VOICE-TRIBUNE DECEMBER 2023

December 2023

Holidays, Home & Health Volume

UofL & UK Sports PLUS! The Historic Basketball Rivalry Stories Retold: American Art from the Princeton University Art Museum

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VOICE-TRIBUNE IS TURNING 75!

2024 is our diamond anniversary, and we’re excited to celebrate with our readers!

We invite you to share memories of favorite VOICE-TRIBUNE stories, anecdotes, columns and personalities at info@voice-tribune.com.

Our tribute issue will be on stands in January.

Season’s Greetings!

Welcome to the December 2023 volume of VOICE-TRIBUNE. We are incredibly excited to share this month’s editorial with our readers!

To kick off our holiday theme, we asked our cover model, Bali Chainani, and her partner O’Malley Dreisbach, about their favorite holiday traditions as we toured their beautifully decorated home. We have also gathered a new group of must-have items from our clients in our Last Minute Holiday Gift Guide (remember, shopping local helps to support our community)! Rounding out our holiday theme, we have a feature on Hyland Glass’ beautiful hand-blown ornaments.

We are incredibly fortunate to catch up with Speed Art Museum to discuss their latest exhibit, Stories Retold: American Art from the Princeton University Art Museum, which closes January 7 (2024), share a profile on KMAC Curatorial Director Joey Yates, and cover the local NouLou Chamber Orchestra. Then, we’ll head into several pieces covering UofL and UK sports — from UK basketball and the historic UofL/UK rivalry to two stories about UofL football, its history, legacy and prospects leading into the bowl.

Health is also top-of-mind when heading into the New Year. We have a few stories to share, including a profile on a very special senior who lives at The Forum at Brookside, a profile of the Puckett Family, who were the featured speakers at the recent Gilda’s Night fundraiser, and a few stories about the importance of mental health.

Finally, this holiday season, we encourage our readers to think of others and how they can find ways to be more inclusive; whether it’s inviting family over for events, including friends, learning about your loved ones’ favorite holiday traditions, or even volunteering your time with a local nonprofit organizations such as Feed Louisville, whose story is featured in our pages.

We couldn’t be more excited about going into our 75th year of the VOICE-TRIBUNE. Our team couldn’t have done this without this compassionate and loving community. We are looking forward to releasing our special 75th anniversary edition January 2024!

Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!!

Amelia Frazier Theobald

DECEMBER 2023

PRESIDENT/CEO, AMELIA FRAZIER THEOBALD MANAGING EDITOR, AMY BARNES OPERATIONS MANAGER, MARY ZOELLER CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER, JULIE KOENING EDITOR, RAGAN VAN HECKE DIRECTOR OF EVENTS, CHIEF EVENT PHOTOGRAPHER, KATHRYN HARRINGTON CHIEF GRAPHIC DESIGNER, ANNABELLE KLEIN EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHER, MATT JOHNSON EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT, ALISHA PROFFITT FASHION STYLIST, ASHLEA SPEARS CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER: JOSH ISON GIFT GUIDE PHOTOGRAPHER & CURATOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: RHONA BOWLES KAMAR, RUSS BROWN, BILL DOOLITTLE, ALISON CARDOZA, MAX KLEIN, LENNIE OMALZA, REMY SISK, ASHLEA SPEARS, KEITH TAYLOR, AMELIA RUNYAN WILLIAMSON, KEVIN MURPHY WILSON, OKSANA ZHURICH, BEN PALMER-BALL PHOTO CONTRIBUTORS: WESLEY CRANE, DAN DRY, KAMENISH, JOHN NATION, LES NICHOLSON, JOEL POOLE, SPEED ART MUSEUM, KEITH TAYLOR, BILL WINE. (UOFL FOOTBALL: IMAGES PROVIDED BY MATT BATTAGLIA, GARY NORD, CRAIG SWABECK, AND CHRIS THIENEMAN), HEATHER DURHAM, RIVER FIELD STORIES RETOLD: AMERICAN ART FROM THE PRINCETON UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM LOUISVILLE BALLET PRESENTS: THE BROWN-FORMAN NUTCRACKER STEADIED BY A STALWART DEFENSE, LOUISVILLE DRIVES FOR THE FOOTBALL FINISH LINE CALIPARI SAYS HE’S THE LUCKIEST GUY: COACHING KENTUCKY BASKETBALL AT KENTUCKY CARDS OWE A DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR THEIR SUCCESS TO PROGRAM’S ‘PIONEERS’ ‘DREAM GAME’ HAS BECOME A ‘NIGHTMARE’ FOR UOFL AS UK TRIES TO EXTEND DOMINANCE LEVEL UP WITH EXOTIC OPTIONS AT GAME: THIS IRISH HILL RESTAURANT IS A CARNIVORE’S PARADISE STATE OF THE ART: LOOKING BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS WITH LOCAL LEGEND JOEY YATES THE NOULOU CHAMBER PLAYERS: ROSINING UP THEIR BOWS IN THE LIBRARY AT OXMOOR FARM FISH TO TABLE: FRESH CATCH FRIDAY AT VOLARE STYLING A LIFE: HOW JEFF HUNTER BUILDS CONNECTION THROUGH FASHION DECK THE HALLS WITH HAND-BLOWN ORNAMENTS FROM HYLAND GLASS ‘TIS THE SEASON FOR HOLIDAY HOME AMBIANCE LOVE, LIGHT AND TRADITION:A CONVERSATION WITH “FAMILY KARMA” STAR BALI CHAINANI FEED LOUISVILLE: FOUNDING CHEF AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RHONA BOWLES KAMAR DISCUSSES HOW TO BRING FOOD TO LOUISVILLE’S UNHOUSED DURING THE HOLIDAYS LAST-MINUTE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE IN THE STYLE LOUP: STYLING FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON KEEP THAT WORKOUT GOING DURING THE HOLIDAYS TAKING CARE OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH OVER THE HOLIDAYS THE FORUM AT BROOKSIDE RESIDENT OF THE MONTH: JOYCE WHITE PREVAILING WITH PURPOSE: A MOTIVATION REFLECTION TO CONNECT MEANING AND LIFE OCCASIONS & CELEBRATIONS WEDDING: KATHRYN AND MATTHEW ADDISON RETIREMENT: MEME SWEETS RUNYAN IN MEMORIAM: CODY LAYNE DORMAN SOCIETY LIGHT UP LOUISVILLE TREE CUTTING CEREMONY; BACCHANAL; MEME SWEETS RUNYON’S RETIREMENT CELEBRATION; CHENOWETH SQUARE HOLIDAY WALK; BROWN HOTEL 100TH ANNIVERSARY; SISTA STRUT; AFTER HOURS AT THE SPEED; THE BASH AT BUTCHERTOWN; KMAC BOARD HAPPY HOUR; SPEED OUTDOORS GROUND PLANTING; THE SUMMIT GRAND OPENING; MIDNIGHT MUSE; OLD FASHIONED WEEK KICK OFF; ROB AND ASHLEY PENTA’S WEDDING CELEBRATION; CRAFTING COCKTAILS ON THE COVER: BALI CHAINANI AND O’MALLEY DREISBACH

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Mary Cassatt (1844–1926; born Allegheny City, PA; died Le Mesnil-Theribus, France), Little Girl in a Large Red Hat, ca.1881.

Oil on canvas; 43.8 × 38.7 cm. Princeton University Art Museum. Museum purchase, Fowler McCormick, Class of 1921, Fund (2021-12)

By Steven Bowling, Member Advancement and Chief Marketing Officer It’s an honor for The Speed Art Museum to showcase Stories Retold: American Art from the Princeton University Art Museum. The exhibition tells new stories about American art, and breaks scholarly ground by revealing previously hidden histories and considerations.

Stories Retold is a relevant presentation because Kentucky’s oldest and largest art museum is currently in the process of reinstalling all of its permanent collection galleries and updating the stories told about its own artworks. This exhibition is about expanding our ideas and notions about American art history. And, it provides a helpful framework for opening up new perspectives on the art in the Speed’s collection.

Stories Retold

American Art from the Princeton University Art Museum

By Karl Kusserow exhibition organizer /John Wilmerding Curator of American Art When the Princeton University Art Museum closed its doors in Spring 2020 to build an enlarged new facility, rather than consign the objects on display to storage, we decided to organize a series of traveling exhibitions as a way of sharing some of the best of our venerable collections with other institutions. Perhaps the most ambitious of these is Stories Retold: American Art from the Princeton University Art Museum, currently completing its three-venue tour at the Speed Art Museum, where it remains on view through January 7, 2024.

Featuring nearly one hundred 18th - 21st century works of art and material culture, Stories Retold brings contemporary perspectives on race, gender, and the environment to bear on American art. As we conceptualized the exhibition, we saw it as an opportunity to interrogate objects in new ways and explore different modes of presenting and interpreting art — and to use the project as a kind of road test for the eventual reinstallation of the same artworks back at Princeton. An accompanying catalog expands upon the objects in the exhibition through broader substantive essays as well as more focused analyses, situating these important works within current social, cultural, and artistic concerns and debates.

Since Stories Retold was conceived, dynamic social movements dedicated to racial, gender, and environmental justice — Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, and the Sunrise Movement - have continued to inflect approaches to and the constitution of American art, beneficially expanding its scope and preoccupations. As an artifact of this wider development, Stories Retold aims to inform and enhance the meaning of American art, affording new insights into its past implications, present relevance, and future directions.

It does so by innovatively gathering the artworks comprising the show into a series of thirty didactic groupings, each exploring in a different way how art can be deployed to learn about history, culture, and society through the focused analysis of objects. The exhibition is inspired by the concept of the object lesson — the study of a material thing to convey an embodied or underlying idea - here enhanced to embrace the added possibilities of groups of objects in juxtaposition. The basic idea is that a particular work of art, when placed in conversation with others, can take on enriched and additional meaning, even as it in turn affects the meaning of surrounding works. Stories Retold is grounded in the understanding that the meanings of objects change over time, in different contexts, and as a consequence of the ways in which they are considered, even as collections of them also evolve to accommodate shifting priorities and perspectives.

The included works are drawn from several Princeton collections of historical American art, a field traditionally extending through about 1950, as additionally inflected by examples of contemporary art that imaginatively appropriate and reframe the subjects, style, and content of historical objects. Along with masterpieces by well-known artists like John Singleton Copley, Winslow Homer, and Georgia O’Keeffe, Stories Retold includes work by the enslaved potter David Drake, whose craft was a bold statement of resistance, and Sarah Miriam Peale, whose portraits were frequently misattributed to her brother owing to prejudicial ideas about gender, together with recent works by contemporary artists such as Rande Cook, Renee Cox, and Titus Kaphat.

Stories Retold opens, appropriately enough, with a group of four objects pertaining to the American icon George Washington, illustrating both how his image has changed over time, and how our understanding of his legacy changes as well depending upon how it is considered. To provide a sense for how the exhibition is organized, following are images of each of the objects in the group, along with its accompanying interpretive text:

In the Eye of the Beholder William Rush’s impressive bust of George Washington is made of common plaster painted to look like enduring bronze. The sculpture was produced around twenty years after Washington’s death, when his reputation as a national hero had solidified. How does Rush’s portrayal compare to the earlier depiction by Charles Willson Peale, created during Washington’s life, and the later posthumous one by the artist’s son Rembrandt Peale, reproduced many times during the mid-nineteenth century? Washington’s transformation from respected leader to the godlike “Pater Patriae” (Father of His Country) of Rembrandt’s portrait suggests that artistic representation changes over time according to evolving circumstances, in this case, Washington’s political and cultural defication.

Rush’s sculpture was originally owned by Thomas Jefferson, who, like Washington, was a prominent enslaver. How does the image of Washington change when considered in this way, and in light of the photograph of the slave quarters at Washington’s own residence? Evaluating works of art in terms of materials, iconography, provenance, and social and historical context can produce different understandings of them.

Stories Retold presents a distinguished gathering of Euro-American, Native American, and African

Rembrandt Peale 1778–1860; born Bucks County, PA; died Philadelphia, PA George Washington Oil on canvas, 91.2 × 73.8 cm (35 7/8 × 29 1/16 in. Princeton University Art Museum. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Landon K. Thorne, for the Boudinot Collection (y1966-­262)

American art from contemporary interpretive perspectives, illustrating how innovative analysis of historical art can inform and enhance its meaning, thus affording new relevance to diverse artifacts of the American past. In keeping with the Speed’s impressive record of forward-thinking exhibitions and programs, Stories Retold is a relevant and timely presentation for Kentucky’s largest art museum, one aligned with its own ongoing effort to reinstall its permanent collection galleries and update the stories told about its artworks. We are glad to have this opportunity to bring some of Princeton’s most compelling American art to Louisville, presented in fresh ways that resonate with current issues and ideas.

Luke C. Dillon Born 1844/45, New York, NY; active ca. 1874–86, Washington, DC Ruin of Old Slave Quarters, Mount Vernon, ca.

1883 Cabinet card, 10 × 14.7 cm (3 15/16 × 5 13/16 in.) Princeton University Art Museum. Gift of David B. Long in memory of Donald C. Long (2020-­399)

Attributed to Charles Willson Peale 1741–1927; born Chester, MD; died Philadelphia, PA George Washington, ca. 1787 Oil on canvas, 60.8 × 48 cm (23 15/16 × 18 7/8 in.) Princeton University Art Museum. Gift of George Latimer Small, Class of 1943 (y1978­-45)

By fari nzinga, curator of African and Native American Collections There is so much to see and learn in Stories Retold: American Art from the Princeton University Art Museum, and that is definitely a strength of this exhibition. But the work that really stayed with me is Center of Creation (Michael), 2019, an oil painting by Mario Moore, a Black artist based in Detroit.

I got the opportunity to meet Moore in 2018 for Detroit Art Week, during the opening of his solo exhibition, Recovery, at the David Klein Gallery. Since then, I’ve followed his career closely. But that’s not why the painting stayed on my mind.

The proud son of a museum gallery guard and an artist-educator, Moore was a Hodder Fellow at Princeton during the 2018 – 2019 academic year. During that time, he decided to create a series of portraits honoring the largely Black campus workers whose labor and presence are often taken for granted and overlooked.

Over the course of several months, Moore introduced himself to groundskeepers, food service workers, equipment managers, and security guards, got to know them and their stories, and brought that intimacy to the canvas. At the end of his fellowship, he presented an exhibition of 10 paintings and 12 etchings called “The Work of Several Lifetimes” at the Princeton University Lewis Arts Center.

The sitters in the portraits were able to bring their families and celebrate the artists’ achievements, as well as their own contributions to the Ivy League institution, while the university bought five paintings for its permanent collection.

Center of Creation (Michael), is a portrait of Michael Moore (no relation), an African American security guard who, dressed in black slacks, a white shirt with a red and black tie, greets the viewer at the entrance to an interior gallery space. I love the work because of the composition. The subject is standing to the right, and beyond him in the center left of the image are paintings hanging on the wall. Some of the paintings I recognized, like the half-woman to the left is a 1973 painting by the legendary Philadelphia artist, Barkley Hendricks titled, October’s Gone…Goodnight.

When I reached out to Moore to ask about the other images that I couldn’t quite put my finger on, he identified each one as follows:

∙ “The portrait on the middle back wall is by Henry Ossawa Tanner titled, Bishop Benjamin Tucker Tanner (1897).” ∙ “The painting behind that is a painting I did titled, Grisaille of Oshun.” ∙ “The lithograph in the back is by Charles White of Frederick Douglass

(1951).”

Mario Moore (born 1987, Detroit, MI; active Detroit), Center of Creation (Michael), 2019. Oil on linen; 182.9 × 152.4 cm. Museum purchase, Fowler McCormick, Class of 1921, Fund (2020-8)

Moore added that all of these works, except for the Charles White lithograph, are not owned by the Princeton Art Museum and have never been displayed in the gallery within the painting.“The paintings within the gallery become a pantheon of Black artists displayed in Princeton University’s Art Museum European gallery,” he said.

“The security guard gives you access to a space that exists with works that in reality are not there and historically have not been claimed within the same hierarchical context.”

By Tyler Blackwell, Curator of Contemporary Art Contemporary artist Hugh Hayden, who was born in Dallas but now lives in New York, most often works in sculpture. Originally trained as an architect, he creates surreal, sometimes anthropomorphic objects that range in scale from tiny to monumental, rendered in wood and steel and other industrially tough but malleable materials.

Hayden’s curious artworks invite us to think about our own shifting relationships to space, place, culture, and history. Hayden’s profile has been on the rise in recent years; he recently completed major outdoor commissions for Madison Square Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park, and his artworks have been seen in a string of museum shows in New York, North Carolina, California, Texas, Florida and more.

