Artists Talk with LVA: December 18, 2025

This week Vian Sora joined us to discuss Vian Sora: Outerworlds which is now on exhibit at The Speed Museum. Tune in to WXOX 97.1 FM/Artxfm.com each Thursday at 10 am to hear Artists Talk with LVA.

Vian Sora: Outerworlds is part of Current Speed, a series of contemporary art exhibitions that introduce the Kentuckiana community to new and emerging artists as well as celebrated mid-career artists previously underrecognized in the region. Current Speed exhibitions are open to the public and included with general museum admission. The series is initiated and organized by Tyler Blackwell, Curator of Contemporary Art at the Speed Art Museum.

Born in Baghdad, Iraq, and now based in Louisville, artist Vian Sora (b. 1976) creates dazzlingly layered abstractions that channel the turbulence of history, memory, and the natural world. Outerworlds—her first solo museum exhibition in the United States—assembles major works from the past ten years, charting her transformation into one of today’s most distinctive voices in painting.

Sora’s practice emerges directly from lived experience. Having grown up amid the Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf War, and the U.S. invasion of Iraq, she witnessed the devastation of her homeland firsthand. Forced to leave Iraq, she eventually resettled in Louisville, Kentucky, where her practice has flourished.

Artists Talk with LVA: December 11, 2025

Artist Cletus Wilcox joins us in the studio this week. Tune into Artists Talk with LVA on WXOX 97.1 FM/Artxfm.com each Thursday at 10 AM.

J. Cletus Wilcox hails from Louisville, Kentucky. His work is deeply intertwined with his identity and experiences, particularly his Queerness. Wilcox’s studio practice aligns with harmonious intention. He believes that art aims to represent inward significance rather than mere outward appearance. His work emerges from explorations, experiences, and identity. Remembering that artworks originate in studios and reflect an artist’s journey enhances our understanding of what we see. Wilcox’s inhibited youth and subsequent coming out fueled his current artistic endeavors. Accumulative shame transformed into sincere efforts to enlighten his essential self.

Wilcox’s most recent exhibition, ‘To Myself, Ten Years Ago’ closed at Kore Gallery November 30, 2025.

Artists Talk with LVA: December 4, 2025

Painter Valtcho Tonov and new Kentucky Opera CEO Ben Robinson discuss the production of All is Calm and Valtcho’s exhibit there on Artists Talk with LVA. Tune in each Thursday at WXOX 97.1 FM/Artxfm.com at 10 a.m.

Valtcho Tonov is a mostly self-taught artist born in Bulgaria in 1972. From an early age he was interested in drawing but began to take art seriously at the age of sixteen when his family relocated to Plovdiv.

After moving to the United States in 2001, he soon settled in Louisville, Kentucky. Valtcho has continued his studies under the tutelage of renowned artists such as John Michael Carter, Phil Starke and others. 

Kentucky Opera has appointed Ben Robinson as its new General Director and CEO. An accomplished singer, stage director, and arts executive, Robinson brings creative vision, operational expertise, and a deep commitment to opera as a community-building force. 

For Robinson, the appointment is also a homecoming. He began his professional career as a Kentucky Opera Studio Artist, performing on the stage he will now lead. His mother is from Kentucky, and extended family live throughout the region.Robinson and his husband, bass-baritone Michael Scarcelle, are relocating to Louisville.

Robinson's leadership has emphasized opera's role in fostering community dialogue. At Anchorage Opera, he created a popular concert conversation series that brought together diverse community voices to explore social issues through music. His commitment to building meaningful community collaborations aligns closely with Kentucky Opera's mission, particularly its Awakenings series, which uses opera to bridge divides and spark conversation across the region.

Artists Talk with LVA: November 20, 2025

Jessie, Irene, & Amber

Irene Mudd, Jessie White, & Amber Estes Theinemann discuss their exhibit at ArtPortal, Solastagia, on Artists Talk with LVA which airs live each Thursday on WXOX 97.1 FM at 10 am.

Amber Estes Theineman is a visual artist and one-half of the musical duo Fool’s Ghost.

Irene Mudd is a multi-media artist and illustrator who lives and works in her hometown of Louisville, KY. Mudd earned her BFA in Painting and Fiber Art from the Hite Art Institute in 2017. In 2018, Mudd self-published her hand-collaged tarot deck, The Guided Hand Tarot and currently sells her deck and illustration work on her artist shop website, Guided Hand Studio.

Jessie White is a visionary artist and earth apprentice. Coined by philosopher Glenn Albrecht, the word solastalgia refers to the sense of grief and existential distress felt when bearing witness to rapid, destructive changes to one’s home environment.

Artists Talk with LVA: November 13, 2025

Julia, hector, & Aberlyn

Aberlyn, Julia Coash, & hector urdaneta are all participating in Open Studio Weekend this year and will be in the studio this Thursday to discuss it. Tune in to WXOX 97.1 FM / Artxfm.com each Thursday at 10 am to hear Artists Talk with LVA

The 2025 Open Studio Weekend takes place November 15 & 16 from 12 - 5 pm. These 3 particpating artists will be found at the following locations: Aberlyn at The LVA Studios at 1538 Lytle Street, Julia Coash at Acme Artworks, 953 S. Clay St., and hector urdaneta at 621 S. 41st St.

The 2025 Open Studio Weekend takes place November 15 & 16 from 12 - 5 pm.

The Open Studio Calendar for 2025:

Open Studio Exhibit Opening at Cressman Center, Friday, Nov. 14th, 5 - 7 pm.

Open Studio Weekend Sat. Nov. 15 & Sun. Nov. 16, from 12 - 5 pm