We are thrilled to announce that five of Sixty’s talented writers are participating in a new program with the Kentucky-based arts publication, UnderMain! With the goal of creating conversations about arts and culture in the Midwest and the near South, UnderMain’s program On the Road brings five of Sixty’s writers into various areas of Kentucky to explore the visual arts and produce new writings in response.
Alexander Martin is an artist living and working in Peoria, IL. Co-Founder of Project 1612, an independent art space and short-term residency program. They make work dealing with the intersection of their queer and black identities. Follow them on Instagram: @xander9210 or Project 1612 @Project1612.
Del O’Brien is a critic and historian based in St. Louis, MO.
isra rene is a curator of care weaving webs of dreams tufted by our inherent connections of love, vulnerability, and care.
Jen Torwudzo-Stroh is an arts and culture professional and freelance writer based in Chicago, IL.
Ariel Yisrael is an Ohio-based freelance writer and poet with a mission to report the therapeutic value of the arts specifically for underrepresented members of a community. A recent graduate of Northern Kentucky University, she uses her experience in creative writing to explore topics of physical and mental health and wellness.
UnderMain is a digital magazine for coverage and conversation about arts and culture in Kentucky and the surrounding region. It provides content aimed at a wide audience interested in the arts and utilizes the full capabilities of an online platform.
Essays + Interviews
We are excited to see this new opportunity for our writers unfold! Visit UnderMain’s website to read the the authors’ writing for On the Road, a program generously supported by the Great Meadows Foundation.
Josephine Sculpture Park
by Alexander Martin
A reflection on Josephine Sculpture Park in Frankfort, KY — a magical gem full of hidden delights out in plain sight, that simply must be experienced in person.
Interview with Vian Sora
by Alexander Martin
“Born and raised in Iraq during multiple wars, Vian Sora produces paintings that highlight the impact of growing up in an environment where death and loss are everyday occurrences.”
Review: “Not a Certainty But a Circumstance” at Quappi Projects
by Alexander Martin
“The artists’ work in the exhibition is different both visually and conceptually, but the way it is presented here is seamless — a brilliant example of careful curation and artist conversation.”
Review: 2022 KMAC Triennial: Divided We Fall
by Jen Torwudzo-Stroh
“Painters, photographers, sculptors – the group of artists put together in the exhibition illustrate the broadness of the American story over the past three years.”
Interview: Guyon and Fields on the “I Was Here” Project
by Ariel Yisrael
“I Was Here is a project that hopes to mend the brokenness in our understanding of what citizenship is.”
Review: “Still, Life! Mourning, Meaning, Mending” in 21c Louisville
by Jen Torwudzo-Stroh
“Still, Life! Mourning, Meaning, Mending at 21c Museum Hotel showcased thoughtful high caliber art in an unexpected venue in an unexpected city.”
Studio Visit: Alivia Blade
by Jen Torwudzo-Stroh
“Alivia Blade is embracing softness and beauty with her art, works that speak directly to the experience of Black women.”
Review: Mabel Alfrey’s 80 Horses
by Del O’Brien
“The one painting of [Mabel] Alfrey’s on permanent display at the Kentucky Folk Art Center in Morehead (Alfrey’s lifetime home) has a mnemonic intensity special even among works of its stripe.”
Treasures from an Appalachian Collection
by Del O’Brien
“[Curator Christopher] Miller told me that Berea College, situated on eastern Kentucky’s western edge, started becoming a hub for the study and preservation of Appalachiana in the very late 19th century.”
Life and Death at UK Art Museum
by Del O’Brien
“The Life and Death of Charles Williams, a jam-packed retrospective at the University of Kentucky Art Museum, contains probably more than fifty works by the late artist.”
A Conversation with Sanford Biggers
by isra rene
Visual artist Sanford Biggers Speed Art Museum curator Scott Erbes discuss the artist’s exhibition Codeswitch.
