Exhibition Reception + 2 Artist Talks

Join us for an exhibition reception to celebrate The Agony and the Ecstasy, showcasing new work by Claire Thompson and Latonia Dishueme-Bangudi.

Both Latonia and Claire will give an informal artist talk, beginning at 6:00 PM. A celebratory reception will follow their talks.

This exhibition is part of Bridge Work Lexington, a professional development program for emerging artists. Bridge Work is a partnership between 2nd Story, the Lexington Art League, and Project Ricochet’s Urban Art Collective.

Bridge Work Lexington is supported by Project Ricochet (Urban Art Collective).

About the Artists

Born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, Latonia Dishueme-Bangudi is an artist whose creative talent flows through family heritage. Coming from a lineage of artists on her maternal side, she has always seen art as a natural part of her life. Initially focused on honing her drawing skills, Latonia began working with oil paints in 2012, bringing a refined sense of composition and technique from years of prior practice. Recent exhibitions of her work have been presented at the WUKY Gallery and LexArts, with forthcoming shows at the Pam Miller Downtown Art Center and 2nd Story. An active member of Project Ricochet’s Urban Art Collective, Latonia continues to expand her creative expression and presence within Lexington’s art community and beyond.

Claire Thompson is a multidisciplinary artist from Lexington, KY who works primarily in oil painting and risograph printmaking. She received her BFA from the University of Kentucky in 2023 with her solo exhibition EVERYONE LOVES YOU VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY MUCH at the Bolivar Gallery. Other recent solo and two person exhibitions include EVERYTHING YOU’VE EVER DREAMED OF AND MORE at the Lexington Art League; Beautifully Grotesk, a book arts exhibition at the Lucille C. Little Fine Arts Library; and ICON: Queer Worship of Celebrity at Visionaries + Voices in Cincinnati. She has been a part of group exhibitions through Muse Collective, The Faulkner Morgan Archive, Field Projects, Yeiser Art Center, Carbon Copy Gallery, The Print Room (Aberdeen, Scotland), The Carnegie (Cincinnati), and Golding-Yang Gallery. Her work has been written about in Undermain and LVL3, as well as being featured in soft core (edited by Rebecca Orr). She is also the co-owner and co-operator of Lexington-based risograph press, Grotesk Press.