This edition begins at the Leeds Center for the Arts in Winchester. A former movie theater built in 1925, the center became a regional performance and resource center for the visual and performing arts in the late 1980s. In the spring of 2005, Mixed Media visited the Leeds to get a backstage look at preparations for The History of Winchester in Song and Story, a revue featuring local celebrities and citizens highlighting the Clark County area’s vibrant living history.

Next up is a profile of self-taught visual artist Victor Sweatt. His work captures thought-provoking, emotional moments in time, dramatically portraying human interactions and surroundings while exploring the tremendous versatility of pastel, watercolor, and charcoal. This realist artist finds inspiration in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. “I want to create art that is not only beautiful, but insightful, educational, and inspiring as well,” he says.

Finally, we visit the workshop of woodcarver Ron Thomas, an artist who has worked in a wide variety of media over the years but has concentrated on wood turning for more than a decade.

Musical performances from Big Diggity and BALADNA round out the show. The members of Big Diggity describe their sound as a combination of neo-soul and hip-hop, while Louisville’s BALADNA performs a variety of Arabic music.