It is honestly thrilling to have a work by him in Louisville! In the context of the exhibition Stories Retold, Hayden’s work is a stellar example of an artwork that urges us to (re)think where we — as a community of people made up of disparate cultures — can trace our origins and traditions.

For To Be Titled 2 (2020), the artist has fashioned a unique, altered cast iron skillet — normally a heavy-duty pan that many of us use in the kitchen for any combination of searing, sautéing, frying, and baking. The resulting artwork, which was originally made for the artist’s solo exhibition at Princeton University Art Museum’s “Art @ Bainbridges” satellite gallery location (located in a restored Colonial-era house in downtown Princeton, NJ), features the original skillet now emblazoned with an African mask in the pan on one side and a crouching silhouette of a figure on the opposite side. Here, Hayden has blended three references into one object.

The mask we see in Hayden’s artwork is actually cast from a 3-D scan of a wooden face mask in Princeton University Art Museum’s collection that

Renee Cox (born 1960, Colgate, Jamaica; active New York, NY), The Signing, 2018, printed 2020. Inkjet print; 121.9 x 213.4 cm. Princeton University Art Museum. Museum purchase, Kathleen Compton Sherrerd Fund for Acquisitions in American Art (2021-38) © Renee Cox.

was created by a Dan (an ethnic group of peoples that hail from the border of Cote d’Ivoire and Liberia in Africa) artist in the 20th century.

The image of a crouching figure on the opposite side of Hayden’s To Be Titled 2 is taken from a 1789 porcelain medallion in Princeton’s collection depicting an anonymous enslaved person underneath words that say in French: “Am I not a man and a brother?” This silhouette became one of the most recognized and reproduced images of the international European anti-slavery campaign in the eighteenth century. Interestingly, in the exhibition at the Speed, you can see these exact historic objects in the same display case as Hayden’s contemporary artwork.

By literally combining these different references into one single object, Hayden conjoins their histories and suggests we think about our past. In 2020, the artist said: “[This work] ….grew from the idea of Southern food — with its African American, even slave, origins — being the only true American food.

Cast-iron skillets are an early cooking technology… [the skillet, mask, and medallion] are objects that didn’t necessarily interact in history. They are geographically dispersed, though of course historically Hugh Hayden, born 1983 To Be Titled Africa did interact with these places through the slave trade. I’m synthesizing them in these skillets — 2, 2020 Seasoned cast iron Princeton which is related to the history of Black people in America, taken from one place and melded together University Art Museum. Museum over time to form something new. Being African American, I am myself undeniably of African origin, purchase, Fowler McCormick, Class of 1921, Fund, by exchange 2020­330 but an abstraction of it.”

Contemporary artworks like Hayden’s cast iron skillet reflect on the disjointed complexities of the African diaspora, as well as the way in which our cultures both remember and forget and remind us that we are inherently interconnected.

In an exhibition that is positively bursting with iconic names and images by the likes of Childe Hassam, Frederic Remington, Mary Cassatt and Winslow Homer, we are simultaneously invited into the fold to see artworks by these recognizable figures in tandem with works like important emerging artists like Hugh Hayden as a way to expand our understanding of where we all come from.

Asher Brown Durand (American,1796–1886),Landscape, 1859. Oil on canvas; 77 × 61.5 cm. Princeton University Art Museum. Gift of J. O. MacIntosh, Class of 1902 (y1955-3249)

John Singleton Copley (American,1738–1815), Elkanah Watson, 1782. Oil on canvas; 149 × 121 cm.

Princeton University Art Museum. Gift of the estate of Josephine Thomson Swann ( y1964-181)

By Karen Gillenwater, Director of Learning, Engagement, and Belonging Here, Gillenwater provides an overview of the interpretation approach for Stories Retold: American Art from the Princeton University Art Museum.

This exhibition provides the opportunity for each of us to learn something new about ourselves, experience other perspectives, and learn about and participate in the collective storytelling that leads to understanding and action.

Experience art through a mirror, window, or door.

A sense of belonging and discovery runs through the ways that guests can engage with the artworks on view in Stories Retold. The artworks serve as mirrors –reflecting personal connections to the stories told through the artworks, windows—a way to see new perspectives, and doors—inspiration to take steps toward positive change. Each is a way to share the experience and learn with others.

Gaze into a Mirror. Art can help us to learn about ourselves.

As guests begin the journey through this exhibit, we invite them to connect the artworks to their lived experience. Sitting in a comfortable chair, they can pick up a journal, take in writings and drawings from other guests, and add their own. Questions in the journals encourage guests to share elements of their personal stories – the setting, plot, characters, feelings of their world—to discover something new about themselves and add their perspectives to the exhibition.

Look through a Window. Art can show us another perspective and help us learn about our world.

Moving from self-reflection to conversation, guests can sit together and play Actually Curious, a card game created by Curiosity Lab that uses non-judgmental, open-ended questions to encourage conversation. To create a deeper connection with the exhibition, guests can sort the cards into boxes marked with the topics of race, gender and environment based on how they think about the question on the card.

Photo courtesy of Mindy Best Photography

Open a Door. Art can invite us to take the next step.

To inspire contributions to positive actions in our world, each guest is invited to write an intention on a card about how they can challenge personal biases, create safer spaces for marginalized communities, reduce their environmental footprint, or raise awareness of the connections between race, gender, and environment. They can then add their card to a collection of intentions left by others.

Your Story Retold At the end of the exhibit, we invite guests to share personal responses, learning and resources with others. Each guest can select one or more mirror, window, or door card and write or draw a response, such as these, recently contributed by guests: What parts of your personal story do you want to be able to tell differently in the future?

“Finish school. Show my kids the better paths. Help them Achieve.”

“La vida es bella.”

How will you talk about the story of America differently in the future?

“Continue to emphasize & uplift people/narratives/histories that have historically been silenced and /or undervalued.”

“Telling all sides of a story can make a difference and truly bring forth truth.”

Inspire collective action. Please share a resource here to help contribute toward positive change in our community.

“988 – if you need help call/text this number! You’re enough and worth it.”

“Have a purpose! Join an organization like League of Women Voters.”

Stories Retold provides a variety of tools to help everyone accept the Speed’s invitation to join us to learn about ourselves through art.

Speed Art Museum 2035 South Third Street Louisville, Kentucky 40208 502.634.2700 September 29, 2023 - January 7, 2024 Learn more: www.speedmuseum.org

Ammi Phillips (American, 1788–1865), Boy in Red, ca. 1832. Oil on canvas; 59.7x50.8cm, 74.6x65.7x5.1cm(frame). Princeton University Art Museum.

Gift of Edward Duff Balken, Class of 1897 (y1958-75) Photo Bruce M. White.

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Louisville Ballet Presents:

By Max Klein Photos: Matt Johnson

The Brown-Forman Nutcracker

Since 1954,The Louisville Ballet has performed the iconic legacy and tradition of The Nutcracker, with a special performance this year presented

by Brown-Forman. Artistic Director Uwe Kern said this specific version of the performance has been ongoing since 2009.

“It’s very Louisville-centric,” he said.“It’s called the Brown-Forman Nutcracker for a reason. First, they wonderfully sponsored the performance we created. It cost a lot of money for set design and costumes; within the sets there are a lot of Louisville landmarks to see. Instead of having ‘Mother Ginger,’ for example, we have ‘Mother Derby,’ so the children are little Jockeys.” “‘The Nutcracker and the Mouse King’ is a short story published in 1816 by E.T.A. Hoffman, which inspired ‘The Nutcracker Suite,’ composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. In some adaptations, the role of Marie is referred to as Clara; this is changed with artistic preference for each performance. Director Kern states there are four teams of dancers rehearsing to perform for the season. VOICE-TRIBUNE recently spoke with four of the Marie dancers about their excitement for the upcoming performances.

Elizabeth Abbick, performing in multiple Nutcracker roles and an understudy for Marie, is in the second year of her career with Louisville Ballet.“Nutcracker is often one of the ballets that introduces people to ballet for the first time, so there’s a lot of magic that happens on stage, especially in the first act. Finding that childhood whimsy and magic can bring audiences back to nostalgic memories and magic in everyday life.”

What are your favorite elements of the performance?

“I love the snow scene, the ‘pas de deux’ is beautiful, and there’s sixteen snowflakes on the stage that make different patterns. The ‘pas de deux’ in French means ‘step of two,’ so it’s often when two lead roles dance together. The snow ‘pas de deux’ is when the Nutcracker and Marie dance together for the first time. It also snows on stage…it’s a magical piece for everyone to be involved in.”

Anna Ford has been dancing for 18 years, and has been with the Louisville Ballet since 2020.

What do you want audiences to look for during the show?

“I think really just the joy that Marie has; she’s so excited when she gets the nutcracker, it’s like the best thing that’s ever happened to her. Then when he comes to life, he’s so overjoyed and happy…I love the magic, the costumes, the props, everything feels so special and nostalgic.”

Caitlin Kowalski, one of the Marie dancers, states,“My favorite element I think is the party scene. If you look around the stage, there’s different characters being themselves, making up the one full story. So even if you’re just scanning the edges of the stage, there’s always something going on. I just think Val’s (Caniparoli) choreography is so effective with the music. It’s really easy for non-dancers to watch.”

Amber Wicke speaks on her dedication to improvement within her role.

“I feel like as artists, we’re constantly trying to improve our craft and you know, that’s why we do what we do every day. But I think what’s so unique about Nutcracker is it is kind of the one thing that’s constant every year and we get to revisit it … you get to have a new perspective, or you get to look at it in a new way and approach the work differently, even though it’s maybe the same steps. I feel like that is a really unique way that we’re able to keep improving the character and improving the technique.”

What do you want audiences to look for during the performance?

“Well, I think especially with Marie, she’s the one that tells us the story; you watch the story unfold through her eyes. So I really want the audience to be able to see just the magic…that’s what’s so special about Nutcracker. There’s real magic and then there’s the magic that we get to create with dance, and dancing together in the community. She’s such a young girl, so you got to kind of go back … for maybe older audience members, to what

it’s like to be a kid around the holidays. I think that is such a special thing that Nutcracker, and Marie in particular captures, so I really want them to look for that, the youth in the holiday season.”

Director Kern had this to say about upcoming performances: “After Nutcracker, we are doing the choreography showcase that’s going to be in the studio, that’s where the dancers are choreographing for the dancers. It’s a really intimate experience for the audience, we’ve been doing that for 20-plus years probably. After that we’re doing Romeo and Juliet.”

The Louisville Ballet will be performing The Brown-Forman Nutcracker 17 times this season as follows: Friday, December 8, 2023 @ 7:30PM Saturday, December 9, 2023 @ 1:30PM Saturday, December 9, 2023 @ 7:30PM Sunday, December 10, 2023 @ 11:00AM (Sensory-Friendly Performance) Sunday, December 10, 2023 @ 3:00PM Thursday, December 14, 2023 @ 7:30PM Friday, December 15, 2023 @ 7:30PM Saturday, December 16, 2023 @ 1:30PM Saturday, December 16, 2023 @ 7:30PM Sunday, December 17, 2023 @ 1:30PM Sunday, December 17, 2023 @ 7:30PM Thursday, December 21, 2023 @ 7:30PM Friday, December 22, 2023 @ 1:30PM Friday, December 22, 2023 @ 7:30PM Saturday, December 23, 2023 @ 1:30PM (No-Shush Performance) Saturday, December 23, 2023 @ 7:30PM Sunday, December 24, 2023 @ 1:30PM

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UofL’s Christian Cunningham attempts a shot over UK’s Tyler Herro during a game in the 2019 season in the KFC Yum! Center won by the Wildcats 71-58.

Photo by: Wesley Crane

Dream Game

Nightmare HAS BECOME A

FOR UOFL AS UK TRIES TO EXTEND DOMINANCE

By Russ Brown • Photos by Wesley Crane and Gail Kamenish When the Louisville-Kentucky basketball rivalry was renewed, courtesy of the NCAA selection committee, which put the two hated rivals on a collision course for the 1983 NCAA Mideast Regional Final in Knoxville, it was dubbed “The Dream Game.”

The high-stakes matchup produced an instant classic, with the Cardinals winning 80-68 in overtime to advance to the Final Four in Albuquerque, N.M., and provided the impetus for revival of the regular season series in 1983-84 after a quarter-century hiatus. Since then, there have been many spirited showdowns between the two combatants that resembled March Madness in December.

One of the rivals was usually ranked, and often both were. There have been 19 times since ‘84 that both teams were ranked when they tangled, six times when both were in the top 10. Before their 2020 game, UK was ranked in 14 consecutive polls and 19 of the previous 21. They have met twice in the NCAA Tournament since ‘83, with both games being won by UK — 69-61 in the national semifinals in New Orleans in 2012 and in the 2014 Sweet Sixteen 74-69 in Indianapolis.

However, the kind of hard-fought encounters that characterized the series most seasons have been missing in recent years because the dream has turned into a nightmare for Louisville, becoming lopsided in favor of Kentucky.

The Wildcats have won 12 of the last 15 games, including four of the last five, with the exception being 2020 when the Cards prevailed 62-59 in the KFC Yum! Center the day after Christmas. (The game wasn’t played during the 2021-22 season due to the pandemic). UofL hasn’t been ranked at any time in four of the last five years.

Three of those Kentucky victories have come by an average of 21.6 points. Last year, the Cats clobbered former assistant coach Kenny Payne’s first UofL club 86-63 in Rupp Arena and UK will try to extend its dominance when it squares off against UofL on Dec. 21 in the KFC Yum! Center, the first time the game has been played before Christmas day since 2006.

Coming from tiny Laurel, Mississippi deep in SEC country, Payne wasn’t aware of the intensity of the Louisville-Kentucky basketball rivalry. But he got an immediate crash course on its importance during his first workout with his fellow freshmen in the summer of 1985 in Crawford Gym. He described what happened last year prior to the UK/UofL game in Lexington.

A gentleman who was around the program — I can’t remember who he was — brought us all in a huddle and said, ‘Let me explain to you what Louisville basketball is. No matter what happens in the season, if you beat Kentucky you’re making a lot of people happy.’ I said, ‘So we can go O-and-whatever?’ And he said yes.”

“I’m 17-18 years old, and an adult is looking at me saying no matter if we go (winless) otherwise. . .I’m like, ‘what in the world is he talking about?’ And that was my first day on campus. Didn’t know what Kentucky was, coming from Mississippi. I didn’t understand the rivalry until I got here.”

Payne was involved in four games against UK as a player for UofL through the 1986-89 seasons, but beat the Wildcats only once, 97-75 as a senior on Dec. 31, 1988 (‘89 season), in Freedom Hall. Even the 1986 national championship team couldn’t get the best of the Cats, losing 69-64 in Rupp Arena. The other losses came in 1987 (85-51, H) and 1988 (76-75, A). Kentucky leads the overall series that dates back to 1913 38-17 and the modern series 29-14 that spans the careers of 11 coaches combined, including Hall of Famers Denny Crum, Rick Pitino (who coached national title teams at both schools) and John Calipari.

Now Payne has the unique perspective of competing in the Battle of the Bluegrass as an assistant coach at Kentucky, a player at Louisville and the head coach of the Cardinals. And, with eight new players on this year’s roster, he will try to hammer into his players essentially the same message the fan gave him a quarter-century ago: This game is B-I-G. When facing a rival or an otherwise big game, most coaches resort to old standby cliches such as “It’s just another game,” or “We treat every game the same.” Not Payne. No coach-speak. Not when it comes to Cards vs. Cats.

“I’m hoping I can get the players to understand this is a little different,” Payne said. “Understand what this means to all the people involved. To Kentucky fans, to Louisville fans, to the school, the administration, the state of Kentucky, the emotional ties to both programs. It means a lot to a lot of people. It means a lot to me. It’s not just, go dribble and shoot.”

“I’m trying to be authentic as I can be, as original as I can, as genuine as I can and as honest as I can. I know coaches want to take the pressure off the kids. I don’t want to do that. I lived it and I want them to know what this game means. There’s something different about the focus, the intensity, the energy, and we have to fight. I want them to understand what we’re walking into and what it takes to deal with it.”

Payne didn’t have to preach that gospel to JJ Traynor, one of just two UofL scholarship players from Kentucky (the other is hometown freshman Kaleb Glenn). Traynor is the son of former Cardinal Jason Osborne (1993-94, 1994-95) and was a star at Bardstown High School, where he was coached by another ex-Card, James “Boo” Brewer (1989-93).

