Heart Behind the Art, brought to you by Off Hours Bourbon, is an event series hosted by The Root that is designed to create community, cultivate inspiration, and provide artists with a platform to showcase their work, whatever the medium. This is the tenth event of this amazing series and includes a remarkable lineup of some creative people! Each artist has a different type of canvas. Check out Volume X's amazing group of artists!
Cortlan Waters Bartley is a hand lettering artist and calligrapher who blends words and letters into eye-catching designs. Taking inspiration from her own lived experiences, pop culture, and everyday joys, her pieces often reflect elements of those themes through integrated illustration, design, and occasionally photography. Her work reflects a precise style with an emphasis on composition and color. She's also the Artist-In-Residence this year at The Root!
Evelyn Fried was born in Louisville, KY in 1948. Her family moved to Corydon, IN in 1958. She graduated Corydon Central High School in 1966, worked for BHDP Architects in Cincinnati from 1978-1999 in an office management position, and studied Humanities: Anthropology, World Religions and Fine Art at the University of Cincinnati, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1995. She enjoys gardening, attending Performing Arts productions and “making stuff.”
Skye Nicholson, after making the decision in January 2018 to put an end to 25 years of alcohol abuse, she began her ongoing journey of healing and self-acceptance. Poetry was how she shook the dust out of her shadows and aired her newly open soul in the sunlight. Skye’s published works include Unexpected Alchemy: Poems of Addiction and Awakening (Dec 2021), and Elemental Alchemy: A Guided Journal for Transformation (due out fall 2022), illustrated by fellow HBTA collaborator Cortlan Waters Bartley.
For more than a decade, Skye was the Science Department Chair for a multi-campus high school in Chicago, where she earned a Fulbright Scholarship and traveled to Namibia as a cultural ambassador. In 2021, Skye became a certified Empowerment Coach and formed Soul’s Truth Coaching, where she coaches professional women towards their self-created goals around personal empowerment, alcohol use, or anxiety reduction. She hosts monthly Open Mic Poetry Nights for women-identifying persons in both Columbus and Seymour Indiana, and co-leads ARRIVE: A workshop for moving through and becoming alive. Skye currently resides in Columbus, IN, with her husband, two children and three cats.
Kris Lasher worked to hone her songwriting skills, traveling to Nashville, Tennessee, New York, and Northern Ireland to study various writing techniques over the past twenty years. In addition to her individual writing, Kris co-created and performed with Wild Mother, a theatrical trio, focused on sharing experiences from the female perspective (maiden, mother, and crone) in the form of story, song, and dance.
A 2022 recipient of an Indiana Arts Commission On-Ramp grant, Kris utilized the funding to create and record a collection of music, Sanctuary, Lullabies for Adults. Her many years of social service experience and working with the public inspired her to write songs to combat the stress and pressure that may keep us awake at night.
Sanctuary is a collection of ten songs recorded and mixed by Phil Hipskind and mastered by Paul Mahern. Kris and Phil created music videos to accompany her songs, currently located on her YouTube channel.
Kris graduated from St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN, with a major in psychology and a professional writing minor. She spent a year of study in Rome, Italy, which inspired her to write one of her lullabies in Italian.
Along with her husband, Rock Emmert, Kris co-hosts the Queen Anne House Concert series in their home and since 2008 a monthly spoken word night. She and Rock also helped found the Ferdinand Folk Festival, a free family-friendly festival in Ferdinand, IN, bringing music, art, and environmental awareness opportunities to their local community.
We are excited to get intimate with each of the artists. Join us as we discover why they create, why they started, and most importantly, why they haven't stopped. Come be inspired by these local artists as you continue your own creative journey!
ABOUT OFF HOURS
Day or night, a bourbon for every occasion. As the world changes and the lines between work-life balance become even more blurred, we can’t help but question when the Off Hours begin. To us, chilling out means powering down, and true relaxation goes beyond putting your phone on vibrate. It’s about taking moments, and making moments—whenever and wherever you can. Crafted with aromas of creamy vanilla, hints of nutmeg and a silky finish of lingering honey, Off Hours bourbon is meant to engage our senses and change perceptions. This is bourbon made for the moments in between. It’s not about preconceived notions of artisanal cocktails and dimly lit bars. It’s for everyone, everywhere.
So cheers to more inspiration. More real-life connection. More easygoing hangs, and less expectations. More time outdoors, less time behind our screens. After a long day, a long week or just because. Find the time and the moments. Find them with us in the Off Hours.