With a new school year upon us we're revisiting a conversation Tom Musgrave recently had with Austin Vahle, the Arts Magnet Coordinator & Curriculum Coach for the Visual and Performing Arts Academy at Harrison Elementary. It's a dynamic, lottery-based magnet school where creativity, collaboration, and academic excellence thrive. VPAA offers a full spectrum of arts programming, including band, dance, music, orchestra, theatre as well as digital art forms.

The Lexington Art League's annual Woodland Art Fair is one of Central Kentucky's largest free cultural events; with food and drink, musical performances throughout the weekend, and nearly 200 of the nation's finest artists. This year's event, August 15 &16, marks the fair's 50th anniversary. Tom Musgrave gets a preview from LAL assistant director Faville Donahue.

This week on WUKY's Open Studio Tom talks with Soreyda Begley, the new president of Casa De La Cultura Kentucky. The local arts group helps U.S. born Hispanic and Latino children connect with their ancestry and culture through workshops, dance performances and other community-wide events. Begley says priority 1 and 1a includes finding a permanent headquarters for the organization.

This week on WUKY's Open Studio, Tom welcomes in Lexington native and newly minted Pulitzer prize winning feature photographer Jahi Chikwendiu. He talks about his early days at the Herald Leader and his now 25 year career at the Washington Post. Jahi was named winner of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize in Feature Photography for a powerful series of images he made for the Post last year.

GreenRoom Exchange creates international cross-cultural experiences, bringing artists and musicians from other countries to work with local artists, expanding our understanding of their cultures, enriching our community. Co-founder Lee Carroll joins Tom to talk about the program’s upcoming event 'Windows to the World' featuring Zach Brock and Vishnu R from India on July 26 at the Apiary.

This week on Open Studio WUKY membership and marketing director, Robert Hansel joins Tom to talk about the mission behind the WUKY Gallery; including how the station goes about recruiting local artists for the space.

Tom's guests this week are Lucy Jones, founder of the Harry Dean Stanton Fest, which is July 10th through 12th in Lexington, and multiple award-winning actress, Sean Young, joining in over Zoom, who is part of the roster of guests coming to town to celebrate Kentucky native and acclaimed actor Harry Dean Stanton.

When the Lexington Philharmonic takes the stage next Friday for its annual patriotic concert celebrating Independence Day, it will be opening its 65th season here in central Kentucky. Tom Musgrave welcomes newly re-signed music director and conductor, Melisse Brunet, and executive director, Brooke Raby, for a preview of coming attractions.

Rachel Shane, department chair and professor of arts administration in the UK College of Fine Arts, has received the 2026 William B. Sturgill Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to graduate education at the University of Kentucky. She talks about the various programs on offer with host Tom Musgrave.

A Lexington musical tradition is opening one week from tonight. Produced by University of Kentucky Opera Theater, It's a Grand Night for Singing is Kentucky's longest running Broadway review. And it's running from next Friday June 12th through Sunday June 21st at the Singletary Center for the Arts on UK's campus. Tom Musgrave talks with Dr. Tedrin Blair-Lindsay, a member of the UK Opera Theater faculty and associate music director for Grand Night.