“The rivalry’s always been very big to me,” Traynor says. “I remember at school when Louisville played Kentucky it would be almost like an ‘off day.’ We’d watch the games in class. The history’s there. It’s just an exciting game and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

For a teammate, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, it’s an ongoing learning experience. A transfer from Tennessee, he saw the rivalry up close last season for the first time.

“When I first got here, I heard, ‘Beat Kentucky, Beat Kentucky’ a lot,” he said. “I know how important it is. Coach Payne told us it’s like way more than basketball, it’s war between two teams. It’s personal for everybody on the team, especially for Coach Payne. So I think we all take it very seriously.”

UK went 10-2 against UofL with Payne on the staff, so he knows how one-sided it has become. He says it is the responsibility of Louisville to make the series competitive again.

Kentucky’s Tyler Ullis is chased upcourt by Louisville’s Quentin Snider and Donovan Mitchell in Rupp Arena in 2016 won by UK 75-73.

Photo by Wesley Crane

UofL’s Russ Smith (left) dribbles upcourt with teammate Peyton Siva, with a Kentucky defender between them during an 80-77 Cardinal victory in the Yum! Center in 2013.

Photo by Gail Kamenish

Louisville’s Donovan Mitchell comforts teammate Damion Lee in Rupp Arena on Dec. 26, 2015. Lee missed a game-winning three-point shot at the buzzer.

Photo by Gail Kamenish

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“It’s on Louisville to make it a rivalry,” he says. “It’s not on Kentucky. Kentucky has been dominant, there’s been a lot of success. We have to bring it. We have to up it. We have to meet them on a level playing field that makes them worry about us. It’s not on Cal and Kentucky. We have to do our part. We have to build a culture to where it’s a real rivalry again.”

Payne is also hoping that the two schools can dial back the hate a bit.

“I don’t want it to be a hatred,” he said going into his first season as UofL’s coach. “Kentucky has been great to me. Is it a rivalry? Of course. It’s one of the best rivalries, if not the best, in all of college basketball.

That’s going to be there.

“I would like it to be respectful, I would like for both programs to know that we both can cheer for each other, or respect each other, and both have success. It benefits the whole state of Kentucky. That’s what I’m really more about.”

Payne added that he knows from his years of experience with him that Calipari doesn’t hate UofL. “UofL’s program is vital for our state,” Calipari said shortly after Payne was hired. “That program, in our biggest city, has to do things and you have the perfect person to bring people together. I will hate to coach against Kenny, but I’m happy to see him in this role. It’s good for the state. With that said, I still want to win.”

Payne says he loves Calipari and he knows the UK coach feels the same about him, but they can’t be friendly on the court for those 40 minutes each December.

“Obviously, we know we have jobs that make us go at each other,” Payne said prior to their first game a year ago. “When we compete, he wants to beat my head in, as he’s said, and I want to win a game. By one.”

UK’s Tyler Ullis looks to pass while being guarded

by UofL’s Trey Lewis and Onuaku Chinanu in Rupp Arena in the Cats’ 75-73 win.

Photo by Wesley Crane

UK’s Marquis Estill reaches for the ball from Louisville’s Marvin Stone at Freedom Hall on Dec. 28, 2002.

The late Marvin Stone, who saw both sides of the UK-UofL rivalry. He played for the Wildcats from 1999-2002, then transferred to UofL for the 2003 season.

Photo by Gail Kamenish

Steadied by a Stalwart Defense, Louisville Drives for the Football Finish Line By Bill Doolittle What a ride it’s been so far on the Louisville football express. The Cardinals have rolled through a remarkable season under new coach Jeff Brohm – coming from “Notmuchnoticedville” to The Ville, breaking into the Top 10 just in time for the arrival of bowl season.

Still ahead, as this edition goes to press, is a final Atlantic Coast Conference game at Miami, a home rivalry distraction with Kentucky, a possible conference playoff in Charlotte with ACC top dog Florida State – and a trip to some bowl, somewhere. Louisville is 9-1, and this year won’t be settling for another appearance in the Belk Bowl, or the Beef O’Brady’s Bowl. A bigger bowl bid, which goes with a high finish in the ACC and a strong overall record, is likely. Possibilities include the Gator Bowl, Sun Bowl, the New Year’s Day ReliaQuest Bowl, and if – IF -- things happen to go perfectly, Louisville could be headed to the Orange Bowl, Dec. 30, in Miami.

Readers will recall Louisville’s previous Orange Bowl appearance in 2007, a 24-13 victory over Wake Forest behind the quarterbacking of Brian Brohm, Jeff’s younger brother, and the current offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at U of L. So things are in place for the stretch drive to the wire.

But even with a late bump in the road, one would expect a good ending for this team. Because, looking back to mid-season, when things could have gone in any direction, Louisville was able to overcome a serious setback to get as far as it has.

A look at that critical series of mid-season melodramas provides an excellent look at the personality and potential of the team.

How they got here. And what they might do next.

Picture perfect Now we’re back to October. Cruising along toward football midseason, it’s all blue skies and autumn colors ahead for Louisville. Six foes up, six down.

And then … Ka-THUNK! That was the sound of U of L’s’ luxury limo hitting an inglorious Pittsburgh pothole.

The previously unbeaten Cardinals, coming off a picture book triumph over Notre Dame before a record home crowd on October 7, dropped a wheel into an Allegheny crater a week later and the victory bus broke down in a 38-21 loss to the University of Pittsburgh. Street potholes are notorious in Pittsburgh, and the gridiron going proved just as lumpy on a rainy night at Heinz Field, now called Acrisure. Louisville went wobbly in the first half, then didn’t score a point in the second.

Kind of broke the spell.

After firing on all cylinders versus Notre Dame, Louisville played fumbly-peg with one-win Pitt. It was such a contrast of two games, those two weekends in October. But it set the dramatic agenda for the rest of the season. Louisville could have reacted in any way.

Against Notre Dame, Louisville’s offensive and defensive lines clicked like clockwork. The blockers, tacklers, runners, kicker, passer and pass receivers ALL got to their right spots before their opponents. One defender, Quincy Riley, at 6-feet, 185 lbs., went up high to stun Notre Dame’s star pass catcher Mitchell Evans, who is half a foot taller and 66 lbs. heavier. Boom!

The big star of the game was Louisville running back Jawhar Jordan, who ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns. Jordan opened up the field and ran right past defenders. On one play, as Jordan swept around end, a Notre Dame safety rotated to the exact perfect position for the

tackle – but Jordan flew by.

“The safety got just the line on Jordan he wanted – but it wasn’t the right line,” said Louisville radio analyst Craig Swabek.“It happens every week. They just underestimate his speed.”

But all that stuff was off against Pittsburgh. Jordan was injured and left the game early. As did cornerback Jarvis Brownlee. Lineman Renato Brown injured his knee warming up on the slippery field and went out for the season. But mostly Louisville missed plays by inches that it had previously won by inches. The timing was off. The speed to the ball was a split-second slow. The Cardinals fumbled six times (losing two), and quarterback Jack Plummer threw two interceptions. Three of the turnovers came when Louisville had sped down the field to score — but didn’t.

“The ball hit the ground a lot,” was Brohm’s classically clipped critique.

“I have to do a better job getting us ready to play,” said Brohm.“We have to understand that every week is going to be a battle and if you don’t do the little things right, execute, and play better than they do, you’re not going to win the game.”

Simply said, and, oh, so true.

“It happens to everyone,” says Jim Knoer, a refreshingly less blame-casting observer than most. Knoer, a science guy, played some football, coached a little, but most of all is able to explain what he sees in a thoughtful way.

“One week, you beat somebody you shouldn’t,” says Knoer.“Then somebody beats you, who shouldn’t. It’s college football. And especially in league play.”

“The only teams it doesn’t happen to are teams like Clemson, in our league a couple years ago. In their national championship years, they

Photo Credit: UofL Athletics

Louisville running back Jawhar Jordan

didn’t let anybody in the Atlantic Coast Conference beat them.”

Clemson won the 2016 and 2018 National Championships, amid a flurry of playoff appearances that emulated similar strings of excellence at Alabama and Georgia.

Which is exactly what Louisville fans were dreaming about as the Cardinals won those first six games of 2023. Winning all your conference games is an almost sure-fire way out of the Atlantic Coast Conference and maybe into a berth in the college football championship playoffs.

Even Cincinnati, of the American Athletic Conference, got into a four-team playoff in just that fashion two seasons ago. Cincinnati! And so did Texas Christian last year, going 9-0 in its league – even upsetting Michigan to get to the final playoff game – where the Horned Frogs (how’s that for a nickname?) bowed to the Georgia Bulldogs.

Against their better judgment (most would admit), Louisville fans were hoping to get a taste of that rarified big bowl and playoff cake after the big win over Notre Dame. And it was possible, with a winnable schedule ahead.

Didn’t happen.

On the radio Skeeter Davis was singing,“The End of the World.”

It’s never just one pothole But one loss isn’t the end of the world, says Knoer.“What you do is you just go on.”

And go on they did. Instead of foundering at the end of the world, Louisville dusted itself off and came on again. The next week it whipped Duke 23-0. A previous conference contender, Duke never got near the goal line.

Louisville’s defense was nearly as impenetrable the following week, whipping Virginia Tech 34-3.

Of course, there’s always another pothole, and the next one was named Virginia – coming to town with a 2-7 record, but looking to upset.

The thing to remember about the University of Virginia is it always gives it “the old college try.”

Plus, Knoer notes, Virginia has good players, with size.

“There are so many forces at work in college football. When you run up against a team that is two and seven like Virginia, and they’re getting to play a team that is eight and one, and they’ve had a tough time — just think of all those seven games they had to go in, lower their heads, hear all that stuff. Now they can get something back if they beat this team.”

Louisville led 14-0, but Virginia scored three touchdowns in the third quarter (two off UofL turnovers), and a repeat of the Pittsburgh loss seemed to be brewing.

“And it’s just the way it is, because football is like 80 percent momentum,” says Knoer.“If you get the momentum, your juices are flowing. You just play better no matter how big one guy is over the other. Because they all lift weights, they all do sprints, they all eat right. They all do the same thing. The only difference is if you’ve got the momentum, and you’re fired up, you can lift up a Volkswagen, or knock that defensive end on his butt.”

But Louisville’s defense slammed the door. Cardinal pass rushers came calling and took charge of the game. A 31-24 close call that saved the season.

Putting a little ‘English’ on the pass rush With Jeff Brohm taking over as coach, everybody thought Louisville would be a high-scoring offensive powerhouse. The Cardinals do have a good offense, but it’s the defense that’s setting a style for the team. And that’s the department of defensive coordinator Ron English, a top cop expert in stopping opponents.

Brohm brought English with him from Purdue, which was one of the California native’s many posts with winning clubs over a 30-year coaching career. English says he doesn’t do anything magic, just solid defensive football: stop the run, then go after the passer.

But there’s probably a little more wizardry involved.

“Louisville was getting good on defense last year, but Ron English has taken that to an even higher level,” says Knoer.

“So just think of all the different techniques he’s learned from all those different jobs. That wealth of football knowledge. It could be that at UofL, he’s able to come up with a scheme that works from all that accumulated knowledge. It used to be that Louisville might have one guy that was great and was going on to the pros, like Elvis Dumervil. Now we have a bunch of guys that can get to the quarterback.”

And here they come!

English says Louisville’s success is more about people than plays. Knowing they had a strong core of returning defensive players, the new coaches mined the transfer portal for even more experience and skill. Now Louisville fields a playmaking defense – with depth.

“I think we just got lucky with a great group of guys who’ve really bought in,” says English.“They bought in, and are really willing to do what we ask them to do.”

And the Louisville coaching staff, he says, is assembled in the same fashion as the team — with a mission to succeed. Brohm says he wants to win right away. In a big way.

“We’re still kind of not the biggest brand in this league or even the country as it pertains to college football, but in our minds we are,” says English.“We are going to play with anybody – and compete when we get out there.”

Louisville Coach Jeff Brohn

Pass rushing ace Ashton Gillotte

Photo Credit: Bill Dolittle

Defensive lineman Raymon Puryear is a graduate of Louisville Eastern High, working on a masters degree in business at U of L.

Featured Twirler Morgan Proctor and the UofL Marching Band

Talking the talk, walking the walk Miami coming up at the climax of the season brings memories of coach Howard Schnellenberger, who built strong teams with swagger at Louisville and won a national championship at the University of Miami. Brohm quarterbacked Schnellenberger’s 1993 Liberty Bowl championship team – and was obviously paying attention.

“You know,” says Brohm,“Coach Schnellenberger was a real football guy that could ‘talk the talk’ and ‘walk the walk’ and took on every challenge ahead of him full-speed ahead with no fear. And his players and teams responded. I just think anyone that knows him or played for him has learned a lot from him. Basically, how to not back away from big games, how to rise to the occasion, how to get the most out of your players and your team. I think there’s a lot of people on both sides of these two teams that will have a lot of connections to Coach and I’m sure take a lot of things from him, and definitely I’m one of them.”

One minute, start to finish Meanwhile, congratulations to the University of Louisville marching band which performs “The Star-Spangled Banner” before games at L&N Stadium in the official United States of America version. That is, at tempo — noted on the score as “With Spirit.” That’s without the stretched-out caterwauling inflicted upon citizens by so many singers at so many other venues (“... and the rock-its red glare.”). I think it’s a country music thing. You go slow enough it gives the singer a chance to locate the right notes. Maybe.

But the proper tempo, especially before a ball game, is the way the Louisville band plays it: With Spirit. One minute, start to finish. ***

Calipari says he’s the Luckiest Guy Coaching Kentucky Basketball at Kentucky

By Keith Taylor Photos: Les Nicholson

John Calipari isn’t sure what to expect from the Wildcats this year, but he likes the direction his team is headed early in the season.

“I feel comfortable with who we are, but you will know at the end of the year,” Calipari said.“When we’re ‘Kentucky good’ like these kids want to be, they’ll have a winning will to win and a toughness (about them).”

That toughness was on display during Kentucky’s 88-84 loss to No. 1 Kansas in the Champions Classic on November 15 in Chicago. The Wildcats, playing without important post players Aaron Bradshaw, Ugonna Onyenso and Zvonomir Ivisic, led by 14 in the second half before the Jayhawks rallied down the stretch.

Photo: Keith Taylor

Calipari said his Wildcats,“showed the fight to survive.”

“We got down early and it looked like what everybody said would happen -- we’re going to get smashed. Then all of a sudden we’re up and then there’s one play at the end of the half, we’re up 10.”

Behind the scenes, the practices, Calipari said, are “chippy.” But things change at the end of each workout, which he says is the sign of a close-knit team.

“I could hear them in the locker room (after a recent practice),” Calipari said.“I don’t know what they were doing, but they were screaming and yelling and laughing — that’s what you want from your team. We are on the court competing, but let’s have fun together.” Calipari has a mixture of veterans and newcomers on his squad, but his top talent lies within the freshman class, a throwback to some of his first teams at Kentucky.

“If you ask me: talent or experience, I’m taking talent,” he said.“The talent usually figures it out.”

Veterans Antonio Reeves and West Virginia transfer Tre Mitchell, along with Adou Thiero, have been a steady presence in the early going, while newcomers D.J. Wagner, Rob Dillingham, Justin Edwards, Reed Sheppard and Jordan Burks have lived up to their potential early in their debut season.

To measure Kentucky’s three big men, start with a seven-foot ladder. Bradshaw and Oyenso, a returning sophomore, are expected to return to the court before the Wildcats begin Southeastern Conference play in late December. Ivisic, a foreign transfer from Vitez Croatia, is awaiting final clearance from the NCAA before he can officially take the court.

Sheppard is the son of former UK guard Jeff Sheppard, who played on two national championship teams with the Wildcats (1996 and 1988). Wagner is the son of former Memphis guard DeJuan Wagner, and his grandfather, Milt Wagner played at Louisville and won a national championship with the Cardinals in 1986.

Kentucky’s post play is expected to get a boost once Zvonomir Ivisic, Ugonna Onyenso and Aaron Bradshaw are cleared to play this season.

“These guys are trying and will listen, and we’ll coach,” said Calipari.“I told the staff, they are going to do whatever we tell them. It’s unbelievable. So let’s make sure we are telling them the right thing, because they are doing what we’re saying. And they are trying. And we have got some dogs.”

The coach has been impressed with the way the Wildcats have played at a “random pace,” which he says, matches the team’s roster, which includes a mix of veterans and newcomers.

“There’s not one way to do this, you have got to do it this way (or that way),” he said.“There’s not one way. You look at your team and you say ‘what’s the best way for them to play?’ And normally, you know, it takes me time. We had Toronto (over the summer), so I had a head start. I had a little look at this and how we are trying to do this.”

