29  7pm EST 

On March 29 (Good Friday), Scarboro will perform his latest conceptual, improvisational musical/sound collage, "Station to Stereo", a 14 movement piece that draws inspiration from David Bowie's "Station to Station" song/album, the Stations of the Cross as a religion story, the magic of radio waves, and cosmic space travel.

The public is invited to experience the free performance in the Art FM studio or from the comfort of their favorite tune-in spot as the event will be LIVE BROADCASTED on WXOX 97.1 FM and streamed worldwide on www.artxfm.com

The ART FM station's performance space is located at 515 W. Breckinridge Street, Louisville, KY.  The event is Free, BYO food/drink.  Doors open at 6:30pm and the performance will start promptly at 7pm.

Public Radio

Artists Talk With LVA: June 30, 2022

Lance G. Newman II is the recipient of the 2022 Bill Fisher Prize for Visual Arts. We talked with him about the impact he expects the $7000 award will have on his practice. tune in to WXOX 97.1 FM/Artxfm.com each Thursday at 10 am to hear Artists Talk with LVA.

Lance G. Newman II, 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; just managed the annual Southern Fried Poetry Festival here in Louisville, and last night was presented with the 2022 Bill Fisher Prize for the Visual Arts by the Community Foundation of Louisville and Louisville Visual Art.

Public Radio

Artists Talk with LVA: April 21, 2022

Applications for the 2022 Bill Fisher Award in Visual Arts are now open and Simone Sibley-McBride of the Community Foundation of Louisville and Louisville Metro Public Art Administrator Jessica Kincaid talked about what make for a good submission. Tune in to WXOX 97.1 FM/Artxfm.com each Thursday at 10 am to hear Artists Talk with LVA.

Simone Sibley-McBride joined the Community Foundation of Louisville’s Mission & Impact team as the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Manager and Program Manager in December 2021. Simone is passionate about improving community and organizational equity, systems, and wellness. She supports the Foundation in implementing equitable departmental strategies around DEI, Anti-racism, grantmaking, trust-based philanthropy scholarship practices, and evaluation of organizational impact.

Jessica Bennett Kincaid has been a curator and writer based in Louisville,  Kentucky for several years, and she was recently appointed Public Art Administrator for Louisville Metro Govt. She was previously the Manager of Permanent Collections for 21c Museum and before that the coordinator of collections and exhibitions at the University of Louisville Hite Art Institute, where she also served as a lecturer in art history.  

The Bill Fischer Award for Visual Artists is a $7,000 cash prize designed to make a meaningful impact on the career of a visual artist residing in the Louisville Metro Area by providing support in the form of grants for the execution and exhibition of artwork and other efforts to foster a professional career as a visual artist. Recipients of the Fischer Award must show a commitment to experimentation and the creative use of materials and techniques, and a commitment to pursuing a career as a professional working visual artist.

Apply here: louisvillevisualart.org/fischer-award

DEADLINE: May 2, 2022, @11:59 PM (EST)