Fund for the Arts President & CEO, Andre Stone Kimo Guess
The Fund for the Arts is a vital asset for the arts in Louisville. Its goal is to provide arts access and education, and foster diversity, as well as promote the city as a nationally recognized epicenter of the arts. During a roller coaster of a year — the arts and the community overall are just now starting to rebound from the challenges of the pandemic — Christen Boone, who has navigated the Fund for the past seven years, announced her resignation.
After a national search for a new President and CEO, the Fund for the Arts’ next chapter will be led by one of Louisville’s own, Andre Kimo Stone Guess. With an extensive background in arts and entertainment world from consulting to management, he is ready to roll up his sleeves and get to work on many important issues around our community.
On Tuesday, June 30, Guess was publicly introduced at the Fund for the Arts Summer Arts Kick-off that was attended by Mayor Greg Fischer, this year’s Campaign Chairperson, and Brown-Forman Chairman, Campbell Brown, Board Chairman and CEO of Stock Yards Bank, James ‘Ja’ Hillebrand, and outgoing President & CEO for the Fund, Christen Boone.
Audience publisher, G. Douglas Dreisbach, caught up with Guess to learn more about his background, his interest in the arts and the community, and what he is excited about for the future of the Fund for the Arts.
The mission of the Louisville Balletis to make moving art that inspires connection, conversation, and a profound sense of community by striving for bold collaborations and nurturing the next generation of artists, celebrating diversity and creating access for all. This has been a year to really push those boundaries and reconfigure the way the ballet achieves some of these goals.
Audience publisher, G. Douglas Dreisbach, caught up with Louisville Ballet Artistic Director, Robert Curran, who has led the company through a re-imagined Season of Illumination to bring the community in Louisville and beyond the magic of the ballet.
For millions of Americans, the holiday season isn’t complete without a trip to the theatre to watch The Nutcracker,choreographed by Val Caniparoli. But in 2020, safety supersedes tradition, leaving venues around the country dark for the foreseeable future.
Such is the case for The Kentucky Center, where the Louisville Ballet performs this holiday classic. This June, the company announced the 2020-21 Season of Illumination will be all-digital and include a new ballet art film production entitled Kentucky! Volume 1and the Brown-Forman Nutcracker, with more productions to be announced later.
While many regard the pivot as bittersweet, artistic director Robert Curran says it was an unexpectedly easy decision, and one that has brought a renewed sense of excitement to the company.
Louisville is known for its culinary scene, nightlife, entertainment, and of course, the performing arts. We also have an abundance of talented musicians, ranging from orchestra performers to vocalists and everything in between.
One of the most notable bands to originate here is My Morning Jacket, featuring Louisville native Jim James, who has led the band since its inception in 1988. The latest Louisvillian to make worldwide waves is hip-hop all-star Jack Harlow, who has had success with his catchy lyrics and smooth rhythm and rhymes. His current hit, “What’s Poppin,” features several Louisville references, including Vincenzo’s restaurant and the University of Louisville basketball team.
One musician familiar with the spotlight and entertaining crowds large and small is local jazz, R&B and rock powerhouse singer/songwriter Carly Johnson. Having performed with artists such as Norah Jones, Bonnie Prince Billy, Houndmouth, and My Morning Jacket, as well as playing in a jazz guitar duo with critically acclaimed local musician, Craig Wagner, she has become a well-known and respected name in the Louisville music scene.
Her latest masterpiece is a song she wrote for a dear friend who courageously fought lung cancer with the power of positivity, and was an inspiration to everyone around her.
The song is titled Burn Your Fears and is accompanied by a video that was filmed at Whitney Hall at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts in partnership with the Louisville Ballet and Kentucky Performing Arts.
When it comes to creativity, Louisville certainly is at the top of its game. Once again, the creative minds of musicians around the city have collaborated to create an uplifting video that features lyrics and landmarks from around Louisville.
The song and musicians were organized by Louisville Orchestra Music Director Teddy Abrams. It features two dozen artists from different backgrounds from bluegrass to rock. Included in the long list of contributors are Jim James and Patrick Hallahan of My Morning Jacket, singer/songwriter Will Oldham, cellist/composer Ben Sollee, Scott Carney of Wax Fang, percussionist Dani Markham, hip hop star Jecorey Arthur, gospel singer Jason Clayborn, singer Carly Johnson and others from Louisville’s music scene.
The Louisville Ballet was founded in March 1952 and is now recognized as one of the most highly-regarded regional ballet companies in the country.
As the official state ballet of Kentucky, it has hosted some of ballet’s biggest names, including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Twyla Tharp and Wendy Whelan, performed for over tens of thousands of people, and reached more than 20,000 school-age children through its educational programming.
Audience Publisher, Douglas Dreisbach, caught up with Artistic Director, Robert Curran, about how the team at the ballet is coping with the current crisis and what we can expect in the company’s 2020-21 season. This interview was also featured in the April edition of Audience Magazine.
