Artists Talk with LVA: January 16, 2025

Erica Chinise Wilcox. Born in 1990 in Cleveland, Ohio. She moved to Louisville, Kentucky in 2014 where she eventually found mentorship with artist Bob Lockhart.

Now she is a member of Pyro Gallery and is exhibiting with another new member, Janet Dake, in “New Beginnings”, which runs throughJan 26, 2025.

“I began my journey into pencil artwork when I was 17 years old. I didn’t use creation to escape life, but I instead used it to process and understand it. At that age, trying to understand my queerness and my place in the world as a young black woman brought on a large bought of depression.  It wasn’t until I discovered art within Spiritual Alchemy that I gained a deeper understanding of myself and artwork. Spiritual Alchemy reminds me of the workings of my mind and my artwork – I strive to understand who I am and the people around me to heal myself, thus healing the world.

With my Intuition, Meditations, and Alchemy being my main inspiration, I strive to capture the link between human and Godlike energy. My goal is to evoke deeper thinking to encourage mental, emotional, and spiritual understanding. Many people will say that I am an activist – If I am an activist, it is one for spirit and the connection with self that we desperately crave. We all need the reminder of connection with self and others; Balance is vital in this world.“

The Academy at LVA 2018 Senior Showcase: Payton Sprau

Payton Sprau was a student in the Academy at LVA for 4 years, taking Drawing 1 and 2, and Digital Art classes. She first became involved with LVA’s Children’s Fine Art Classes (CFAC) after being nominated in sixth grade.

Payton attended a small Christian based school that had no visual art curriculum, so her participation in CFAC was crucial for her. She was involved in several after-school sports: soccer, volleyball, basketball, softball, and she was in the senior production of Cinderella, but she was still motivated enough to find time for art classes. During high school, Payton was also a Senior Girl Scout and volunteer aide at the Shanituck Day Camp every summer.

"I was accepted into both Northern Kentucky University and Purdue Polytechnic. For both colleges, I’ve been offered an average of $7,000 because of my test scores and GPA, and for being a Kentucky resident."

“Because of the people I have met and learned from I can say with honesty and pride that I have become a more supportive person for younger artists to lean on and gather inspiration from. I have learned to be more accepting of everyone’s unique attributes and to acknowledge people with greater capabilities without feeling personally threatened. Wilma Bethel was an amazing teacher for the past 5 years. She made a connection with me and I learned to accept my flaws and constantly work to improve not only my art but also myself. I can say without a doubt that she has made a positive difference in my life.”

Payton's work is included in The Academy at LVA Exhibition, which will be on display May 9 - 16 at Louisville Visual Art, 1538 Lytle Street in the Portland neighborhood. Gallery Hours are Monday through Thursday, 12-4pm, or by appointment. 

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