At the Clearing

We gather to grieve. We gather to witness. We gather to remember.

Please join us at the Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning to unveil the latest work by Kiptoo Tarus, inspired by the murder of Breonna Taylor and in support of the Kentucky Black Writers Collaborative (KBWC).

Libations will be poured, food served, and words are certain to heal.

This event is FREE and open to the public. No registration is required.

Facial coverings are recommended.

About the Artists

Claudia Love Mair is a working writer and the author of 11 books. She holds an MFA in Writing from the Sena Jeter Naslund-Karen Mann Graduate School of Writing, and teaches writing workshops at the Carnegie Center. Claudia is also the Coordinator for the Kentucky Black Writers Collaborative. Her mission is to amplify, elevate, and celebrate Kentucky Black voices of every level.

Dr. Shauna M. Morgan is a poet-scholar and Associate Professor of creative writing and Africana literature at the University of Kentucky where she also serves as Director of Equity and Inclusion In in the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT). Before joining the University of Kentucky, Shauna was tenured on the faculty of English at Howard University. Both her scholarly work and her poetry are deeply engaged with traditions of global Black art and culture. Her critical work has been published in Journal of Postcolonial Writing, South Atlantic Review, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, College Language Association Journal, and elsewhere. Her poetry has appeared in A Gathering Together; Interviewing the Caribbean; A Literary Field Guide to Southern Appalachia; ProudFlesh: New Afrikan Journal of Culture, Politics & Consciousness, among other periodicals and anthologies. Her chapbook, Fear of Dogs & Other Animals was published by Central Square Press. She tends to a hopeful home garden at the Artists’ Village in the historic East End of Lexington, Kentucky.

Kiptoo Tarus is a Kenyan native and highly regarded local artist. He came to Lexington to attend the University of Kentucky and has a Masters in Sculpture. His work has been featured in many local galleries including the Lyric Theater and Cultural Arts Center and The Henry Clay Estate. For more information about Kiptoo and his work visit his website at kiptootarus.com

Marcus Wilkerson is a singer and songwriter who hails from Louisville. He has performed at several local venues, and was the Artist in Residence for The Kentucky Hall of Fame. Marcus is also an entrepreneur whose products and services support health and wellness. He lives in Lexington, KY.

This event is made possible thanks to the generous support of our grant funders and sponsors:

The state arts agency, provides operating support to the Carnegie Center with state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for Arts.

All Carnegie Center programs are made possible through the generous support of LexArts. In 2021-2022, the Carnegie Center received a total of $35,000 in unrestricted support.