Lalana Fedorschak Receives the 2026 Bill Fischer Award for Visual Artists

The Community Foundation of Louisville, in partnership with Louisville Visual Art (LVA), is proud to announce Lalana Fedorschak as the recipient of the 2026 Bill Fischer Award for Visual Artists. This $10,000 fellowship recognizes outstanding visual artists in the Louisville Metro area who demonstrate innovation, risk-taking, and dedication to advancing their creative practice.

Pictured: Attendees at Louisville Visual Art’s art[squared] event.

This year, the award was presented during LVA’s art[squared] Auction Party on Thursday, June 11, from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Louisville Visual Art, located at 1538 Lytle Street. The festive evening featured over 140 original artworks, live music by DJ DNasti, food, drinks, and a vibrant celebration of Louisville’s creative community.

Pictured: Bill Fischer Award for Visual Artist finalist Lalana Fedorschak and other semifinalists.

Lalana Fedorschak is an artist working primarily in ceramic sculpture. Lalana is a friend of craft and a lover of objects, finding kinship with people who value physical, tactile intelligence and who are committed to the analog properties of being alive.

Lalana was born and raised in Prescott, Arizona. They hold a BFA in Ceramics from Northern Arizona University and an MFA in Ceramics from Ohio University. Lalana is currently an Assistant Professor of Art at the University of Louisville, and formerly held teaching positions at Vincennes University and Indiana University Southeast. Their work has been widely exhibited in museums, galleries, and artist-run spaces throughout the country.

Pictured (left to right): Louisville Visual Art’s Executive Director Angela Hagan, Bill Fischer Award for Visual Artist finalist Lelana Fedorschak, and Community Foundation of Louisville’s Executive Director of Grantmaking Amber Burns-Jones.

“The Bill Fischer Award will significantly increase my ability to produce, document, and distribute my work independently. By building autonomy and reducing reliance on shared facilities, I will be able to maintain the ambition of my studio practice and expand my ability to use studio facilities outside my role within the university. Developing an independent studio would allow me to begin building a more sustainable and autonomous career, pursue exhibition opportunities, expand direct sales, and create studio stability that can support my artistic growth and financial stability.”

Louisville Visual Art and the Community Foundation of Louisville additionally recognized and displayed artwork from the following semi-finalists for the Fischer Award at the award reception: Elle Hendrickson, Aaron Raymer, Rebecca Richards and Rachel Singel.  

The Bill Fischer Award for Visual Artists is funded by the Artist Bill Fischer Foundation for Working Artists at the Community Foundation of Louisville. The fund was created to make a meaningful impact on the careers of visual artists living in the region by supporting the creation, exhibition, and development of their work. Recipients of the Fischer Award must show a commitment to experimentation and the creative use of materials and techniques.

Photography featured in this blog was provided by Abdul Sharif Photography.