Creating home isn’t only about finding a job to pay the bills. Feeling at home in your community also includes self-expression and connection with others. At KRM, newcomers have the opportunities to engage in the arts to share their talents and stories. Through these programs and events, community members have the opportunity to meet newcomers and learn about the global cultures in Kentucky.

KRM Live

Each quarter, KRM’s Louisville office holds a KRM Live showcase at traditional and nontraditional arts venues throughout the city. The program includes global music and dance from artists across multiple disciplines who are immigrants, refugees, and US-born individuals.

These events are free, family-friendly, and open to the public. Light refreshments are often provided by international restaurants or bakeries. Donations are encouraged to support KRM’s programming.

2022-23 KRM Live and arts programming partnerships include: Louisville Orchestra, Bernheim Forest, Louisville Free Public Libraries, KY Opera, Hyphen Film Center, Newcomer Academy, Logan Street Market, La La Land Studios, Colonial Gardens, and more. Photography by Yunier Ramirez.

Master Classes

Talented experts are among us! Through quarterly Master Class workshops, artists have the opportunity for a more intimate conversation with attendees. Each Master Class will have a theme, such as global percussion or string instruments, and artists will speak on the history and craft of their artistic tradition. KRM Louisville’s Master Class workshops are also free and open to the public.

Collaborative Community Projects

As part of our mission, KRM promotes the contributions and benefits that newcomers bring to our communities. Recent projects have connected local and newcomer artists to each other, fostering artistic and professional growth and collaborations. KRM also aims to give newcomers opportunities for entry points into the creative sector. Past community projects have included United We Sing (2016) and We Create (2017-18). In 2020, KRM launched the “Art Makes Home” project, which presented the opportunity to view original artwork in publicly-accessible spaces that spanned a diversity of Louisville locations. For this project, both U.S.- and internationally-born artists utilized a variety of mediums to create original pieces that center around the refugee and immigrant experience. Here you can see Art Makes Home installations throughout the community during 2020-2021. Some of KRM’s partnering locations continue to display “Art Makes Home” pieces today.

Below, artwork by Callie Wright. Bottom, artwork by Morgan McGill.

Media Archive

Visit KRM’s online media archive, launched as part of the “Art Makes Home” project in Louisville. This archive also features images from KRM’s arts events, such as KRM Live.

Artwork at top of page by Susan Brooks