Calipari also will likely do a lot of tweaking to the lineup throughout the year. Ivisic has yet to receive clearance from the NCAA and won’t compete until his eligibility is declared by the college governing body.

And the coach has been taking a slower approach – a “ramp up” – to get Zvonimir on the court and into the flow.

“When I saw him the first time, I think it was his excitement to be playing … what I’m seeing, but he’s going to be fine,” Calipari said.“I am just a little leery … he’s in running shape and all of that and shooting then, all of a sudden, it becomes like football.

“That’s a different type of mentality, but I’m proud of him. We love him. He’s going to be so good for this team. He’s a basketball player. Everybody that’s come in contact with him loves him.”

Zvonimir, who has gotten to know former Kentucky forward DeMarcus Cousins since arriving in Lexington, admitted his first month has been a whirlwind.

“I’m excited, same as you are,” Zvonimir said.“(But) longer practice and harder practices. I wasn’t ready like I thought I was going to be. …this is all new to me. I’m pretty nervous, not going to lie.”

Things are much the same for his coach. When he arrived at Kentucky, Calipari said a decade on the job would be the maximum, but now in his 15th season, he said he still has the drive and determination to succeed.

“This is one of those jobs you have to love the grind of it,” he said.“You cannot listen to the clutter. You can’t. You can’t buy into anything. You just gotta make sure you’re coaching your team.”

“At the other side of it,” he said,“you have to get the best players you can get here, because the expectation is it doesn’t matter who was in that uniform. What’s the expectation? National championship.”

Entering the middle of his second decade, amid the changes with Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), combined with the transfer portal, Calipari is “liking where this program is right now.”

“I’m coaching at Kentucky basketball at Kentucky in the SEC — think about it — that’s why I’m the luckiest guy out there. I’m lucky and fortunate that I’ve had this opportunity. Let’s have some fun.”

Kentucky freshman guard and reigning Kentucky Mr. Basketball Reed Sheppard has been a steady presence already for the Wildcats this season.

Craig Swabek was a starting fullback for Louisville in the 1980s and is a color analyst for the Cardinals’ radio network.

CARDS OWE A

Debt of Gratitude FOR THEIR SUCCESS TO PROGRAM’S ‘PIONEERS’

By Russ Brown With Louisville having surprised the college football world by advancing to the ACC Championship this month for the first time and qualifying for a top tier New Year’s Six Bowl, it’s time for a short history lesson in how the program began its rigorous climb into the rare air of those heights.

It took some “pioneers” who believed in a vision nearly 40 years ago and were willing to put their blood, sweat, and yes, some tears, into trying to raise the program from the depths. Howard Schnellenberger, the man who led them through those difficult times, has been duly honored with his name on the football complex at L&N Stadium and trophies for the winner of Louisville’s games against Kentucky and Miami.

But the fortitude, sacrifices and herculean-like efforts of players like Matt Battaglia, Craig Swabek, Chris Thieneman and scores of others have largely gone unrecognized or forgotten.

In 1980 when Bill Olsen became Louisville’s athletic director, the football program was in deep trouble, well on the way to nine straight losing seasons, bleeding money, being subsidized by the University’s general fund and attracting little fan support for its home games in old Cardinal Stadium. Many of the fans who did attend were there courtesy of free tickets from various businesses or promotions. There was talk of downsizing to Division II or even eliminating the sport altogether.

An independent marketing committee advised Olsen not to even try and sell football, but rather “SIZZLE.” So the season ticket campaign’s slogan became “Come have a ball in the fall” with tailgate parties and other events and giveaways. It worked, increasing season ticket sales from 3,000 in 1980 to over 14,000 in 1984. Still, there was no excitement and little interest for football except from a relatively small base of hard-core followers. Most fans were simply waiting for basketball season.

Then came the watershed event in the development of the program in 1985: Olsen’s hiring of Schnellenberger, who had built Miami into a national power and led the Hurricanes to the 1983 national championship but was out of coaching at the time. No one thought Olsen could convince Schnellenberger, 50, to take on the mammoth task of reviving a program that was on life support.

“I thought there was nothing to lose,” Olsen said in recalling those days recently. “By identifying Howard, we showed we were serious about building a championship program and seeking the best coach to do it.”

Olsen proved to be an ace salesman and Schnellenberger agreed to a 5-year contract worth $250,000 per year (small change for coaches now). In 1993, he signed a six-year extension, but he left after the 1994 season to become the head coach at Oklahoma.

Although Schnellenberger’s hiring sparked a huge increase in fan support, UofL still struggled through three more losing seasons with a combined 8-24-1 record before finishing 8-3 in 1988. He had made the comment after his first practice that UofL had only five players of Division I caliber. The apex of Schnellenberger’s tenure came with a 34-7 upset of Alabama in the 1990 Fiesta Bowl that put the program on the national college football map.

Chris Thieneman, who is now a Louisville businessman, played on UofL teams from 1983-87 and earned All-America honors.

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Matt Battaglia believed in Howard Schnellenberger’s vision and came north from Atlanta to play linebacker for the Cards.

“One thing he sold me on when he recruited me was the chance to be on the ground floor and lay a foundation for something that hadn’t been done before. There was a time period where I thought we were unappreciated for what we had to go through and that hurt a little. I left a lot of skin on that (artificial) turf at old Cardinal Stadium. For a while, I was a little jealous of everything the players have now and how nice their lavish facilities are, all that type of stuff. But I got over it.”

CHRIS THIENEMAN, All-American defensive end, 1983-87: “Coach Schnellenberger would tell us before practice, ‘Fellas, you’re never going to get credit. Nobody’s ever going to remember you. You’re not going to be part of greatness. You just have to be proud to know that you were here for the start of something great.’ And we were okay with that. He wanted to run a lot of players off, filter out the ones who really wanted to play and would give their right arm for him. I think my class had only four seniors.”

“I got to see the transition from a game to a business. When that started happening under Coach Schnellenberger, there was more money and he made sure we ate well. We were just glad we didn’t have to eat fried chicken every day or leftovers from Masterson’s. That was a turning point. I went through the football complex the other day and it’s like an NFL team now, especially compared to what we had.”

“The turf at (L&N Stadium) looks like a fresh lawn. Playing and practicing at Cardinal Stadium was very dangerous because it was just outdoor carpet laid on concrete. I mean we’d have burns all over; our skin would be peeled off and there were a lot more concussions than you see today. It was just a really hard field. On a Thanksgiving Day game we had to play on ice because they didn’t clean it off. One day running out to practice the ‘turf monster’ — that’s what we called it — hits, Coach falls to the ground and we have to run around him.”

“In my final season in 1987, we lost to Murray State (34-10), then the following week got beat badly by Southern Miss (65-6) and at a press conference, Howard said, ‘They may be dogs, but they’re my dogs.’

We thought that was funny and after that we would start barking every once in a while. And it was just three years after that when they beat Alabama in the Fiesta Bowl.”

Photo by Wesley Crane Gary Nord inducted into Hall of Fame at Holy Cross in November. With wife Kathy, Photo by Wesley Crane son Nate and wife Leah, grandkids Parker and Brady

Coach Schnellenberger came and fulfilled my dreams for where we wanted football to become someday,” Olsen said. “It’s fitting that Jeff Brohm is our coach now and rewarding our fans who supported our dreams.

Since the Fiesta Bowl victory, UofL has experienced numerous ups and downs, but has remained on solid footing. And with the hiring last December of Jeff Brohm, a member of the city’s first family of football, the Cards took another big step, as evidenced by the team’s remarkable success this season. Schnellenberger’s famous motto was: “Our program is on a collision course with the national championship. The only variable is time.” And now that goal doesn’t seem nearly as far-fetched as it did back then.

Here are some of the memories of a few players and a current assistant coach who were present at the beginning: MATT BATTAGLIA, All-American linebacker, 1983-86: “When they recruited me, they did a stellar job, because they didn’t take me to their practice facility or the baseball stadium where they played their games,” he said. “They took me to a basketball game (at Freedom Hall), where 20,000 people were cheering. I thought that’s how it was going to be for football.”

“Little did I know that between our practice field at the Fairgrounds and the parking lot we had to be careful not to step in cow dung. Or that for our games, they had to remove the bases and the pitcher’s mound, and you would trip over the seams where the bases were and get turf burns. It was a mess.”

“Coach Schnellenberger wanted to see who was fully committed, so he put us through a rigorous training program,” said Battaglia. “There was a lot of running, a lot of throwing up and a lot of tears. It was like boot camp in the military. There were at least 20 players who quit in the first two weeks.”

“If we lost a game by more than 21 points, and there were quite a few, he would wake us up at 6 or 7 on Sunday morning for a full scrimmage. You could barely move. I can tell you we had some bloody Sundays.

Nobody was happy. We were getting the crap kicked out of us on Saturdays, so getting out of bed Sunday morning was a challenge in itself. In those days they didn’t have a concussion protocol, they called it ‘getting your bell rung.” They would wake us up with smelling salts and send you back onto the field three or four plays later. We even had some guys play with broken bones.”

GARY NORD, tight end, 1977-79; assistant coach/offensive coordinator, 1980-1994; current UofL offensive analyst: “When I first came here we were practicing at Parkway Field (built in 1923) and we shared a locker room with the baseball team. So that’s how far we’ve come. When we moved to the Fairgrounds, we thought we were moving into the Taj Mahal. We didn’t have any practice fields, we practiced on the turf every day. It was so hard, it was brutal. We all got burned and everybody on the team had shin splints.”

“We didn’t have a weight room or any equipment like blocking sleds. When I started coaching we didn’t have a strength coach or an academic person. Our strongest guy was our strength coach and our smartest player was our academic guy. We had one jersey, one helmet and one pair of pants we wore all year long.

They started putting more money into it with (ex-coach) Bob Weber, but when Howard came it went to a whole different level.”

“I think Schnellenberger kind of foresaw the future better than anyone,” said Nord. “Ex-players who come back here for homecoming or games, they know that some of those guys paid the price. But the players today have no idea what we went through. I’ve tried to tell them, but they just can’t relate. It was so far back, way before they were even born, so they don’t care about hearing it. It’s a different world now. They have this beautiful facility and stadium and training tables and all that. They’re definitely spoiled.”

CRAIG SWABEK, fullback, 1986-89; current UofL radio network football analyst: “It was challenging, yet rewarding. The older you get, the more you recognize the long-term benefits you got out of it. But it wasn’t all that exciting going through it. It was physically demanding, and mentally it was like running a marathon. It was just long and hard and there were no shortcuts. We had minimum 3-hour practices and the majority of it was physical contact. We weren’t very good, but we were tough and we took pride in that.”

Members of the current UofL football team, including tight end Nate Kurisky during a game at L&N Stadium.

Level Up with Exotic Options at Game

By Lennie Omalza Photos by Matt Johnson

This Irish Hill Restaurant is a Carnivore’s Paradise

Louisville offers a plethora of dining options. From southern cooking and Italian fare to Korean cuisine and Ethiopian food, there’s a dish for everyone in Derby City. But there’s only one place where guests can order a frog leg starter, roasted buffalo tongue sliders, and kangaroo meatballs for a meat-filled meal. That spot is Game, in Irish Hill.

In 2020, owner Tim Lewis took over the restaurant concept, which is set in a rustic space that’s a cross between a hunting lodge and a safari adventure club. Round, tree-like tables and dark wood benches provide ample seating, while various animal busts adorn the walls. An additional dining area — aptly dubbed the ‘lodge’ — offers high-top stool seating along a windowed wall that looks out toward Lexington Road.

“This restaurant has its own character,” Lewis said, adding that his second location — which recently opened in Jeffersonville — boasts a more upscale theme.

But whether diners choose to visit the Louisville restaurant or the one across the bridge, they can count on finding a menu filled with exotic wild game, including everything from elk and rabbit to venison and antelope.

“We keep a small footprint by choice,” Lewis said, explaining that they shy away from pre-made, pre-manufactured ingredients. Meats are locally sourced and ground in house, and sauces are made in house as well.

Guests can take their pick of meats and sauces to build their own burger. A variety of toppings — including soft shell crab, pork belly, and bacon, to name a few — can be added, and each burger is served on a brioche, focaccia, pretzel, or onion bun.

For diners who want to sample a little bit of everything, the Meatball Safari section of the menu features individual, three-ounce meatballs available in all 13 meat options. Lewis said that people tend to be a bit more adventurous when the game is served meatball-style, with the popular pick being yak.

Those seeking one-of-a-kind offerings might gravitate toward the buttermilk fried frog legs, which are brought in from Louisiana.

Guests can expect three pairs of legs, marinated in a buttermilk spice blend and served with a homemade jalapeno tartar sauce.

Another unique option is the roasted bone marrow, which is made with Angus cow femurs.

“We split them in half, which is called a canoe cut,” Lewis explained.“And then we have a roasted poblano rosemary parmesan panko topping. Then we roast them, [and] serve them with artisanal breads. It’s decadent.”

In addition to offering artisanal breads, Game serves flatbreads made with a pizza crust that comes straight from Italy.“We’re one of the only restaurants in the country that has this crust,” Lewis said, adding that it can also be found in large venues such as the Staples

Center and the Barclays Center.

Whipped up in a fashion similar to Game’s burgers and nachos, the flatbreads feature a different kind of meat, with offerings rotating every week.“Sometimes it will be alligator flatbread,” Lewis said.“We’ve done some crazy ones. We incorporate [various] exotic meats into it.”

He added that the Scotch eggs — though not served with exotic meat — are the most-requested item on the entire menu. While other local restaurants offer traditional Scotch Eggs — hard-boiled eggs wrapped in sausage meat, then breaded and fried — the Game version is made with a twist.

“We sort of deconstruct it, and do a little spin with the egg,” Lewis said, explaining that the egg is soft-boiled and breaded.“Then we smoke pork belly for hours … and put [it] on the side with two sauces.”

Out-of-towners from Cininnati and Nashville have been known to stop by for the Scotch eggs, and there’s also always something new for Game regulars to try.

The Chef’s Choice Burger changes monthly and is typically themed based on the time of year. For December, the team is offering a “Reindeer Burger,” made with venison that has been ground in house and is topped with truffled roquefort cheese, caramelized onions, watercress greens, and cranberry mustard sauce, then served on a smoked brioche bun.

There are numerous ways to wash everything down, including beer, wine, and of course, bourbon. Lewis supports local breweries by always having at least two local beers on tap, as well as multiple Louisville brews in cans and bottles. There are also about 20 bourbons available, served neat or with ice.

Whether guests pop in for lunch or dinner, chances are they’ll run into someone from the Lewis household, as Game is a family-run operation. Tim’s wife, Melissa, handles human resources, and their daughter, Addyson, is the front-of-house and food and beverage director.

Addyson’s best friend from college, Arianna Douglas, is the manager on duty. Tim and Melissa’s son, Alexander, is the head chef.

“I’ll put him up against anybody in the city in grilling burgers,” Tim said, adding that whipping up 14 different burgers on a busy Friday night — when they all range in temperature from rare to medium well — isn’t a duty he’d want to take on.

“He does a great job, and then there’s me, who’s just the dishwasher,” Tim said with a laugh, explaining that he has been able to step away from the business just a bit, because the restaurant has such a strong family presence.

“One of us is always in the restaurant, [and] everybody’s doing such a great job,” Tim said, adding that they all work hard to focus on quality, flavor, and service.“The premise behind Game is hosting our local community with the best possible, most flavorful food that they can find.”

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State of the Art:

By Kevin Murphy Wilson Photos by Matt Johnson

Looking Backwards and Forwards with Local Legend Joey Yates As part of our ongoing exploration of the Commonwealth’s vibrant arts community, we recently caught up with Joey Yates — beloved teacher, musician and longtime Curatorial Director at KMAC Contemporary Art Museum — for an in-depth conversation around his far-reaching contributions to Louisville’s multifaceted scene.

VT: Local visual artist Shohei Katayama shared that he originally knew you as a punk rock drummer. What is the history of your not-so-secret life as a musician?

JY: “I was restless and hyper as a kid, and I soon found that the drums were a good way to expend that inherent energy. After a few years playing percussion in the high school marching band, I eventually started joining bands with friends who were active in the Louisville punk scene.

We had a strong, nationally known local music scene here in the ‘90s, and I became seduced by the radical microeconomies and loose guilds that can form among musicians, and within the wider DIY culture of artists, photographers, graphic designers, skaters, promoters, and other creative provocateurs. Bringing artisans together, making records, playing, and performing are all still important outlets for me.”

VT: Please tell us a bit about your background and education as it pertains to art. What led you down the road of curatorial studies in the first place?

