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 March 1, 2026.
December
Saw Peep Pan-Asian Ensemble - Music & Asian Dance
Kentuckiana based Saw Peep Pan-Asian Ensemble performs intercultural music, dance, and puppetry from South and Southeast Asia, the Silk Road, and Central Asia. The group has been featured performers on WUOL's New Lens concert series, was awarded a Fund For the Arts Community Mini-Grant for its Hanuman Shadow Puppet performance, and has been featured as performers at Asian themed events and festivals like the Louisville Orchestra's Lunar New Year event, the Crane House's Asian Night Markets, the Louisville Filipino American Festival, and After Hours at the Speed Museum.
Saw Peep Pan-Asian Ensemble was founded and is directed by Jon Silpayamanant, an intercultural multi-instrumentalist, composer, music educator and researcher. Jon has led artist residencies and clinics throughout the states of Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio and has worked regularly with Louisville’s immigrant and refugee populations through various community organizations and other performing ensembles.
The name, Saw Peep (ซอปี๊บ), is from a type of bowed fiddle made of a large metal can in the Isan region in Northeast Thailand where artistic director, Jon Silpayamanant, was born.
Learn more at www.sawpeep.com
Classes:
Registration is required, please email Liz.Magee@lfpl.org
January
JoAnna Lewis - Fashion Designer
With 14 years of fashion industry experience and a degree in Fashion Merchandising & Event Coordination, JoAnna is driven by her passion for design, community, and art. She believes clothing has the power to transform not just our style, but our mindset, and is dedicated to empowering individuals—especially youth—so that they may see their beauty, worth, and individuality. Through her COLLIDER residency workshops, JoAnna aims to help individuals unleash their creativity and confidence, all while creating and having fun!
Classes:
Registration is required, please email Liz.Magee@lfpl.org
February
Andrea Moran - Soapmaker
Andrea Moran is the owner and creator of Fraziertown Artisan Soaps, a culturally inspired soap brand she founded in 2021. From bourbon and wine infusions to botanicals and enticing scent profiles, each soap is a celebration of Kentucky heritage and artisanal excellence. In April 2024, she also became Executive Director of the MELANnaire Achievement Center, where she leads transformative programming and entrepreneurial training experiences designed to empower emerging Black business leaders. Whether crafting soap bouquets, supporting positive corporate experiences, or curating community-centered initiatives, Andrea’s journey reflects a deep commitment to cultural celebration, business innovation, and legacy-driven leadership. Her intent with her COLLIDER workshops is to help patrons explore the history, chemistry, and fundamentals of soap making so that they may, in turn, produce this art form for themselves and/or support other handmade soap makers.
Classes:
Registration is required, please email Liz.Magee@lfpl.org
March
Heba Hanbali - Fiber Artist
Fiber artist and owner of Don't Call Me Heather, LLC, Heba Hanbali is a Queer Muslim Palestinian American woman living with chronic illnesses and disabilities. She created DCMH as a way to foster community online and in-person, especially for those who have ever felt "othered." Her art is primarily in the form of micro-crochet, crochet, embroidery, bead art, and up-cycling. She makes everything from accessories to garments, and bags to wall art. Her micro-crochet earrings and necklaces are a hit with makers and fiber enthusiasts alike, and her embroidery and bead art is heavily inspired by Tatreez (تطريز) traditional Palestinian embroidery. Her art is her way of embracing her heritage and keeping the dying art of Tatreez alive. Heba hopes to pass along her skills and heritage to patrons during her workshops, and get them to try something new and fun.
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.
May
Sarah McCart-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.
