COLLIDER, South Central Regional Library’s paid artist-in-residence program, connects the public with art and the people who create it. Generous funding from Councilwoman Madonna Flood makes the COLLIDER Artist-In-Residence program possible.
Scroll down to see current and upcoming artists, or view a list of our previous COLLIDER artists.
Applications are currently closed. The next round of COLLIDER applications will open September 1, 2026.
April
Makara Thach Sernett - Fine Art Painter
Makara is a Cambodian refugee-turned-artist who weaves stories of resilience, hope, and transformation into vibrant, impressionistic paintings. She invites connection, contemplation, and a deeper appreciation for the world's beauty and messes through sharing her own personal experiences. Makara loves acrylic paints for their versatility, and combines traditional and out-of-the-box approaches to mark making with vibrant color palettes. She intends to use her art as a bridge for emotional connection and cultural learning during her workshops, and create a studio environment where patrons feel invited not just to observe, but to reflect and participate. Through open studio conversations, workshops, and demos, Makara will guide visitors in exploring their own stories, using art as a gentle process of release, rest, discovery, and healing.
Classes:
Registration is required, please email Liz.Magee@lfpl.org
May
Sarah McCartt-Jackson - Poet
Award-winning Kentucky poet, folklorist, and educator Sarah McCartt-Jackson is the author of Stonelight, Calf Canyon, Vein of Stone, and Children Born on the Wrong Side of the River. Her poetry explores the relationships between people, places, and the natural world. She received an Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowship from the Kentucky Arts Council and has earned multiple national awards, including the Weatherford Award in Poetry and the Phillip H. McMath Book Award. Sarah has also served as artist-in-residence for Great Smoky Mountains, Acadia, Catoctin Mountain, and Homestead National Parks. Through her teaching in poetry and environmental education, she aims to helps others express their connection to the living world. While in residence, Sarah will turn poetry into an accessible, living practice within the library, and invite visitors to take part in the act of making poetry. Her aim is to show that poetry belongs to everyone and connects us all.
June
Hannah Johnston - Ceramicist/Sculptor
Hannah Johnston is a Louisville-based artist whose work combines ceramics, heirloom quilt patterns, and meaningful objects handed down through generations. Inspired by the trinkets and keepsakes people save, she transforms these objects into artworks that explore memory, connection, and the enduring stories they carry. Her practice emphasizes pattern, form, and reinterpreting inherited materials into pieces that celebrate family history, sentiment, and the ways objects hold personal and collective meaning. In addition to her studio practice, she teaches ceramics throughout the community. During her residency, Hannah will offer workshops and classes that invite participants to engage with creativity and storytelling through hands-on work.
