Cheri Lawson

Kentucky

Radio Host at WEKU-FM (Richmond, KY)

journalist in Ky, freelancer for NPR

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Articles

Kentucky non-profit looks to birds for inspiration

2 weeks ago | weku.org | Cheri Lawson

It’s a warm, windy spring day at Martin Luther King Park in Lexington, where dozens of kids and adults are enjoying the outdoors. The day is hosted by the Red Oaks Forest School, a non-profit organization in central and eastern Kentucky. Tina Brouwer-Kraska is the executive director and founder. She said the school’s mission is to connect people to nature and community through education, exploration, and play.
A new play in Berea aims to teach Black history through forgotten voices

4 weeks ago | weku.org | Cheri Lawson

It’s a Wednesday evening at the Starlight Theater in Berea. On stage, four actresses sit around a long white piece of tobacco canvas draped across a quilting frame with sewing baskets at their feet. The play contains six scenes, each representing a certain time-period, from the Revolutionary War until the present day. Production assistant Kat Davis directs scene two, which represents the Civil War. Susan Crumbaugh was a slave in Kentucky during that time and lived to be 102 years old.
Grammy-nominated Amythyst Kiah to headline Lexington's traditional music and arts festival

1 month ago | weku.org | Cheri Lawson

Musical performances, traditional old-time jam sessions, square dancing, shape-note singing, poetry readings, and workshops are examples of what’s to come this weekend at the 2025 Lexington Gathering. Kentucky award-winning musician Brett Ratliff will lead a Songs of Struggle and Resistance workshop.
Central Kentucky Big Band performs live with musicians in their 70s, 80s, and 90s

1 month ago | weku.org | Cheri Lawson

Central Kentucky’s Young at Heart Big Band opens its show at Porter Memorial Baptist Church with its theme song, Young at Heart. With white hair, a goatee, and wearing a blue sports coat, ninety-seven-year-old George Ely sits between two other band members and plays his saxophone. Ely is the oldest member and president of the group. “It has given me something to do. I’ve been in the band now for 31 years and it keeps me busy. I enjoy it and fellowship, obviously the fellowship,” said Ely.
Lexington musician producing Kentucky Queen-A new album celebrating women

2 months ago | weku.org | Cheri Lawson

At a Lexington recording studio, award-winning musician Carla Gover listens to a rough mix of the title track of her latest album. The eighth-generation Kentuckian is a native of Letcher County. She said on this album she’s celebrating women and paying homage to the women who have shaped her musically and personally.
Lexington drumming program helps those with Parkinson's disease

2 months ago | weku.org | Cheri Lawson

On most Tuesday afternoons in a large second-floor room at St. Luke United Methodist Church, a group of people who have Parkinson’s disease enjoy a wellness program that combines drumming, music, and movement. Participants for Drums Alive sit in a semi-circle. They all use wooden drumsticks and keep the beat to the music on large grey rubber exercise balls.
Frank X Walker explores enslavement and the Civil War in new poetry collection

Dec 3, 2024 | weku.org | Cheri Lawson

In his 13th poetry collection, Frank X Walker explores the lives of Black Families in Kentucky, before, during, and after the Civil War. A note that this story includes a reference to violence and sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised. It’s a rainy Tuesday evening at the Boyle County Public Library in Danville. Well-known poet and activist Frank X Walker wears a cap and black-rimmed glasses.
New Northern Kentucky mural engages visitors with interactive art experience

Nov 6, 2024 | weku.org | Cheri Lawson

Take a trip down Madison Avenue in Covington, Kentucky to the entrance of Tobacco Alley. On both sides of the narrow pathway, visitors are transported into the Wenzel House, a mural painted to look and feel like a Victorian Home. The masterpiece includes 3D elements, plus doors and drawers that open. Gabrielle Siekman, one of the lead artists says the 12-foot-tall mural is a hyper-realistic fine art experience that’s immersive and includes scavenger hunts.
The Kentucky Music Hall of Fame to induct The McLain Family Band along with 11 other artists

Oct 23, 2024 | weku.org | Cheri Lawson

The McLain Family Band has been entertaining audiences for more than 50 years with their bluegrass, country and old-time music. Various group members have performed together in 64 countries and all 50 states. Now the band is being inducted into The Kentucky Music Hall of Fame. Raymond McLain talks about the Hall of Fame. “It’s a wonderful place. You go in and you can see Merle Travis’ guitar, the one with his name in the fingerboard.
New exhibit showcases Berea area African American culture

Oct 15, 2024 | weku.org | Cheri Lawson

Since the Berea Black History and Heritage Exhibit opened last month at the Berea Arts Council’s gallery more than 350 people have come through to see the display. That’s according to Arts Council Executive Director, Kiana Mahjub. She said the humanities exhibit showcases the rich history, heritage, and culture of African American families from Berea and nearby communities including Farristown, Bobtown, and Middletown.