JY: “I have an undergraduate degree in Humanities, a somewhat self-guided program that focused on the art, music, literature, philosophy, and politics of the 20th century. After a brief time in NYC art handling and learning a lot about the gallery scene there, I returned to Louisville and was soon admitted to the Master of Arts program in Critical and Curatorial Studies at UofL. I knew a few people that had already graduated from the program, and it seemed like it could be a good fit for my creative interests. I had also previously spent a few years in theater and film production and began to see exhibition-making as a similar form of writing, storytelling, and original thinking.”

VT: Before landing at KMAC you had a hand in presenting exhibitions, concerts, and performances at Speed Art Museum, Zephyr Gallery, Kentucky Foundation for Women, Forecastle Festival, Cressman Center galleries, Hite Art Institute, and elsewhere. Can you share some highlights from that period?

JY: “Back in 2009 I helped program the first Art after Dark at the Speed Art Museum. This was before the renovation and the addition of the new building. It was quite the coup at the time to get local luminaries The For Carnation to perform. They devised a multimedia art installation and set it up to play in the antiquities gallery. Also, before KMAC I was a gallery director for Land of Tomorrow, a project space that was located on Broadway in the St. Francis High School building. The space had over 10,000 square feet and we did some ambitious projects during my time there. The Expanded Music Project was a massive exhibition that examined the intersections of art and music.

For that show, the Dub-pop duo Peaking Lights and Louisville-based artist Letitia Quesenberry collaborated on a light and sound installation called Sound Garden. Old record players and tape machines were arranged around the room and were playing scratched records and tape loops creating a sonic replication of a Japanese rock garden. For Zephyr Gallery, I brought together several artists who work in video for a show called Channel Z. VT: What does an average week involve for a contemporary art curator?

JY: “I give frequent tours of the art that is presently on view in the museum while also perpetually planning the exhibitions for the future. I try to have a consistent plan for the next year of programming and if possible, a preliminary plan for the next two to three years. This means always talking with artists, visiting studios, researching ideas for thematic group shows and developing collaborations with other organizations and curators. I spend a lot of time meeting with the staff in education, development, and events, along with our board of directors and donors to create new ways for people to engage with the museum. We also have a permanent collection that is always growing and in constant need of preservation and care. We are a small staff, so we’re always busy.”

VT: In this day and age, and in such a subjective field, how do you measure success?

JY: “Working as directly as I often do with living artists, my goal is to help them succeed and if they feel rewarded by the process of working together, then I feel good too. Also, in trying to satisfy a lot of different people across a wide spectrum of members, tourists, donors, younger audiences, and older patrons, I feel successful when everyone finds something to enjoy about a program or a series of events. While art is most definitely a subjective field, it is also a way for us to build compassion for one another and to discover new ways of thinking and being in the world. If you come into the museum and aren’t initially jiving with what’s on view, but when you leave you’ve gained new insight into how another person sees and experiences the world, then you’ll likely end up with a stronger appreciation for the work. When that happens, I feel like we’ve done our job.”

VT: Looking back at your 10+ years at KMAC, which occurrences or achievements are most special to you?

JY: “The Simone Leigh show I organized in 2015 will always hold a special place in my time at KMAC and the work I do as a curator. For her, it was an early solo show, her first at a museum, and to watch her subsequent meteoric rise to the pinnacle of the art world has been exciting. In a few short years after her KMAC exhibition, she was being shown at every museum in New York, including being chosen for the first High Line commission. She then went on to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale where she received the Golden Lion.

I just saw her last week in Washington D.C. at the opening of her solo show at the Hirshhorn museum. It’s been transformational to watch her career develop and to realize the kind of important work we can accomplish at our modest scale. After many solo and group exhibitions, laying the groundwork for the evolving KMAC Triennial, and helping create the new identity for the institution, I’d say the biggest achievement has been the growth I’ve been through since coming to the museum.”

VT: What are your hopes for the future?

JY: “I am still connected to KMAC; I would like to continue to grow the collection and the profile of the Museum. I’d like to strengthen the program with more publications, and to travel more of our own exhibitions. One of our biggest goals is to have a sculpture out in front of the museum that adds to Main Street’s Museum Row in a similar way to what the baseball bat does for Louisville Slugger [Museum & Factory] and Özkaya’s David [inspired by Michelangelo] does for 21c.”

NouLou

Çhåmbër plåÿërs

Violinist Heather Thomas and cellist Cecelia Huerta-Lauf rehearse a Kodaly duet they will perform in a Dec. 11 NouLou Chamber Players concert at the Library at Oxmoor Farm.

Photo by John Nation

T H E N O U L O U C H A M B E R P L AY E R S ROSINING UP THEIR BOWS IN THE L I B R A RY AT OX MO OR FA R M

By Bill Doolittle • Photograhy by John Nation The NouLou Chamber players can play pretty much anywhere. All they need is their instruments, the music, a few chairs – and Presto!, up pops a Haydn string quartet. Or a Beethoven Septet. Or a Brahms trio. Chamber music is like that. It can go everywhere, and sound good anywhere. Pretty much all you need are the players and a place.

But excellent players and a special place makes it all go for the NouLou, which has found a home for its formal concert series in the Library of the historic residence at Oxmoor Farm. It’s a place where nicely bound books reach from a parquet wooden floor to a high sculptured ceiling. With tall windows like at an Ivy League school. In fact, the Oxmoor owner who added the Library onto the house a century ago, Louisville attorney William Marshall Bullitt, was a Princeton grad, with a side interest in mathematics.

Oxmoor curator Shirley Harmon says there are 10,000 books in the Library. With 300 more first editions in mathematics, including some signed by Albert Einstein (for whom Bullitt once did a favor) now housed in the Archives at the University of Louisville.

One could go on and on about the Library, including how the chandeliers are hung from the ceiling at just the right height to illuminate the books higher up in the shelves. With a brass ladder on wheels to reach any volume. And side tables with reading lights. But the important fact is the ambience of the classical library is perfect for classical music.

Plus the acoustics.

Notes from violins and oboes and clarinets and horns resonate off the wood floor and high ceiling. And between floor and ceiling the bound volumes round off the edges and echoes. The music soars, and the audience and the players are transported in time.

“In Europe, chamber music is called ‘house music’ – played in a house, or a home, or a music room in a castle,” said Jon Gustely, the principal French horn player of the Louisville Orchestra, who will be playing in a sextet – six players – in a NouLou concert December 11 at Oxmoor. Also on the program is a violin and cello duet.

“So,” said Gustely, “two hundred years ago, or so, you might be playing in a salon with wood-paneled walls, and it’s all sound reflective. There’s a beautiful acoustic, so you can hear it. And musicians love that.”

They also like getting paid.

“Patrons in Mozart’s time, like the Archduke of Austria, or Count Esterhazy, if they’re having a soiree, if they’re having an evening, they’ll have musicians there, and you’re the entertainment. A lot of these serenades and such were written for that kind of thing, and it sounds great. Mozart wrote a “Gran Partita,” a kind of serenade for winds. Beethoven wrote one. Many of the families were musicians, so you’re writing a little piano concerto for the daughter, or a quartet for a cellist.”

The little princess might, or might not, perform her part perfectly, but there were professional musicians alongside to smooth things along. Gustely notes that in Mozart’s famous woodwind quintet, the composer highlighted parts for horn and clarinet. “Buds of his, who were the top professional players in Vienna.”

Out of these side hustles, Gustley says, came enduring music. “The pieces are quite challenging, but it’s really great music. Everyone loves doing it.”

Including NouLou violinist Heather Thomas, also a Louisville Orchestra player.

“It’s so much fun to work in a small group and rehearse together,” said Thomas. “To explore the piece, then put on the performance.”

Thomas said she’s found out more about the duet she will play with cellist Cecelia Huerta-Lauf. She learned that composer Zoltan Kodaly worked with fellow Hungarian Bela Bartok in documenting Hungarian folk tunes, and she can hear the Central European sound.

“It’s a very ‘vocal’ piece,” said Thomas, “You can hear arguments between the violin and cello parts. A dialogue. So bringing that out, I think, is what’s really cool. You can hear us arguing at times. Or singing a tune together.”

In just the few measures we heard, the dialogue is apparent. Heather tip-tap, tip-taps her bow on a violin string, and Cecelia answers with a swath across her cello strings. (Maybe it sounds like something you’ve heard at your house?)

The thing about chamber music is it is not just for professional players. Amateurs buy the sheet music and work up the pieces themselves. Maybe in the front parlor of an old Victorian home. Or on a screened-in porch on a summer’s night. House music, as Gustely calls it, at Our House.

Also keep in mind there was a time when there were no radios or records. You wished to hear music, somebody had to play it. The best players performed live at the castle, then maybe went another round later at a favorite tavern.

And never forget: No matter what the century, Haydn always sounds great at a wedding reception – even if no one is listening!

There are thousands of chamber music pieces. Some, not too hard. Others, best left to the pros. (But you can try.) Beethoven wrote 16 string quartets, Shostakovich wrote 15, and mark Haydn down for 70.

There’s plenty to play. And more being written today, for all combinations of instruments, as chamber music enjoys a surge in popularity in the 21st Century. In this writer’s opinion, it’s a similar shift to the interest in hiking and biking, away from stadium sports.

Send out the messengers “Chamber music is kind of following two paths,” said Daniel Gilliam, program director at WUOL Classical-FM, 90.5, and a composer himself. “One path is the people who really love chamber music, the connoisseurs, like the Chamber Music Society or the NouLou Chamber Players. And then I think there’s the other path of chamber music, which is a mobile, flexible group who play for people who don’t know a lot about classical music. You think of the Louisville Orchestra sending string quartets into the schools to outreach music to students. You can put it on in a gymnasium, You can put it on in a classroom. And it works.”

Gilliam noted the Philadelphia Orchestra recently signed to do a multiyear tour of China. A big state-visit kind of thing. “But it’s not the full symphony that they’re sending to China. It’s smaller ensembles of the orchestra’s players.”

That’s partly to reach more people. But also to make the experience more intimate.

“Intimate … and vulnerable,” laughed Gilliam. “There’s nowhere to hide. If you are the one violinist, it’s all on you, buddy.”

But that tension, and the closeness of listeners is crucial to the chamber music experience. The audience at Oxmoor is just a few feet from the performers, able to see fingers dancing up and down a fingerboard, or watch long, levered keys opening and closing on a bassoon. Hear the last lament of pianissimo notes fading away.

“The audience is right there with you,” said NouLou violist Laura De St. Croix. “Sometimes when we play something really beautiful, you’ll hear a sigh.”

< Daniel Gilliam, program director at 90.5 WUOL Classical-FM radio, says chamber music has the advantage of being mobile and flexible. Able to reach potential new listeners.

Cellist Nick Finch premiered three new cello concertos at the Ogle Center at Indiana University Southeast. A recording of the premiers is due for release this spring on the NouLou’s new recording label.

Jon Gustely, principal French horn in the Louisville Orchestra and frequent NouLou player, joins Dillon Welch (violin), Jonathan Mueller (A), Alan Ohkubo (cello), Marilyn Nije (clarinet), and Christopher Brody (piano) in a sextet by Erno Dohnayi in a Dec. 11 NouLou Chamber Players concert.

Photo by John Nation

Soprano Emily Albrink sings Strauss songs in a Mar. 4 NouLou concert at the Library at Oxmoor Farm >

What’s in a name?

The NouLou Chamber Players is a pretty good name, don’t you think? Conjuring up an image of a traveling troupe of Shakespearean actors.

Like the acting players, the musical players are a loosely organized club. There are no dues. You don’t have to wear a raccoon cap or recite a secret oath. It’s just 20 or so musicians who love chamber music — and are good at it. Some play at one concert, others at another. But they’re all top professional players, card-carrying members of the American Federation of Musicians, Local 11.

And who is the audience?

Oh, maybe anyone who taps time with a song on the radio. People who enjoy the textures and intricacy of music. People who like library better than phone.

Upcoming concerts Dec. 11 — The NouLou focuses on 20 th Century Hungarian composers Zoltan Kodaly and Erno Dohnanyi (pronounced, as we hear it, Kode-eye and Doch-nani), who struggled in dangerous times under the rule of Nazi occupiers in Central Europe. Narrow escapes and heroic personal stands.

Feb. 12 – Jack McFadden-Talbot, “Passage” for cello quintet; Maurice Ravel, string quartet.

Mar. 4 – Emily Albrink sings the “Four Last Songs” of Richard Strauss, with Louisville Orchestra concertmaster Gabe Lefkowitz conducting; Aaron Copland, “As It Fell Upon a Day”; Felix Mendelssohn, Octet.

April 15 – Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, “Nonet” (nine players); Premier: Daniel Gilliam, “Decet” (ten players) May 12 – Martin, “Piece Breve”; Vinee, “Trio Serenade for Flute, Oboe and Harp”; Porter, “Making Memories”; Debussy, “Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp” Oxmoor Farm Library; Tickets: $50, NouLou.org Oxmoor Farm The Oxmoor Farm’s large and rambling farmhouse is located at the end of a tree-lined lane behind the Oxmoor Center, on Shelbyville Road. But it might be better said that the shopping center is located on the farm, which traces to a 1780 land grant to Revolutionary War officer Col. William Christian, and his wife Annie, a sister of Patrick Henry. The grant was signed by Virginia Governor Thomas Jefferson, when Kentucky was still a part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. In those days the property stretched about seven miles from what today is downtown St. Matthews to Middletown. Five generations of the Bullitt family owned the property, spanning most of its history.

The farm today is operated by the Oxmoor Foundation as a historic site, associated with the Filson Historical Society. Tours are offered of the residence and gardens, and accompanying buildings, which include slave quarters. The issue of slavery on the farm is addressed in tours and lectures.

The Library was built and stocked by Oxmoor owner William Marshall Bullitt, a prominent Louisville attorney, and national legal figure. About the time Bullitt built the Library, he was serving as Solicitor General of the United States under President William Howard Taft. Here in town, Bullitt fashioned an active practice — one wag said he was the fastest talker in Kentucky – and was the Republican political rival of Democrat Matt J. Winn, of Churchill Downs.

There’s a lot of history in the place.

NouLou players performed the Schubert cello quintet at a New Years Eve dinner concert at the Rathskeller, in Louisville’s Seelbach Hotel. The Rathskeller is classically adorned in Rookwood Pottery. Players included (l-r) Heather Thomas, Andrea Daigle, Laura De St. Croix, Lillian Pettitt, Cecelia Huerta-Lauf.

Photo credit: NYE Pic

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Fish to Table:

Fresh Catch Friday at Volare

By Amy Barnes Photos by Matt Johnson, Joel Poole, & Dan Dry

If the reserved signs on every table — and even at the bar — are any indication, Fresh Catch Friday at Volare is THE restaurant to book for a weekend dining experience. Started 11 years ago in February over Valentine’s weekend, guests are ‘hook, line and sinker’ enamored of Volare Executive Chef and Managing Partner Josh Moore’s most exclusive offering; always ‘reeling in’ a packed house.

“Every Friday I bring in some kind of fish from somewhere in the world,” said Moore.“Most of the time I have the boat it came off, the captain of the boat, the location it comes from. It’s really neat, because people love to know where their food comes from and know a little bit more about it; they feel like they’re part of the story…part of the history of it.”

“Weekends are pretty crazy here,” said Moore.“We’re normally booked out a couple weeks in advance, and people don’t know about the fish until we post it on social media (Facebook and Instagram). We have a lot of people who make reservations in anticipation of what the fish will be…people get excited about it. We have a huge, HUGE following; it’s all social-media based.”

On a recent Friday, Moore’s Catch was a 150-pound tuna sourced from Baja California.

The tuna are trapped in nets when they’re small, then put in pens in the “middle of the ocean,” said Moore.“Then they feed them this really heavy sardine diet so they get real ‘fatty.’ so then when you order one — we said we wanted a 150-pound tuna — a diver goes

down and harvests the tuna, then they bring it up and ship it.”

Moore sources his fish from two main businesses, who in turn source the weekly catch from waters across the globe.

“My fish guy here in town, Joe Bonura; we call him ‘fish monger,’” said Moore.“Joe and I have been working together for 25-plus years, since back in my Porcini Days. He’s been doing seafood in town for everybody for many years. Joe is VP of Bluefin Seafoods (owned

by Creation Gardens); he works with Kelly Probst, Director of Seafood Purchasing for the Boat Direct Program (a division of Creation Gardens).”

“He and Joe work together,” said Moore.“Normally, Joe and I will talk Wednesday and he’ll say ‘hey, we have this from this part of the world,’ or ‘we had this a few weeks ago, but we can get this.’

So, it’s really fun to actually be able to source something out, and just the freshness of it.”

