Kevin Nance is a writer and photographer in Lexington. His books include EVEN IF and MIDNIGHT, both collections of photographs and haiku; GENEVA’S GARDEN: FOUR SEASONS OF BEAUTY IN LEXINGTON’S GRATZ PARK, a book of photographs; and most recently SMOKE, a poetry collection just out from Accents Publishing,

As an arts journalist, Kevin writes for Lexington’s online arts magazine Undermain and has also written for the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Poets & Writers Magazine and other publications.

​As a photographer, Kevin’s work has been exhibited widely and will be represented in the upcoming Lexington Camera Club show, opening at the Gray Design Building on Sept. 8 through Oct. 17.

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

Seth Tusker, son of the late artist and educator John Regis Tusker, joins Kate to recount the creation and evolution of the Mythos Experience—an immersive, reflective art encounter originally inspired by his father’s work. Seth shares the story of how the program moved from its first pop-up in a church sanctuary to being embraced by Lexington’s schools, and how the experience centers on guided journaling, self-discovery, and connecting deeply with art through touch and personal reflection. He discusses recent collaborations with Fayette County Public Schools and Dunbar High School, where students created poignant, collage-based responses to Tusker’s art, culminating in a mobile exhibition designed to inspire self-examination and empathy in viewers of all ages. The conversation also highlights Seth’s Operation Lion Drop, a global initiative delivering creative, hope-filled toolkits to children in crisis, connecting Tusker’s message of empowerment and introspection to new generations and communities.

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

Celeste Lewis, longtime manager of the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center (PMDAC), joins host Kate Savage to reflect on more than a decade of transformation at this Lexington cultural hub. Celeste traces the building’s evolution from a retail block to a multi-use arts center, noting key milestones like the closure of beloved venues Alfalfa’s and Ann Tower Gallery, changes in gallery spaces, and how the center navigated challenges—including revitalizing underutilized floors through crucial ARPA funding. She details the diversity and purpose of PMDAC’s three galleries, the explosion of community engagement in the newly renovated event and rehearsal spaces, and the joys and logistics of programming for both Moondance Amphitheater and the upcoming Phoenix Park amphitheater. Along the way, Celeste and Kate touch on the vital role the arts play in community vitality and share how Lexington’s collaborative spirit keeps the arts scene both accessible and ever-evolving.

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Michael Morris is a photographer and designer living in Louisville, KY and working in marketing.
​He is a self-described introvert who is much more comfortable writing to people than talking to them, who uses photograph and exploration as a way to force himself to try and connect more with the world.
He began exploring Kentucky in late 2011 with an old Hasselblad camera, some black and white film and a thermos full of coffee, looking for anything interesting to put before the lense. Since then he has traveled well over 250,000 miles around the state and "wasted more film" than he cares to remember.
His exhibition of 50 photographs titled HALLELUJAH ANYWAY - A PORTRAIT OF KENTUCKY will open at the Kentucky Folk Art Center in Morehead on 1st August and run til 1st December 2025. www.michaelmorrisimages.com

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

Sarah Porter, Music Program Specialist at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, and Becky Soules, Director of Collections and Education, join host Kate Savage to explore the profound influence of music and craft in Shaker life. Sarah delves into the unique, unifying role of Shaker music—sung daily in a cappella unison, often accompanied by dance, and integral to both worship and work—sharing insights on its history, regional influences, and its modern-day revival through daily programs. Becky expands on the Shakers’ celebrated craft traditions, from broom making and chair caning to textiles and kitchen wares, highlighting the Village’s rotating workshops, hands-on visitor opportunities, and the enduring spirit of self-sufficiency. Together, they reflect on the ongoing relevance of Shaker values—simplicity, unity, and creative expression—inviting listeners to experience the tranquility, legacy, and living heritage of Shaker Village today.

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

Noa Gimelli, expert in female economic participation and chair of the Fund for Greater Lexington, joins host Kate Savage to discuss the ambitious vision behind incubating transformational projects for Lexington—including a proposed Visual and Performing Arts Center downtown. Noa explains how the Fund’s advisory group mapped local needs into five pillars—arts and culture, youth, green spaces, housing, and transportation—leveraging community data and qualitative research to identify high-impact opportunities. Together, Kate and Noa dive into the phased research and feasibility process behind the new arts center, why Lexington urgently needs a mid-sized performance venue, and how similar cultural investments have revitalized cities like Durham. They discuss the challenges and promise of building creative infrastructure, the economic and social ripple effects of robust arts investment, and what’s next as the project prepares to move from incubation into an independent organization, calling on the community to get involved and help shape Lexington’s cultural future.

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Drew Barr has directed productions of new, modern, and classical plays and musicals for theaters across the United States and around the world. He directed the Dutch-language premiere of the National Theatre of London’s War Horse, which opened at Amsterdam’s Royal Carré Theatre before a year-long tour of the Netherlands and Belgium. For the National Theatre, he also directed the Australian premiere of War Horse, which ran in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. He was the Resident Director for War Horse on Broadway at Lincoln Center Theater. Also on Broadway, Drew served as associate director for Nicholas Hytner’s productions of Sweet Smell of Success, starring John Lithgow, Kelli O’Hara and Brian D’Arcy James and Twelfth Night, starring Helen Hunt, Paul Rudd and Kyra Sedgwick, as well as for Simon McBurney’s acclaimed revival of All My Sons by Arthur Miller, starring John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest, Patrick Wilson and Katie Holmes. Drew was associate director and dramaturg for Simon McBurney’s production of The Kid Stays in the Picture at the Royal Court Theatre in London.

Drew has directed and guest taught for many of the country’s leading actor training programs, including the Juilliard School, NYU’s Graduate Acting Program, USC’s School of Dramatic Arts, SUNY Purchase, the University of Delaware’s PTTP, the University of Washington’s School of Drama and the Department of Dramatic Art at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He is on the acting faculty of AMDA College of the Performing Arts in Los Angeles.

As an actor, Drew appeared on Broadway in Wendy Wasserstein’s An American Daughter. He was a founding member of East Coast Artists, a performance collective under the leadership of Richard Schechner, with whom Drew devised and performed in Faust/gastronome, The Three Sisters and Amerika. He toured the country as a member of Maurice Sendak’s national children’s theater, The Night Kitchen, playing the role of Alligator in the Sendak/Carol King musical, Really Rosie.

Drew moved to Lexington with his filmmaker husband, Tim Kirkman, in June of 2024

Drew is directing ANGELS IN AMERICA, a play written by Tony Kushner debuted in 1991, that will be presented by ACT OUT THEATRE GROUP and open at the Black Box Theatre in the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center on 6th June and play the 7th, 13th, 14th and 15th June.
A complex and at times metaphorical examination of AIDS and its social impact - this play, that won 3 Tony Awards and a Pulitzer, has been called "a turning point in the history of gay drama."

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Lina Tharsing and Liz Swanson, Lexington-based artists featured in the Lexington Art League’s “Axis Mundi” exhibition, join Kate to discuss the deep thematic roots and personal resonances behind their work. Liz reflects on her fascination with the ethereal—clouds painted atop near-forgotten architectural renderings, exploring temporality, memory, and the shifting value of creative artifacts. Lyna shares how profound loss and dreams of her late parents led her to paint luminous landscapes and “portals,” searching for thin places where the boundaries between worlds feel especially permeable. Together, they contemplate ideas of grief, gratitude, connection, and the vital need for meaningful community gatherings—moments that, both in their work and in the energetic exhibition opening, transcend the everyday and invite viewers into a richer, more tender understanding of life and art.

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