PERSPECTIVES: Artist Talks with Lavender Studios

Lavender Studios KC
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Performing Arts

Each week we host a visual artist or creator and a musical guest to share their experience in the arts and to showcase their work. In this podcast you can listen to that conversation as well as the musical performances that were held in Kansas City’s favorite DIY Art and Music Venue held in a living room!

  1. 1d ago

    Shyla Craig

    Meet watercolor artist and pet portrait enthusiast Shyla Craig. We ran into Shyla at Kansas City's Folk Fest earlier this year and she had a booth set up to showcase her pet portraits and as the art and pet lovers that we are we had to inquire about her passion. We are so glad we did. What an amazing dedication to their craft in a medium that brings in color and story to represent emotion and personal connection to our furry family. If you would like a beautiful and personalized pet portrait you can reach out to Shyla via Instagram or email at the links below. She said you can just send a picture and a notable memory about your pet. There is a small deposit to get the ball rolling but then you can have your painting in just a few short weeks. Just in time for the holidays! Huge thank you to Shyla for making the trek up to Kansas City from St. Louis to share her passion and her love for making lasting memories for you and your family. Shyla's Watercolors IGOrder Here

  2. 5d ago

    Sherry Whetstone

    Meet textile artist and educator Sherry Whetstone. Sherry stopped by the studio to share her story and her passion for sewing, thrift stores and repurposing odds and ends. Sherry found art later in life and has fallen in love with showing others how capable they are at creating personal pieces of art and building confidence in their skill sets as artists. You can find Sherry's Kawandi quilts and other designs and take one of her classes at the Bluebird Studio and InterUrban Arthouse in Overland Park. While you are there, drink some of her famous tea and share your story! Sherry's Instagram Click here

  3. Oct 27

    Abby Bland

    Meet poet, comic and storyteller Abby Bland. We met Abby at a house party open mic a few years back and again at a Fringe Fest preview event showcasing their upcoming project, American Raccoon. We absolutely were floored with their writing style and the poetic delivery. Smart, sarcastic, dry yet witty, and with a depth of a life lived with pain and beauty. We can't wait to see what they have in store for us in the near future! From the artist, Abby Bland (she/they) is an award-winning Kansas City writer and performer. In 2023 she was voted “Best Poet and Spoken Word Artist in Kansas City” via The Pitch readers. Her work has appeared in Gyroscope Review, Ghost City Review, and numerous other publications. She was recently awarded the Central Avenue 2024 Poetry Prize. Her one-person spoken word show Godzilla’s Not A Dinosaur took home “Best of Venue” at the 2023 KC Fringe. Her work blends comedy and spoken word poetry to explore mental health, navigating “adulting,” and the absurdity of the human experience. She hopes that by sharing her story she empowers others to live theirs with more joy. Abby's Website Click here

  4. Oct 24

    WHATEVERAMOON

    The alternative pop/rock duo WHATEVERAMOON stopped by the studio to share their story and new songs for their upcoming album coming out in January of '27. Catie and CJ recently quit their retail jobs, moved out of their apartment and got into an RV to live, travel and record their music in. Originally from Wichita they now call Kansas City home and we couldn't be happier. Check out their music at the links below and catch them at their next show on Nov 5 at the Rino. whateveramoon's website Click here whateveramoon's YouTube channel Click here

  5. Oct 21

    The Witchworks KC

    Our witchy friends Linda and Adalena from The Witchworks KC stopped by the studio to share the meaning behind some of their rituals, potions, and spells and to dispel historic witchcraft rumors and heresy. Linda works in healthcare and is able to see restoration through nature and spellcrafting while Adalena works with tarot and earthly elements to seek answers and meaning. You can visit their online store to book a tarot reading for you or a group and try some of their famous Florida water or boundary and protection salts! TWWKC Website Click here

  6. Oct 19

    Bailey Walton and Les Izmore

    Singer, Songwriter, Banjoist and artist, Bailey Walton and musical phenom Les Izmore stopped by the studio to share some original songs as well as a few tributes to African folk artists from yesteryear. You can catch Bailey and Les most Monday nights at the Rural Grit open mic at The Brick in downtown KC. Bailey's Instagram Click here Les' Instagram Click here

  7. Oct 13

    Adriana Nikole

    Meet Adriana Nikole, a Michigan-born singer-songwriter who now calls Kansas City home. Blending ’90s country and pop with a modern twist. Adriana explores feminism, love, loss, and desire through honest, heartfelt songwriting. Daring to dream and pushing creative boundaries, she transforms her emotions and experiences into music that connects with listeners. She also runs a dog grooming business out of her home so shout out to Diamond Dogs! We've included links to her social median and Diamond Dogs, please give her a follow and if you need a clean doggo give her a call. Adriana's Instagram Click here Diamond Dogs Click here Adriana's Facebook Click here Spotify Click here

  8. Oct 13

    Lou Grande

    Lou Grande stopped by the studio to share his art, experience growing up in the church, and life as a trans-masculine man living in southern Kansas. Lou specializes in acrylics but also is dabbling with stained glass! You can see more of Lou's work and submit for commision pieces on his website at the link below. From the artist: Lou Grande is a contemporary trans-masculine painter based in Wichita, Kansas, whose work bridges queer history, pop art, and traditional iconography. Operating as both a cultural archivist and a visual storyteller, Grande builds monumental altars out of modern artifacts, aggressively integrating visibly queer bodies back into the Western art canon. With academic degrees in English and theology—and entirely self-taught in the visual arts—Grande brings a deeply narrative and analytical approach to the canvas. After transitioning at the age of 30, he dedicated his professional life to international immigration and refugee resettlement. This humanitarian background profoundly informs his socially engaged art practice today. Now pursuing art full-time, his work examines the resilience, joy, and “scandalous” beauty of the altered body. Drawing inspiration from 1970s pop art, low-res digital imagery, and sacred archetypes, Grande’s hyper-pop portraiture utilizes heavy acrylics, gold leaf, and found materials. His vibrant canvases serve as a visceral defense of marginalized existence, asserting that gender diversity and queer survival are inherently worthy of reverence. Lou's Website Click here Lou's Instagram Click here

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Each week we host a visual artist or creator and a musical guest to share their experience in the arts and to showcase their work. In this podcast you can listen to that conversation as well as the musical performances that were held in Kansas City’s favorite DIY Art and Music Venue held in a living room!

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