“The largest fish we’ve ever gotten was a 303-pound halibut,” said Moore.“The smallest fish ever has probably been a little 2-pound snapper or 2-pound branzino. On average, they’re 35-50-pound fish. When I post a huge one, everybody’s really excited, but when I post a small one people are like ‘what?’ If you see me post small fish, I’ve got coolers full of those. I try to get enough fish for the whole weekend, normally, but Saturday night, we’re running out of fish.”

Introducing More Delicious Dishes: Volare’s New Winter Menu Items In addition to the exclusive fresh catch, Moore and Volare Managing Partner Jonathan P. Tarullo, just rolled out the restaurant’s new menu.

“This time I did an even bigger change than normal. For example, the Pescato Del Giorno…we’re ‘famous’ for the Friday fish but this is another fresh seafood element. So every day, we’re doing some kind of fresh seafood appetizer.”

Recent Pesco Del Giorno specials Moore has created include: top-neck clams and steamer clams with fresh thyme, garlic, butter and grilled garlic bread; and a dish of scallops, still in the shell, broiled with Cajun butter and tobacco onions.

Antipasto Other new antipasto dishes include a calamari, which changes seasonally, paired with zucchini and served with a spicy roasted tomato, garlic and Calabrian chili sauce; a seasonally changing raw, sliced beef carpaccio with a pecorino cheese crisp, watercress, caramelized fennel and black truffle vinaigrette.

Insalate The new Della Casa salad, which rarely changes, is an Italian chopped salad that, Moore said, “has been a really big hit”; the Caesar salad is now made with white Spanish anchovies; finally, the Inverno salad (Invero means “winter”) is

created with aquaponic lettuce from Groganica Farms. Moore rounds this salad out with roasted red beets, spiced walnuts, peppadew peppers and goat cheese, served with a pear and stoneground mustard vinaigrette.

Grandi Paste New menu items in this category include: Spaghetti All’ Aragosta, with a square house-made black pepper pasta and topped with an 8-ounce South African lobster tail; the Lasagne Al Forno changed for the first time in 10 years, with 16 layers of spinach lasagna sheets, pork, beef and mozzarella, plum tomatoes and ricotta; and a Gemelli Cacerata house-made pasta in a sausage, tomato, cream basil and parmesan Reggiano sauce. The Tagliolini Bolognese features a new version of the Italian meat sauce (for the first time in 10 years).

Risotto Volare’s seasonally changing risotto di maile has been updated for the winter season. It features a golden beet risotto, creamy Maytag blue cheese, roasted pork belly from Taylorsville’s Stonecross Farms, crimini mushroom, finished with toasted cashews and a grapefruit apple cider vinaigrette.

Piatto Principale The Vitello Vadostana Veal Chop is new to the menu (served with roasted potatoes and asparagus), and salmon preparation is new for winter; the Filetto di Salmone, a cast-iron seared Faroe Islands Sustainable Salmon with a plum and peppadew pepper jam is served over garbanzo beans, crispy pancetta and roasted brussel sprouts.

Bistecca Preparation for the Bistecca Alla Costola-Occhio is new (14 oz Angus beef ribeye cooked with mushrooms, gruyere and cipollini onions and finished with a lemon and pomegranate reduction; as well as the preparation of the Filletti Di Manzo (Peppercorn-encrusted 8 oz Angus beef tenderloin topped with a stoneground mustard, shallot and brandy cream sauce with cornichons).

Photo Credits: Joel Poole Learn more here:

Styling a Life

By Remy Sisk Photos by Matt Johnson

How Jeff Hunter builds connection through fashion It would be hard for someone in Louisville to be involved with the city’s fashion scene and cross paths with Jeff Hunter. A style icon in every way, Hunter boasts a rich and layered history in the multifaceted world of design, merchandising and aesthetics, and he daily shares his masterful knowledge with Louisville’s most chic clientele. Today, he serves as the manager and buyer of the two sister boutiques, Glasscock and Glasscock Too on Chenoweth Lane, working tirelessly and steadfastly to provide shoppers with show stopping style and service.

“I’m an early-to-work guy with a vision each day of constantly looking for new looks for the stores and assisting clients locally and nationally on looks that make them feel special based on their current need, body type and comfort level,” Hunter shares. Indeed, his day-to-day endeavors oscillate between scouring the greater fashion world for the pieces and trends to incorporate into the store’s inventory, while also working personally with clients to help them find that perfect style that radiates both glamour and confidence.

And that spans across two different stores. While both showcase superior offerings, the identities of Glasscock and Glassock Too are different. The original Glasscock is three floors of special occasion gowns and separates, with the added option of ordering custom pieces from sizes 00 to 24. Meanwhile, Glasscock Too was “created for all of Louisville to enjoy for contemporary designer, sportswear and travel wear with all ages and size ranges of clients,” Hunter explains.“Our youngest client is 13 and the oldest is 94 currently.”

Hunter’s current position had been a long time coming, with dressing with intention ingrained in him ever since he was a child.“Raised in the South,” he recalls,“I was taught the importance of dressing for any occasion, whether at a formal event or the grocery. In high school, I took interest and modeled; however, I didn’t quite grow to the height needed! In high school and college, I enrolled in fashion design courses that fascinated me, and I learned to love the industry.”

Although he eventually found himself working through a very successful corporate marketing and sales career, his connection with the Glasscock family brought him to his current role.“The Glasscock family has been intimately involved for decades in the equine industry, as have I, showing American Saddlebreds,” he relates.“Mary F. Glasscock’s reputation in the fashion industry for special occasions for 46 years always was most admired, as she has carried the top designers in the world in her establishments, a feat that no one else regionally has been able to accomplish.”

Hunter humbly takes pride in Glasscock’s high-profile and sought-after exclusivity, noting that working on this kind of level is a treasured touchpoint as well as a rarity.“One of the highlights of my career is the opportunity to work with designers internationally; however, the experience of a Carolina Herrera visit and buying trip is at the top with her incredible creations and epitome of service,” he describes.“Proudly Glasscock and Glasscock Too are the only boutiques in Kentucky to offer her beautiful collections.”

Industry connections certainly have been influential for Hunter, but just as impactful, he maintains, are those with whom he’s worked here in town.“I have learned so much from local mentors including but not limited to June Bale, Annette Grisanti, Susan Vogt and foremost Mary F. Glasscock,” he emphasizes.“I’ve learned valuable traits from each,” While a great deal of the passion of his career lies within the fashion and its makers, Hunter gives just as much energy and attention to service, as he strives to empower every customer with style and confidence, whatever that means to them personally.“My advice is to dress your personality, whatever inspires you – it’s important to feel comfortable and present the best version of yourself,” he says of his service philosophy.“Honesty with your client is of the most importance, and satisfying their needs is what it is all about.”

Moreover, once Hunter has made a connection with a client, they can expect service that far extends beyond the walls of the boutiques.

“When on buying trips, I always have clients in mind and often send photos from showrooms for them to see and choose,” he says.“As a service, we will look at your current closet and help update or add to your desired looks free of charge. We also will host parties of any kind on our spacious third floor at no charge and provide refreshments as well as a gift for all attendees as they experience a day or night out.”

Without question, Hunter lives a life of glamor. Perhaps not always in the most traditional sense, but when zooming out, there’s no doubt he’s walking his own exclusive runway. A father of three (with grandchild number four on the way!) and happily partnered, his greatest fulfillment doesn’t always come from the chicest of styles and most tantalizing of trends, but rather from the connections he makes – it’s the relationships built against the backdrop of high fashion that power Hunter through his day and propel him to come back day in and day out, ready to help you find the perfect look that makes you feel like the best version of you.

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“Deck The Halls” With Hand-Blown Ornaments From Hyland Glass

By Amy Barnes Photos by Matt Johnson

‘Tis the season for light and love among many cultures. What better way to bring the holiday spirit into your home than capturing the soft glow of light dancing off the reflection of colorful, hand-blown glass ornaments?

Hyland glass, located inside Louisville’s Butchertown district, offers several options for those wanting to decorate their home for the holidays, with prices ranging from $50 for round floats to $70 for glass snowmen.

Owners Casey Hyland, a contemporary glass artist, and his wife, Hyland Glass Creative Director Melanie Miller, met while working together several years ago at Louisville Glassworks. Hyland Glass opened in 2002; it was later moved to its current location on East Washington Street. The couple opens their curated glass art gallery space to the public five days per week, while also hosting live demonstrations of their craft, in addition to weekend workshops and team building glassblowing sessions. Plus, the pair rents monthly gallery space to local glass artists and peers, and books parties and events in both their indoor and outdoor spaces.

Currently inside the studio’s indoor gallery space are several large contemporary lighting pieces, glass objects and wall art pieces, along with a large selection of ornaments and an exhibit by Thomas Hart Shelby: A 50 Year Journey in Photography — part of Louisville’s Photo Biennial — which will be on display through the end of December.

“Since 2017, we have used this gallery space for art shows,” said Hyland, who initially attended St. Louis’ Washington University as an architecture major. Since, he traveled through several states studying and honing his glass art craft: these include notable studios such as Pilchuck, Appalachian Center for Crafts, Penland, UrbanGlass, and the Studio at Corning.

Miller also came by her love of glass art from a different path, initially intending to use her skills growing up in a farming family to study horticulture and agriculture. She became enamored of art traveling and visiting galleries during breaks,eventually discovering

her love of fiber art and 2D design while traveling to Nantucket. She later discovered her true passion is glass art - which she realized while working as a horticulturist in Maui. Ultimately, the couple’s combined paths led them to Louisville Glassworks, where Miller initially worked as Hyland’s assistant.

Given their diverse background and love of art in its many forms, the passion certainly plays into their business and creations.

“Both Melanie and I are creatives; ever since I was in elementary school I enjoyed drawing, and as I got closer to college age, I wanted to learn how to ‘use my hands’ to make things,” said Hyland.“So architecture school definitely nurtured that, and glass is the ultimate material; it’s around us every day when we get in our cars, in buildings the light comes in, it keeps us secure and warm, and then when we add the fire we have this molten kind of ‘Lord of the Rings’ element.”

Now married for 14 years, the couple share four children and their “Party Pom,” Dizzy G., who can often be seen wandering about the gallery.

Blow Your Own Glass Ornament Throughout the holiday season, Hyland and Miller host their seasonal “Blow-Ho-Ho” Glass Ornament workshops. The couple recently added their “holiday break” session, popular among families who seek creative options during school breaks, from December 18-22.

Several additional dates and times are available; book online through hylandglass.com. Hurry, the sessions fill quickly.

Hyland Glass 721 East Washington Street Louisville, KY 40202 (502) 384-BLOW Hylandglass.com Gallery Hours Monday-Thursday, 10am-5pm Friday, 10:30am-5pm

‘Tis the Season for Holiday Home Ambiance

By Ben Palmer-Ball, Owner, Digs Home And Garden Photos By Matt Johnson

Floor-to-ceiling holiday trees decked out in candy cane, gingerbread, birds and felted animals. Glistening ornament orbs, glowing candles, fresh spicy and pine scents and holiday lighting.

From the moment one enters Digs Home and Garden, the store is artfully curated and aglow for the winter holidays. Below, Owner Ben Palmer-Ball shares his tips and insights on how to bring that special holiday ambiance into the home, from scents and greenery to lighting and table settings.

The holiday decor is so lovely inside Digs, with several themes at play. Tell us about some of the themes this year, from the sweets and treats to the cardinals, doves, red and oranges and blues to felted animal pieces.

“We’re looking to inspire customers as they shop with a variety of themes and styles for holiday decorating. If your tastes run to more natural decor we’ve got a tree and tabletop styled with more natural elements, frosted cones and berries, a variety of feathered birds and owls, and woodland critters. We’re

also stocked with a full array of outdoor ‘ornaments’ for the birds (and squirrels) — edible ornaments made from a variety of seeds and dried fruits for true outdoor decorating. For a more subtle setting, we’ve styled a tree with muted blue, pink and salmon tones with champagne and soft gold accents. If your world revolves around your dog or cat, we’ve increased the size of our tree focused on pets and pet treats. And of course, a couple of trees styled with soft felt (unbreakable) ornaments, figures and garlands for the really young at heart.”

What is the current trend for table settings? Is it less is more, more is less, or somewhere in between? Tell us about the pieces you have available.

“Our fans will tell you that the ‘less is more’ mantra does not apply to Digs’ style in any season; we always go ‘all in’ for tabletops to inspire and delight…featuring a variety of votives and candles, place cards and holders, and layered linens. If your entertaining style runs for simple and casual, we’ve got placemats, napkin rings and unbreakable service pieces for a less formal setting.”

What is the best method of building a table centerpiece?

“I usually will start ‘layering’ a table top with some form of candle lighting; a pair of hurricanes, or a more linear candle array, and layer in some of our authentic evergreen sprays and berry picks. For a bit of tabletop bling, I’ll work in a bit of silver, gold or bronze in the form of mercury trees, reindeer or ornaments. For a quick and simple tabletop, we offer a wide variety of pine or berry garland that can run down the center of your table. By adding in a few sprigs or picks with contrasting color or texture, and nestling in a few votives, you’ve got a stress-free tabletop that can work all season.”

The store smells amazing. Tell us about the holiday scents, and what products are available for creating that spicy, seasonal holiday ambiance.

“Our sense of smell can trigger some powerful associations.

That’s especially true for me during the holidays (and while shopping at the gift market). So I am hopeful that our customers have those same connections. We’re always sampling new scents and creations from our existing vendor base, as well as options from new suppliers — from gingerbread and peppermint with childhood memories of cookies and candy canes, to more subtle pine and bayberry, which recall Christmases past. This year’s newest scent is called ‘Our Best Tree Ever.’ Wasn’t that the annual refrain after we’d finished decorating that live tree with heirloom ornaments, colored lights, and tinsel? It features a deep pine base, blended with herbs and pepperberries. We’ve also brought back a customer favorite from a small vendor outside New Orleans — Savannah Holly — with notes for Balsam Pine, holly Berries and spices. We’ve also expanded our line of holiday diffusers with smaller, less expensive options from Paddywax and Pre de Provence. The smaller containers are less conspicuous in a setting, and ensure that you aren’t left with holiday scents after the season has ended.”

Tell us about your holiday lighting options.

“The holidays haven’t escaped technology, with new types of lighting for your tree. We’re featuring a flocked tree with lighting that can transition from warm white lights to a rainbow of colors, or slowly fade from bright to low with the push of a button. We’ve also brought back a customer favorite with a 7 1/2’ tree featuring over a thousand tiny ‘rice’ lights, with a multi-functional remote control.

With so many lights, you don’t need to add any ornaments to have a statement tree with impact.”

How can we decorate with artificial and seasonal outdoor greenery?

“We really do a deep dive into authentic-looking florals, garlands, and sprays for decorating your home. You can have a natural looking mantle or tabletop without worrying about the decorations drying out and becoming a fire hazard or a messy exit from your home after the season. Having said that, in my own home, I’ve been known to add in a few real flowers or greenery into a faux arrangement to make it appear really authentic.”

Outside of holiday decor, tell us about items in the store that will make perfect holiday gifts for friends and loved ones.

We strive to find a balance of price points for gifts in the store. If you’re after a simple hostess gift, we’ve got a range of food items and sweet treats (even introducing a line of sauces and marinades) or seasonal scents, from small, colorful votives to multi-wick statement candles from Nest Fragrances. Above, I mentioned outdoor ‘ornaments’ and tasty treats for the birds, which can make a perfect gift for a teacher or naturalists at a wide range of price points. We’ve also got ornaments for sports enthusiasts, pet lovers, foodies, and bourbon lovers. Another favorite for gift givers are strings and straps of jingle bells, which can be placed on a door knob or hook to literally ‘ring in’ the holiday season. We’ve also expanded our offering of jigsaw puzzles, games and books for those families with a tradition of Christmas competition(s) and challenges.”

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Love, Light and Tradition

A Conversation with “Family Karma” Star Bali Chainani

Photos by Matt Johnson

By Kevin Murphy Wilson

When you walk into the sun-drenched Louisville residence of [“Family Karma’’ television star] Bali Chainani and her longtime partner [businessman and professional weightlifter] O’Malley Dreisbach, it quickly becomes apparent that their loving home represents an amalgamation of influences and ideas from far and wide. Here, sculptures of Ganesh [the elephant-headed Hindu god of beginnings] and Buddha intermingle easily with Old Forester bottles, Kentucky Derby Fascinators, and UK drink coasters, while verses from the sacred Mahābhārata epic adorn the serving trays.

