Lexington, KY - Want to sink your hands into some clay and have a real art experience? Art After Hours, a program started by Shayna Shia, from the Headley-Whitney Museum and Rasheeda El-Amin, with the Lyric Theatre, will offer you an opportunity to do just that Wednesday, May 16from 6 to 8PM at the Tuska House located at 147 Old Park Avenue where Brandi West of Kentucky Mudworks will be directing a clay workshop and participants will also get to work on a community mural that will be gifted to Lexington Mayor Jim Gray upon its completion.
It is easy to find yourself hurriedly passing the same interesting arts locations each day and never taking the time to stop in and enjoy the experience. This new program endeavors to remedy that. “Art After Hours was created to offer graduating college students, young professionals and the young at heart an opportunity to explore the Lexington art scene free of charge. We wanted to create the chance for people to visit organizations they may have heard of but had never taken the time to visit before. We always have a fun, interactive activity at each event. We want them to experience the fun of art at any age,” explains El-Amin. Shia adds,”We wanted to create a networking opportunity and to bring awareness about all our local arts venues and organizations. Our hope is that participants will return to the arts places they loved and offer support by buying a membership or volunteering or perhaps interning.”
Art After Hours events happen every third Wednesday of the month while school is in session, September through April with the exception of December when there is no event due to the holiday break.
The Tuska House and Kentucky Mudworks event is the final one for this year but the duo hope to be funded to continue the program next year, beginning again in the spring. There are plans to bring Art After Hours events to the Carnegie Center next year and also to the UK Art Museum among other venues.
For the May 16th event, the Tuska art collection will be on display and attendees will have the opportunity to learn about John Regis Tuska’s work and the Tuska Foundation, to tour his home that is now a museum and to learn of his legacy as an internationally renowned artist and arts educator who made Lexington his home before his death in 1998.
Food and a cash bar will be provided by Seasons Catering and Music will be provided by Tim Fowler. The program is free and open to the public.
See the website for the Headley-Whitney Museum at www.headley-whitney.org or the Lyric Theater at lexingtonlyric.com or see the Facebook page for Art After Hours-Lex for more information or to RSVP. Information on the Tuska House can be found at tuskastudio.com. Information for Kentucky Mudworks can be found at kentuckymudworks.com