Every other week, LPM brings you the newsletter Arts, Culture, Et Cetera. It’s full of arts and culture news from the region, a rundown of things to do and see, and an introduction to an artist in the community.
Here’s a snippet from this week’s newsletter:
Events, exhibitions, etc…
89.3 WFPL News Louisville · A controversial Derby tradition, burlesque & a food truck fest, here's the latest arts news
Kentucky Derby Festival's Fest-a-Ville and Chow Wagon, featuring live music and lots of food, continue through Friday.
- Dates: Through May 6. Informationhere.
Louisville-based playwrightMargaret Miller presents the world premiere of her new play "[IN] Fertility" at the Kentucky Center's The MeX. The show features music by Louisville's Heather Summers and follows Miller's struggle with infertility.
- Dates: May 12 - 14. Detailshere.
Bring your appetite to the International Food Truck Festival at Waterfront Park's Big Four Lawn. It's hosted by the Crane House, Louisville Food Trucks, Waterfront Park and All Thai'd Up.
- Date: May 14. More infohere.
The Asia Institute - Crane House presents "Finding the Inner World," a solo exhibition of work by artist Jingshuo Yang.
- Date: Now - May 20 at theCrane House.
Commonwealth Theatre Center's 2022 Young American Shakespeare Festival is this month. The lineup includes "Love's Labour's Lost," "Romeo and Juliet" and "Eurydice." Performances will be in CTC's parking lot.
- Dates: May 12 - 22. More infohere.
Louisville Improvisors present a night on improv comedy with "Until The Next Variant." Proof of vax is required.
- Date: May 13. Detailshere.
KMAC Museum's "Sandra Charles: The Reality of Our Essence" is a solo exhibition of the Louisville artist's portraiture of Black women.
- Dates: Now - Aug. 14. Detailshere.
Editor's note: Check a venue or event's COVID-19 safety and vaccination regulations before you go.
In case you missed it…
"My Old Kentucky Home," the controversial state song,will be presented at the Derby Saturday, a Churchill Downs spokesperson confirmed. The University of Louisville marching band and choir will perform it.
Benedictine has become a favorite of Derby parties. Invented around the turn of the 20th century by a Louisvillian, it’s served as a sandwich spread or a dip. Here's the backstory on the cucumber-cream-cheese concoction.
And while people fly in from all over the globe for the "most exciting two minutes in sports," many locals spend the weeks leading up to the horse race going to the 70-plus Kentucky Derby Festival events, like thePegasus Parade,Thunder Over Louisville air show and fireworks display and theGreat Balloon andSteamboat races.
- WFPL's Breya Jones, who grew up in Louisville, looked at thefestival's history and how it has evolved.
- And reporter Ryan Van Velzer takes us into the ring forOhio Valley Wrestling's return to the Kentucky Derby Festival.
The dancers of new Louisville body-positive striptease dance group Bettes Burlesque say learning the art form of burlesque has been liberating.
Meet Lupita Diaz, a freshman at Beechwood High School in Fort Mitchell who represented Kentucky last weekend in the Poetry Out Loud national semifinals. Gov. Andy Beshear presented a medal to Diaz last week during Kentucky Writers' Day at the State Capitol. The event also featured some of the state's most prolific and celebrated living poets.
A new art show at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage asked artists to create work celebrating the Black experience.
Support for the visual arts reporting that appeared in this newsletter was provided in part by the Great Meadows Foundation.
Have an arts & culture news tip you want to share? Email swolf@louisvillepublicmedia.org.