Bridge Work Lexington

Starting November 1, 2024 we will be partnering with 2nd Story and Project Ricochet's Urban Art Collective to host Bridge Work Lexington, a 9-month program that cultivates the next steps for emerging artists to advance their professional practices. Lexington's Bridge Work artists will have an exhibition at 2nd Story that opens on November 15, and a larger group exhibition in early 2025 with the other Bridge Work artist cohorts that are hosted by Plum Blossom Initiative and Arts + Literature Laboratory.

Both the exhibitions and the residency are part of Bridge Work, a professional development program developed in 2014 by Jason Yi and Leah Kolb. Bridge Work provides vital opportunities for emerging artists to implement disciplined work habits, present their work, develop audiences, and establish networks of support and mentorship. The program actively fosters a more interconnected arts community by linking to existing Bridge Work chapters operating in Wisconsin and Michigan, and by facilitating meaningful artistic exchanges among artists and art-oriented leaders and organizations.

​Bridge Work Lexington is supported by Project Ricochet (Urban Art Collective).
The Agony and the Ecstasy  will open to the public on November 15th, with extended hours until 8:00 PM, in conjunction with the LexArts HOP. An exhibition reception will be held on December 6th, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM, including artist talks with Latonia Dishueme-Bangudi and Claire Thompson starting at 6:00 PM.
Meet Claire Thompson!

Claire Thompson is a multidisciplinary artist from Lexington, Kentucky who works primarily in oil painting and risograph printmaking. She received her BFA from the University of Kentucky in 2023. Recent solo and two person exhibitions have been presented at Bolivar Gallery; Lexington Art League; Lucille C. Little Fine Arts Library; and Visionaries + Voices in Cincinnati. She has been a part of group exhibitions through Muse Collective, The Faulkner Morgan Archive, Field Projects, Yeiser Art Center, Carbon Copy Gallery, The Print Room (Aberdeen, Scotland), The Carnegie (Cincinnati), and Golding-Yang Gallery. Her work has been written about in Undermain andLVL3, as well as being featured in soft core (edited by Rebecca Orr). Thompson is also the co-owner and co-operator of Lexington-based risograph press, Grotesk Press.
Meet Latonia Dishueme-Bangudi!
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Born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, Latonia is an artist whose creative talent flows through family heritage. Coming from a lineage of artists on her IO maternal side, she has always seen art as a natural part of her life. Initially focused on honing her drawing skills, Latonia began working with oil paints in 2012, bringing a refined sense of composition and technique from years of prior practice. Recent exhibitions of her work have been presented at the WUKY Gallery and LexArts, with forthcoming shows at the Pam Miller Downtown Art Center and 2nd Story. An active member of Project Ricochet’s Urban Art Collective, Latonia continues to expand her creative expression and presence within Lexington’s art community and beyond.