Open Doors Program Manager
 Aron Conaway is a conceptual artist born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Photography in 2001, and a Masters degree in Critical and Curatorial Studies in 2008 - both from the University of Louisville. Aron has freelanced for several years, facilitating a number of community art projects with the Speed Museum, the Phoenix Hill Neighborhood Association, Center For Neighborhoods, and the Kentucky Center for the Arts. Aron is driven by his strong connection to the community and his passion for the arts. He loves working directly with people that don't consider themselves to be "artists" to assist them with developing their creative spirit and capacity. Aron strongly believes that the arts are a powerful tool for bettering the world around us.
For nearly seven years, Aron devoted his life to co-founding, organizing, and building a community of artists at the LAVA House. LAVA, or the Louisville Assembly of Vanguard Art, was a group of doers, makers, dreamers, artists, activists, musicians and eccentric individuals who converged to create a venue that supported the local and international underground movements in art and music. The core of this collective was intent upon broadening social consciousness and bringing people together through the arts to break down social barriers.
Currently, Aron and his wife, Hallie Jones, facilitate a collective art studio space located in the Portland Neighborhood. The artists are working in Nelligan Hall, a historic democratic club / social hall on Portland Avenue. Obsessed with living a creative life, Aron enjoys painting, drawing, sculpting, designing, editing, projecting and manipulating live video for local bands. He frequently collaborates with other artists in the community on a variety of projects. Aron believes that today's artist is at a greater advantage if they are able to command numerous mediums and art forms to convey their ideas.
Managing the LVAA Open Doors Program is a dream come true for Aron. Although he was doing similar work in the community with other organizations on a freelance basis, the credibility and teamwork that he expects to encounter working with the LVAA was lacking. He is looking forward to working with the community at large, the artists affiliated with the program, and especially the current team at the LVAA.
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