What’s most striking, however, is the beautiful blending of families and traditions on display through a plethora of photographs both old and new, an offering of fresh lemons [an Indian custom related to keeping the impact of negative energies away from children], and the way this power couple interacts with each other in person. Dreisbach insists that everything about this confluence has made him a better man. Chainani is happy to share some details around her eclectic background and the relatively recent experience of creating and curating a place for herself beside him in the Bluegrass State.

VOICE-TRIBUNE: Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you ended up with a home in Kentucky?

Bali Chainani: “From India originally, I moved to the US when I was 11 and grew up in Miami. But then I moved back to Bombay, India when I got married, as my ex-husband is from there. I spent 10 years there until I moved back to the States with my daughter when her father and I separated. Years after my divorce, O’Malley and I fell in love. We’d been friends for a while as we are in the same business. And our friendship turned into a mutual and romantic love for each other. O’Malley, my fiancé, was born and raised in Louisville and we’ve been together almost ten years, so Louisville has been my second home for a while now.”

VT: How did the original idea for “Family Karma” come about?

BC: “Roughly six years ago, the network [Bravo] was keen on filming a docu series about Indians in America to showcase our culture and traditions and Miami, obviously, was the perfect aesthetic for that. So, they approached one of my ‘cast mates who already had a strong social media presence, and asked if she’d be interested in putting together an ensemble cast…an organic group of friends and family that had grown up in a South Asian community together... and ‘Family Karma’ was born, with the first full all Indian cast on American Television!”

VT: For most reality television programs, specific narratives are still constructed out of raw footage by producers. In this instance, do you feel like it has been a fairly accurate portrayal of everyone involved thus far?

BC: “Our show is extremely accurate. We are that raw, real and vulnerable. Having said that, of course, we have all had our moments in these past three seasons where we hold back some emotions and reactions in order to stay respectful to our families, partners etc. I’m not sure that will be the case if we have another season. But for the most part, what you see is what you get.”

VT: Do you think this platform has helped straighten out any misconceptions about Indian culture?

BC: “It has definitely helped in breaking many stereotypes. We are not all doctors or engineers or motel owners and we don’t all have arranged marriages and speak with heavy accents. The platform has shown our audience that we are relatable and have the same stories as the rest of the world. Through ‘Family Karma,’ there has also been a lot of love and appreciation for our culture, music, fashion, food, holidays and traditions. It’s wonderful sharing our lives and culture with the country as we are all fiercely proud to be Indian.”

VT: Is it difficult to maintain private moments being such a public figure?

BC: “Not at all. My life is very normal. I walk my dog, do my laundry, and fill my own gas. Well, O’Malley fills my gas for me. But no, really, my life is extremely normal when we are not filming. And as far as getting love from the fans, it’s wonderful. I feel extremely blessed to be in this unique situation where I get to say hello, take a picture, hug people and connect with those who are so appreciative and invested in the stories we are telling.”

VT: What does the show’s production schedule look like? Does it keep you busy most of the year?

BC: “We film for about 3-4 months a year and post-production can last for another 2 to 3 months after that. It’s quite hectic, but also fantastic. The producers and the crew are family to us; it’s sad to say goodbye when we wrap up filming.”

VT: You have a rather unique perspective. So, how do you feel about the arts and entertainment scene here in Louisville?

BC: “Well, Louisville is very different from Miami and truthfully while I’m here I use my time to relax, detox and reset. I have a massive sense of community in Miami so it’s very important for me to have that here as well. I’m fortunate to have made a few great friends here that are like family and O’Malley’s family is fantastic. I love them! So, I tend to spend my time enjoying them and our home here. I’m still figuring my way around the social scene and structure here. Hopefully I’ll be more involved in the community here in 2024.”

VT: How does Louisville living compare overall to Miami and Bombay?

BC: “Oh gosh, it’s apples to oranges. There really is no comparison at all. Bombay and Miami are two of my favorite cities in the world. They are both so rich in diversity and a melting pot of so many cultures, it’s awesome. In the last few years, Miami has become an adult ‘Disneyland’…so sexy, fast and fun! And Louisville functions at a very different pace; one I’ve grown to appreciate. People here are kinder, more patient and so helpful. Plus, O’Malley is here, so it’s a win-win. I’m grateful to enjoy the best of both worlds.”

VT: In this day and age, and at this point in your career, how do you measure success?

BC: “Success to me means different things at different times of my life. Of course, there is the career and wealth part of life that definitely helps elevate the lifestyle. But at the moment? I’m celebrating the success of being able to share my story, my culture, my family and my life with the world. The 15-year-old me, growing up in America, never could have imagined that someone like me, with my skin tone and cultural background, would have a chance let alone a voice on a platform like this. Being on ‘Family Karma’ has really opened my eyes to how important representation is, especially to me. I’m hopeful that I can continue to create and share and be part of positive, progressive and, most importantly, inclusive opportunities such as this one.”

For more information about Bali Chainani and the “Family Karma” TV series visit: https://www.bravotv.com/family-karma.

Chef Rhona Bowles Kamar

le il v is ou L d ee F

FOUNDING CHEF AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RHONA BOWLES KAMAR DISCUSSES HOW TO BRING FOOD TO LOUISVILLE’S UNHOUSED DURING T H E H O L I D AY S Photographer: Matt Johnson Writer: Rhona Bowles Kamar

Any chef will tell you this: hunger is always an emergency, and when you can’t do anything else, you can feed people. I stumbled into an unexpected conversation with an old catering client at the beginning of the pandemic and he told me that closures meant nothing, but cold sandwiches for those living on the streets – at least for the foreseeable future. Soup kitchens were shuttering as volunteers headed into isolation. As someone who had been volunteering with the unhoused community for years, he said “whenever a crisis strikes the city, it hits the houseless community harder.”

Chefs are good friends to have in a time of crisis, so I called on my peers to help. Within months, restaurants, farmers, bakers and caterers had joined in and were preparing hundreds of hot meals a day in a tiny rented church kitchen. My catering client – now my co-founder – simultaneously grew a team of volunteers to deliver the food and other critical supplies directly to the camps and streets.

Three and a half years later and now an official non-profit with 17 employees, Feed Louisville still does hunger relief work daily. After all, hunger – and homelessness – is always a crisis, and taking care of basic human needs like food and water, is a form of emergency relief work.

Our staff of chefs have worked in some of the city’s most respected restaurants, Varanese, Anoosh Bistro, Le Relais, Wiltshire Pantry, Ramsi’s Café , and now prepare up to 900 meals a day for the unhoused community. Many of our chefs started as volunteers and left their restaurant jobs when paid positions became available in our kitchen. This work takes the nimble creativity of a skilled chef – the menu changes daily working with donated ingredients that vary wildly from day to day.

The donations come in from countless partners across the city and since almost 100 percent of that food would have gone into the landfill otherwise, we call it “food rescue.” Some of it is ready-to-eat food from our catering partners who overproduced for an event. Or sandwiches from a local employee café that are on the verge of expiration, or fresh vegetables that a farmer couldn’t sell at the market.

All of it is really good food that just needed a place where it could be repurposed and given to people in need. Food rescue is a growing movement across the country, in response to the fact that 40 percent of what goes in our landfills is perfectly good food. Making that connection between overproduced food and hunger relief makes sense, and is now the foundation of our work.

Rhona Bowles Kamar is the founding chef and executive director of Feed Louisville. For 25 years, Rhona was chef and co-owner of her family’s restaurant, Ramsi’s Café on the World. Before starting Feed Louisville, she had her own catering and private chef company, Prana.

For information on how to donate or volunteer, visit www.feedlouisville.org.

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Last Minute

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1. Susan’s Florist: Rose Floral Arrangement. 2. Susan’s Florist: White Floral Arrangement.

3. Mamali: Porcelain Christmas Tree. 4. Susan’s Florist: Holiday Greenery Arrangement.

5. Barry Wooly: Artificial Floral Arrangement.

6. Bittners: Wooden Tray.

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7. Mamali: Letters For Santa Beaded Bag. 8. Barry Wooly: Bluegrass Gatherings Book.

9. Barry Wooly: Pashmina. 10. Details: Lux Christmas Candles. 11. Barry Wooly: Limited Edition Santa Clause. 12. Details: Beaded Wreath Placemat. 13. Details: Glass Champagne Flutes. 14. Details: Pearl and Gold Napkin Ring with Gold Detail Napkin.

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15. Belle Monde Boutique: Linx Fur Coat. 16. Belle Monde Boutique: Louis Vuitton Agendas. 17. Liquor Barn: Bourbon, Coffee and Chocolate Basket. 18. KMAC: Earrings. 19. Liquor Barn: Candy Cane Goody Box. 20. Liquor Barn: Assorted Whiskey Basket. 21. KMAC: Bird Ornament. 22. Liquor Barn: Assorted Wine. 23. Sassy Fox: Glitter Purse. 24. Sassy Fox: Leather Purse. 25. Bittners: Silver Picture Frame.

26. Sassy Fox: Ugg Slippers. 27. Sassy Fox: Earrings.

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28. Bittners: Sara Garden Armstrong Book. 29. KMAC: Candle. 30. Bittners: Organic Sculptural Vessel.

31. Rodes: Bejeweled Bear. 32: Rodes: Pink and White Purse. 33. Rodes: Pink Cape with Fur. 34. Rodes: Pink and White Earrings. 35. Noir Five: Double Oaked Bourbon For Him. 36. Noir Five: Scrub. 37. Noir Five: Soap and Soap Dish. 38. Noir Five: Lip Scrub.

39. KMAC: Appalachian Folk Art Book.

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40. Louisville City: Crew Sweatshirt. 41. Louisville City: Sweatshirt. 42. Racing Louisville: Scarf.

43. Louisville City: Beanie. 44. Racing Louisville: Quarter Zip Sweatshirt. 45. Racing Louisville: Sweatpants.

46. Racing Louisville: Mug. 47. Louisville City: Soccer Ball

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48. Posh Home: Glitter Homes. 49. Posh Home: Chess and Checkers Set. 50. Posh Home: Candle.

51. Rodeo Drive: Perfume. 52. Posh Home: Pink Tree Bath Bomb Set. 53. Rodeo Drive: Tumbler and Matching Bag. 54. Rodeo Drive: Cryo Toning Tools. 55. Lyndia Willis Hair Spa: Probiotic Hair Mask.

56. Lyndia Willis Hair Spa: Cashmere Hair Soufflé. 57. Lyndia Willis Hair Spa: Fountain of Hair Vitality Serum. 58. Rodeo Drive: Robe. 59. Lyndia Willis Hair Spa: Gift Certificate.

In the Style LOUp Styling for the Holiday Season

By Ashlea Spears Photos by Matt Johnson

Hello loves! It’s my favorite time of the year. The temperature requests layers, the leaves are falling, and we’ve launched into the true holiday season after celebrating and giving thanks with family and friends.

I’ve been leading into this article with a question, so, my question for you, this month, is this: have you added anything dreamy or risky to your wardrobe? I sure hope the answer is yes! We are at that time of the year where we all have reasons now to style up and show off with all the parties, events, and occasions that partner with the holiday season.

As I’ve fallen into my own holiday style vibe, I’ve been leaning into moody combos of print pairing, sparkles to the max, and neutral high-quality knits. Now, just because I said high quality doesn’t mean that it must come with a high price tag: stay tuned for tips on what to look for when buying your winter knits @inthestyleloup.

My favorite color this season — and has been the last several years — is a deep hunter green. In addition to sage green, and the colors that you’d find on a magnolia tree. You’ll see that color scheme play out on the following pages, and it’s also something you can find around our city of wonderful shops like Rodes, Rodeo Drive, Glasscock Too, Belle Monde Boutique, Sassy Fox and more. What delights me most is getting creative with fabric combinations and illuminating colorways with textures and accessories. My inside tip and trick — outside of a piece of vintage with every look — is a fair mix of masculine and feminine combinations. When trying to elevate any look as yourself if you have that combination…leather and lace, denim and tulle, Sequins and chiffon add a “boot,” for example.

I’d adore to see how you are trying some of these tips and encourage you to share or reach out to me with questions on Instagram at @inthestyleloup.

Sincerest wishes from myself and my family to yours this season. My holiday wish is for you to step outside the box and take a risk this season utilizing the tips I’ve shared in these last several articles. I have faith in your creativity, and I am here for help if you need me.

Toasting to Your Most Fashionable Season Yet, Ashlea Spears

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Keep That Workout Going During The Holidays

Photos by Matt Johnson

By Alison Cardoza, ACSM Certified Personal Trainer and Fitour Group Exercise Instructor at Baptist Health Milestone Wellness Center Sponsored Content

Tis’ the season for all the hustle and bustle! Tis’ the season for trying to keep on that muscle! Most of us lead very busy lives, especially during the holidays. We do not always allow quality time for ourselves. Self care is incredibly imperative, especially when you experience stress and lack of relaxation time. Carve out 30 minutes to MOVE. Whether it is heading to the gym, climbing your stairs at home, doing push ups against your kitchen while preparing dinner, or doing chair exercises during a zoom call... just get moving!

Incorporating weight training every other day will produce and increase muscle mass. Muscular strength will help prevent falls as we age. We should prioritize preserving our muscles. Incorporating cardio and weight training will help individuals prevent the onset and progression of osteopenia or osteoporosis.

You are more apt to make healthier choices along the way when it comes to food, if you are physically active. The temptations of scrumptious holiday appetizers and desserts may tempt, but will power prevails. Moderation is the key when it comes to temptation.

Satisfy your craving, but do not overdo it.

At Baptist Milestone, we strive for excellence in all areas of health and wellness. Our professional personal trainers all are degreed in advanced fields of Exercise Science, Kinesiology, and Exercise Physiology. Also certified by the most trusted and recognized certifying agencies in our industry. Baptist Milestone also offers medical fitness programs, group exercise classes, aquatic group classes, the HMR weight loss program, physical therapy, pilates, and skin and body treatment in our Oasis Spa.

Start your new year off in the right direction with a fitness journey. Let that begin at Baptist Health Milestone.

Alison Cardoza, B.S. Exercise Science and Sports Medicine and minor in Health Promotions from The University of Louisville. ACSM Certified Personal Trainer and Fitour Group Exercise Instructor at Baptist Health Milestone Wellness Center. Former UofL Ladybird and NFL Colts Cheerleader.

Life is all about choices.

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Taking Care of Your Mental Health Over the Holidays

By Dr. Oksana Zhurbich, clinical psychologist, Kentucky Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders (KYCARDS) in Louisville, Kentucky.

The holidays can be a stressful time. The environment can feel overwhelming with pressure for things to be just right, and emotions can run high.

Managing anxiety and overwhelming emotions doesn’t have to ruin your holiday season. Here are some tips to make this time of year a happier and healthier experience: Honor your emotions.

Emotions are like traffic signals. They are signaling to us that something is happening in our environment, and we need to do something. Emotions can feel overwhelming during the holidays. However, emotions are normal, natural, and adaptive. Instead of trying to control or ignore emotions, ask yourself “what is this emotion trying to tell me and what can I do?” Perhaps the emotion is telling you to slow down, take a breath, or say no to something that you can skip this holiday season.

Calm your nervous system.

Science has repeatedly shown that there are many ways to calm your nervous system including exercise, meditation, deep diaphragmatic breathing and walks in nature. The nervous system uses the vagus nerve to send impulses from the brain to the body and from the body to the brain. It tells your brain what is happening instead of the brain telling your body what to do. Calming your body through activities that are relaxing can actually calm down your brain when your environment may feel overwhelming. Calming activities may include reading, getting a massage, or spending quiet time engaging in a pleasant activity.

Connect with others/Avoidance.

Holidays can make people feel lonely and some people may try to avoid connections with others, over prepare, seek reassurance and worry or ruminate. Although avoiding things that make us anxious may bring short-term relief, it can make people feel worse in the long term. Avoidance may also lead to isolation and depressive symptoms. Gently exposing ourselves to the thing we want to avoid can help us learn that the situations or emotions we perceive as dangerous are not actually dangerous and will pass on their own. Although it may be anxiety provoking, connecting with others such as reaching out to a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while, attending a church, a meetup or support group not only helps break the avoidance cycle but leads to a sense of belonging, being cared for, valued and supported. This social connectedness leads to better health, longer life, and an improved sense of well-being.

Kids and Teens.

Holidays come with changes in routines and schedules which can be disorienting to kids and teenagers. Kids and teenagers do best with routines, so preparing them for changes can help prevent meltdowns and disruptive behaviors. Clearly defining what to expect and what you expect of them can especially help those who are anxious about meeting new people or being in large groups. Maintaining a consistent eating and sleeping schedule and bringing familiar toys or books on trips can also help kids feel grounded. Factoring in kids’ limitations and not overestimating their patience and ability to focus can help reduce stress on everyone and also allow you to enjoy yourself more.

