It’s time for Arts, Culture, Et Cetera, where LPM’s Giselle Rhoden shares what’s new in arts and culture. Giselle talked with LPM Classical’s Daniel Gilliam about the latest in and around LPM.
This interview was edited for clarity and length.
Daniel Gilliam: Before we get into all the holiday themed events around town, give us a roundup of your recent reporting. Fill us in.
Giselle Rhoden: First, I have to start with Michelle Tyrene Johnson. She spoke with the organizer of the Bright Bees Project. It’s really cute. It’s about a group of fifth graders from Bowen Elementary School, and they started a project to equip first responders with stuffed animals for kids in crisis. It’s a really sweet story, if you get the chance to listen to it. Also, the Portland Library has reopened, and it’s after its largest renovation project in nearly a century. They have new technology, more accessibility. They have thousands of new books and movies. And I got to visit the library branch on a very snowy opening day, which was super exciting for the neighborhood. Finally, there’s a new newsroom in town. They’re not here to take our jobs, but all of their editors and reporters are Kentuckiana high school students. It’s called the Arts Angle Vantage Newsroom, and they’re accepting applications for young writers to learn what it takes to be a journalist in the Louisville arts scene.
DG: So what have our music stations been up to? Specifically, WFPK.
GR: WFPK’s Kyle Meredith, on his latest podcast episode, He spoke to actors Michaela Jaé Rodriguez and Ron Funches on their return for season three of “Loot.” It’s a comedy sitcom starring Maya Rudolph, and she plays a divorcee who’s re-engaging with her charitable foundation. Also Alexis Marsh from the band Dyan and her friend and cellist Ben Sollee stopped by the WFPK studio last week. WFPK host Laura Shine spoke to Marsh about the band’s latest album called “Midwest.” And March also performed the holiday single, “Holiday for a baby born peacefully,” live in the studio.
Daniel, you’ve been doing a lot as well. You spoke to the 2026 Grawmeyer award winner in music composition. Tell me more.
DG: So last week that was announced. Liza Lim is an Australian composer, and she won for a cello concerto that she wrote for Nicholas Alstaedt, and she drew on a few things for inspiration. One of them was actually Alstaedt’s playing. She thought it was so beautiful, and was really inspired by just the sound of his cello playing. And another thing that inspired her was this idea of repairs, of sutures and of mending objects. There’s this Japanese concept of kintsugi, where you have a broken bowl, you would fix it with gold leaf. So instead of hiding the cracks, you’re actually accentuating the cracks and making them really a part of the beauty of the object. So her concerto was the winner for the 2026 Grawmeyer Award in Music Composition. It’s one of the largest prizes in music composition. And then she’ll be here in April of next year to talk about her work at the University of Louisville.
GR: That’s a really unique concept, to take something like sutures and make it into a concerto like that. That’s really incredible.
DG: Let’s not forget, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. What’s going on holiday-wise?
GR: Oh, absolutely. So Louisville bookstore and cafe Nook and Nowhere is getting into the holiday spirit. I heard Santa is coming to town for a children’s storytime. That’s going to be on Sunday, Dec. 14, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. And for our folks that are celebrating Hanukkah, we have Rabbi Ben Freed, who will be reading “Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins” at Nook and Nowhere. It’s a children’s book that follows the adventure of Herschel to defeat the goblins and save Hanukkah. That’s going to be on Sunday, Dec. 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 1. And also All Together Now Louisville is making it really easy to shop local for the holidays. They’ve got the 2025 Winter Market, which will be at FOKO and will feature local, Black-owned vendors, a storytime for kids and a food drive in support of Change Today, Change Tomorrow. That’ll be on Sunday, Dec. 14, from 4 to 8 p.m.
DG: Well, happy holidays, Giselle.
GR: Happy holidays to you, Daniel.