Silas House is one of Kentucky’s best-known writers and the author of The Hurting Part, an emotional play centered on visions of the past and a longing for home. In December 2005, Mixed Media’s cameras were on hand as the work was staged at the University of Kentucky’s Guignol Theatre. Our profile follows the development of the production from short story to stage debut.

Next, we visit Helen LaFrance Orr, a self-taught painter who transforms her memories of growing up in rural Kentucky into inspired scenes from our agricultural past. LaFrance shares some of her memories as her vivid canvases transport us back in time.

Finally, Louisville native Ed Hamilton demonstrates the process he used to create a statue of former pro football star Lenny Lyles that now stands at the University of Louisville. Other historical figures memorialized by this internationally acclaimed artist have included Booker T. Washington, Whitney M. Young, and Medger Evers.

In between the artist profiles, the Rock Garden String Band performs its distinctive mix of Delta blues, mountain music, bluegrass, and folk. The program ends with a bit of jazz from a University of Louisville ensemble made up of Russian exchange students.