It might be surprising to hear, but there is only one company in the entire Western Hemisphere that produces glass enamel for use in jewelry, glass sculpture, and other art pieces: Thompson Enameling, Inc., located in Bellevue, Kentucky. On this episode of Mixed Media, we’ll visit Woodrow Carpenter, a fellow who has worked for Thompson Enameling for over 70 years on the factory floor, developing new types of glass enamel to meet artistic demands, and, at the same time, gathering a great collection of enamel art.

Next, we’ll meet Wayne Ferguson, a ceramic artist whose life and work recently came under the threat of what some would call a tragedy: The Louisville artist was in a car accident that left him blind in one eye. We’ll listen to Wayne’s inspiring story and learn how he has accepted these new challenges and continues to forge on with his creative work, overcoming great obstacles in the name of self-expression.

Our first musical performance features an adult alternative band of seasoned musicians who take an original approach to rock music. Drawing on a variety of influences, from rock to jazz, Louisville’s Ultratone creates a rich, layered sound with songs that span a wide stylistic range.

We’ll leave you with music from pianist Denine LeBlanc, an instructor of music at the University of Louisville and the arts and humanities teacher at Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Elementary School. She will perform two movements from Suite for Piano, composed by Richard Burchard.