UK Alum looks to ‘catch’ students imaginations through music and art
October 27, 2009
Although the cat almost never catches the mouse, Louisville musician and artist and UK alumn, Jason Zavala hopes to capture the minds and imaginations of UK students with his music and art.
On Tuesday, at the Lucile Little Fine Arts Library, as part of the Little/Gaines Artist Series, Zavala will be showcasing “The Chase.” The theme will portray the classic case of a cat and mouse scenario through pop music, visual art and written word.
“I chose this theme because it’s universal and can be applied to many domains of life, from cartoons to love and beyond,” Zavala said.
Along with his collaborators, James Friley, Clay Kennedy, Jesse Lucas and Shannon Saur, Zavala is hoping to get UK students to open their minds to the different interpretations and forms of a cat and mouse chase.
“I believe that the theme of cat and mouse is capable of reaching many people on an individual level,” Zavala said.
Whether or not a student can relate to the cat and mouse theme, at the least UK students can relate to Zavala in one aspect: he was once a UK student himself.
Zavala graduated from UK in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in architecture. Aside from being back at his alma mater, Zalvala finds it a great honor to be the main artist being showcased during the Little/Gaines Artists Series.
“Being chosen as the lead artist for the Little/Gaines Artist Series represents the largest-scale interdisciplinary project I’ve been involved in,” Zavala said. “I was very excited to be chosen and thought it would be a great challenge.”
Although Zavala has an expansive knowledge and level of talent for art, he is mainly interested in writing and performing music. Since the age of 15 he has been learning and playing music and has even put out a few records in the process. Zavala is currently working on a solo album “Ornament” and plays with the Louisville band, Lazer Crust, as well.
The showcase will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at the John Jacob Niles Center for American Music located in the Lucile Little Fine Arts Library. Admission is free.