Although some stress and anxiety surrounding holidays is normal, if the stress and anxiety are present before, after, and outside of the holiday season, it may be time to seek treatment. If stress and anxiety are getting in the way of your daily functioning, or you are changing your schedule to accommodate your child’s anxiety, there are things that you can do. There are many effective treatments available and it is never too early or too late to seek help.

If you or a loved one is struggling with anxiety or a related disorder, KYCARDS can offer rapid relief and lifelong change through evidence based cognitive behavioral therapy.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, dial or text 988 from a smartphone or call 911.

Help can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Gilda’s Night Honorees

By Amy Barnes

The Puckett Family

In early 2021, Darrin and Cynthia Puckett were parents of five children living in their bustling Floyds Knobs home.

Life was full. Life was good. But then Cynthia, then 45, was diagnosed with brain cancer. Surgery, radiation and chemo followed. She had to learn to walk and talk again.

While the treatment left Cynthia with significant speech and mobility challenges, the family got the “all clear” on the brain cancer and thought their lives would return to normal. But just two months later, Cynthia was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma with a whole new treatment regimen, accompanied by a host of new side effects.

Darrin, desperate for connection to others dealing with similar challenges, joined Gilda’s Club Kentuckiana. It made an incredible difference for him and soon the family was attending weekly support groups and events. Eleven-year old Joshua and eight-year-old Natalie are regulars at camp, youth deliveries and activities.

Darrin says,“Cancer is HARD. It changes everything. Gilda’s makes it easier. They make a huge difference, just knowing we are not alone. They help us live our lives fully while cancer is a part of it.”

Cancer has caused Cynthia’s world, the family’s world, to shrink. Schedules that used to be packed with the children’s school, homework, music lessons and sports, along with work, Cynthia’s PTO meetings and Darrin’s youth league coaching are now filled with medical appointments.

Darrin works from home and attempts to juggle it all. He says,“Most days it feels like we are just surviving and there’s very little left over for the kids.”

At 49 and 51, this is not what they had planned for their lives.“We thought at this stage of our lives we would be healthy. We would be financially solid, fully engaged in our kids’ lives and enjoying fun family outings and vacations.

Instead, we have one income and a lot of medical bills.”

In a decade, Cynthia and Darrin will be empty nesters and should be talking about retirement plans, travel as a couple, grandkids.“We don’t talk about that. We are existing—as individuals, as a couple, as parents. Going to Gilda’s Club helps.” Darrin notes,“The people at Gilda’s care and provide us so much support.”

Despite the current challenges and uncertainty ahead, the family still has joy. They still have each other, their faith and Gilda’s Club.“Without these,” Darrin says,“we cannot imagine how we might have endured, much less thrived, through the rollercoaster that is cancer.”

Gilda’s Club Kentuckiana is a free cancer support community.

If you or someone you love is living with cancer, visit gck.org or call 502.583.0075.

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The Forum at Brookside Resident of the Month:

Joyce White

THE VOICE-TRIBUNE recently interviewed The Forum at Brookside resident Joyce White Winter about her life, hobbies, memories, accomplishments and favorite holiday traditions. Read her responses, below.

VT: Tell us about your interests and hobbies.

Joyce: “I am interested in my family and their activities. I am also interested in my friends at The Forum at Brookside.”

VT: What is your proudest accomplishment?

Joyce: “My Children, and my marriage to my husband. Learning to live independently after my husband passed away was a significant accomplishment. I am proud of my daughter, who was a teacher, and my son ,who was a doctor.”

VT: Can you describe the significant events that impacted your life?

Joyce: “I lost my mom at age 11. In school I enjoyed school, choir, and plays. After I graduated from high school, I was working making war supplies. I sang in several choral groups at church. Getting married and having children came next. We lived on a farm, then moved to a patio home. In 2007, we moved to The Forum. I was so glad to be living at The Forum before my husband passed away. My family and friends here have made these years happy. I am now looking forward to being a great great grandmother. As an older person, I have learned to use an iPhone.”

VT: What is your fondest childhood memory?

“Around age four, a man with a goat pulling a cart would come to our neighborhood and take pictures of me and my sister with the goat.”

VT: What did you experience as a young person that you wish others could experience today?

“Being brought up in a Christian home, going to church, and all the church activities. I also enjoyed being outside in nature.”

VT: Tell us about your family and friends. Who do you enjoy spending time with?

“My three brothers and two sisters have passed away. I am the oldest of six, and enjoy talking to my sister-in-laws, family, and friends. I look forward to all our family get togethers, especially birthdays, Christmas, and other holiday celebrations.”

VT: What do you enjoy most about living at The Forum at Brookside?

“Living in a two-bedroom apartment at The Forum has many advantages: Close neighbors, delicious meals, and social activities. The staff is nice, caring, and kind. The many friends I have made over my 17 years here have helped make life enjoyable.

Our Sunday church services are a blessing because of our pastor Ed Gayhart.”

“What are your favorite holiday memories?”

Christmas, Birthdays, and Easter were special because we got new clothes and a corsage.

Prevailing with Purpose: A Motivational Reflection to Connect Meaning and Life

By Dr. Randy Whetstone, Jr.

It is my distinct honor and privilege to write a feature on my first single author book. This is a project that I have worked on since the beginning of 2018. I was a doctoral student finishing up my studies and research in preparation to defend, and it was during this time that I reflected on where I was currently in life and how I got there. I was immediately overtaken by humility and gratitude. I said to myself, “Wow! I have come a long way.” For a young Black boy who grew up in an impoverished environment with limited resources to escape such elements, it was humbling to consider the goals achieved and the next milestones to conquer. I realized that life hadn’t always been this way.

Growing up…

• I struggled with my purpose.

• I struggled with my identity.

• I struggled with life’s meaning.

These areas, among a few others, gave birth to this written project.

“Prevailing with Purpose” is a foundational tool written to provide a few answers to life's ageless questions. In this book, I reflect on my life as a young Black boy, teenager, and young adult. As I struggled with identity growing up, I also struggled to discover my purpose for living. I realized I wasn't the only one. Growing up in a faith-based home taught me principles to live by, but it wasn't until I had a life-changing episode in my early 20s that I began to understand life's meaning and what to do with our time here on earth. This book offers a fresh-perspective on life, in efforts to provide clarity for those grappling with an existential crisis. This book addresses a handful of topics such as: • Faith and Fortitude • Identity and self discovery • Worldview, Beliefs, Values, and Action • Relationships: Singleness, Marriage, Parent-child relationships, Friendship • Decision making • How to overcome obstacles • Making the most of your time • Future-focused mindset • Investing in oneself • Reinventing yourself • Money This book places a heavy emphasis on faith. This is the foundation by which I have built my life upon. While there are a variety of world view and philosophical views in our world, I offer suggestions to build and train one’s critical thinking skills to see life in a different light. It was a great mentor who told me, “My job [as an educator] isn’t to get you to think like me, my job is to get you to think.” I offer the same sentiments. Our world is interwoven with diversity that beautifies the fabric of the world’s landscape. I hope this book achieves that goal for you.

“Prevailing with Purpose” can be purchased at the following locations: prevailing-with-purpose.com (for signed copies) Amazon (paperback) Barnes and Noble (hardback) Dr. Randy Whetstone, Jr. is the author of his first book, Prevailing with Purpose: A Motivational Reflection to Connect Meaning and Life. In this book, Dr. Whetstone recalls pivotal moments in his life from childhood to his late 20s that helped him discover his purpose and mission in life. The book provides principles to guide one’s life in an orderly and purposeful fashion.

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Engagements & Weddings Promotions & Successes Milestones & Events In Memoriam For more information, contact Julie@voice-tribune.com

Runyon at the historic Wolf Pen Branch Mill farm, 412 acres owned by writer Sallie Bingham and preserved forever in 1998 by Ms. Bingham via a conservation easement with River Fields.

Meme Sweets Runyon’s Legacy Celebration Photos provided by: River Fields

Congratulations to Meme Sweets Runyon for her 37 years of service as President and CEO at Louisville’s River Fields Inc, a 64-year-old conservation and preservation organization. The nonprofit land trust is the largest and oldest river conservancy and advocacy group along the Ohio River to effectively protect, preserve and enhance the natural and cultural resources, including agricultural and scenic resources, on both sides of the Ohio River between Westport and West Point, Kentucky, for the benefit of the public.

River Fields Board leaders invited Amelia Runyon Williamson, Meme’s daughter, to deliver the speech below during the sold-out celebration in her honor at the organization’s annual event on November 3: Meme Sweets Runyon had some obvious qualifications when Ken Moore asked her to become the part-time executive director of River Fields in the summer of 1986. She was a seasoned public relations person, having served as Mitch McConnell’s first press secretary when he was elected county judge in 1977. And she had engaged in significant civic work, including the boards of Actors Theatre, the Cabbage Patch Settlement, the Fund for the Arts and the Louisville Youth Orchestra.

Most important, and perhaps least known, was the alignment between River Fields’s mission and Meme’s faith. In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he says: ‘For the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead. . . . But men,’ Paul goes on to say, ‘glorified him not as God. . .but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.’

Meme has taken this as a calling to be a faithful steward of God’s creation by protecting it. She has, it goes without saying, a passionate devotion to the Ohio River and its surrounding land, having lived most of her life on a bluff overlooking that waterway. But her passion for its bounty — economic, recreational, aesthetic, and environmental — is a reflection and a result of this calling, a calling that explains her passion for land conservation, historic preservation, and advocacy for the protection of the African American heritage of Upper River Road, all for the benefit of the public.

Runyon at the 45-acre George Garvin Brown Preserve in Northeast Jefferson County, open to the public daily and made possible by Laura Lee Brown and her siblings. (Photo by Charles Birnbaum, founder, Cultural Landscape Foundation.)

In the 37 years since she began, she has become perhaps the region’s best known and longest-serving non-profit executive. But, as you might say, it has not been smooth sailing all the way.

Almost immediately, development ideas cropped up with unfortunate impacts on our environment. A massive barge fleeting area that would have turned the river at 12 Mile Island into a floating parking lot. A parking garage in the shadow of The Kennedy Bridge just off River Road. Floodlights beaming on Cox’s Park unnecessarily illuminating not just a golf driving range but creating light pollution all along the river corridor. A sand and gravel industrial site in historic Westport. And, most famously, the decades-long struggle over where and whether to build new bridges over the Ohio River. The list goes on and on.

In response to these challenges, Meme developed a well-stocked toolbox of solutions. She educated River Fields’ board and the public on issues important to its work. She initiated River Fields purchase and preservation of land in the corridor. She participated in local land use planning, ensuring that River Fields’ and the public’s voice- was heard in documents like the Ohio River Corridor Master Plan, a plan she initiated. She hired experts in traffic planning to prove conclusively that it was possible to rebuild Spaghetti Junction under traffic and that this rebuilding was necessary to solve its traffic problems. She became an expert in federal, state, and local land use regulation. She led River Fields’ participation in Planning Commission hearings, in regulatory hearings made possible by state and federal laws, and occasionally led River Fields’s participation in litigation. She pioneered the use of conservation easements, making River Fields one of the few land trusts in America which is both a land trust and an advocacy organization.

She created partnerships with like-minded organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Kentucky Heritage Council, and she was instrumental in the formation of the Kentucky Land Trust Coalition, serving on its Executive Committee for years and furthering education on land conservation in the Commonwealth.

In all this, she insisted that River Fields’ positions be based on facts and on the law.

The civic contretemps at the heart of Meme’s work came and went, sometimes accompanied with great personal sacrifice. Meme was frequently attacked for positions River Fields took. She was snubbed by lifelong friends. Powerful

Amelia Runyon Williamson, delivering speech in honor of her mother on November 3rd.

community leaders tried to have her fired and her children were attacked for the work River Fields had undertaken.

Meme bore these burdens with courage, strengthened by her faith and by the certainty that River Fields’s positions were based on facts and were in the public interest.

In the end, there was always some benefit for the community resulting from her work. What is lasting, however, are the long-term investments in land conservation and historic preservation. Waterfront Park…the Wolf Pen Branch Mill…Garvin Brown Preserve…the towering Abraham Lincoln bridge downtown (which, if there were any justice in this world, would be named in her honor)… the Rosenwald School and Jacob School and James Taylor Neighborhoods… the Merriwether House. . .and the 2200 acres preserved forever through the conservation easements River Fields holds. The list goes on and on. Those are Meme’s enduring achievements.

What also will last is the reputation Meme has earned as a well-informed, articulate, patient advocate for the causes she has worked on for nearly four decades: the protection, preservation and enhancement of the mighty Ohio River and its cultural resources on both sides of the river. Tonight, we pay tribute to her and to this remarkable community of volunteers she has built through her tenacity and passion.

Photo Captions: 1. Runyon, with River Fields attorney Robert W. Griffith and staff member Leslie Barras, attending a meeting where the environmental impact study for the Ohio River Bridges Project was announced on Nov. 9, 2001.

2. In 2001, Charles Birnbaum awarded Runyon the Cultural Landscape Foundation’s “Landmark Award” at the American Life Building penthouse in 2011.

3. John Yarmuth, then a River Fields trustee and later U.S. congressman, with Meme Sweets Runyon in 2003.

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Public access and recreation are key objectives of River Fields. Here, Runyon is discussing the Southwest Jefferson County bike and jogging path project.

3

Kathryn and Matthew Addison

Photos by Heather Durham

Kathryn and Matt met in preschool in Louisville and later reconnected while living in Florida. A relationship based in their deep religious faith, the two incorporated many symbolic details into their special day. Below, VOICE-TRIBUNE shares their love story.

How did you meet?

“Matt and I officially met in preschool when we were in the same class, the -five day fours’ at Harvey Brown in Louisville, Kentucky. Even though we met then, we went on to different schools. Matthew went to Trinity and I went to Assumption High School. He then went to Sewanee: The University of the South, and I went to Auburn University. After college, when we were both living in Florida, that’s when we reconnected.”

“Matthew was in flight school, with the Navy, in Pensacola, and I was working for Eli Lilly doing pharmaceutical sales in the 30A area.

Around this time, Hurricane Michael came through and devastated the area I worked in. I posted about it on my social media because so many of my doctors’ offices were destroyed. It was awful. Somehow, through social media, I showed up on Matthew’s Facebook feed with my posts. It was then that he realized I was living close to him. He then followed me on Instagram and sent me a message. Knowing we were both from Louisville, he asked if I was going home for the holidays, and would like to go on a date when we were both home for Christmas.

I thought that sounded great, so I agreed; but after thinking it through I assumed there wouldn’t be a point. He ultimately lived an hour and a half away from me in Florida, so I figured the date would not turn into much, due to the distance, when we got back from the holidays. I ended up backing out of the date and telling Matt that I was going back to Florida earlier than I had planned.”

“About a week went by, and I was still thinking about him, wondering if I was wrong to back out and what might have been. It was about that time I received another message from Matt. He still wanted to take me on a date and said he was willing to make the hour and a half drive to

make it happen. I was so impressed and immediately excited! We went out in Destin, Fl to dinner and a movie. Pretty standard, but we both left feeling like it was the best date we’d ever been on.”

“Within a couple months I knew this was something special and he actually told his family he was going to marry me. He didn’t tell me until much later, but we both realized this was more than fun!

When the Navy moved Matt to Corpus Christi, Texas a few months later, we decided to continue our relationship long distance and take things one day at a time. Over the next 3 ½ years, our relationship continued to grow as we became each other’s best friends. At the end of 2021 we decided we were ready to take the next step in moving forward with our relationship. This meant talks of marriage and finally living in the same city.”

“That Christmas, Matt asked my dad if he could marry me, and with my dad’s blessing, we went shopping for rings. I was so excited, it was like all of my dreams were coming true. At the beginning of the new year (2022) I made the move to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma where Matt was currently stationed, and began a new job. I knew a ring had to be coming soon, but Matt made me wait it out a few more months as the military had him on a lot of deployments. In May of 2022 it finally happened. Matt proposed and the wedding planning began.”

Tell us about the proposal, or the moment you decided marriage was the next step.

“After 3 ½ years of dating, Matt proposed in May of 2022 at a local lake, Lake Hefner, Oklahoma. Matt chose this spot because it has a small lighthouse, which was symbolic of one of our first dates when I was visiting Matt in Pensacola, FL. Matt took me to the lighthouse there, and we looked out over the water. When Matt first asked me if I wanted to go to Lake Hefner I initially didn’t want to go. I was still new to Oklahoma at this point and didn’t know there was a lighthouse there. Matt had just asked if I wanted to go for a walk around the lake, but it was a surprisingly cold day for May, and I wasn’t interested in being outside. After some convincing though, I finally agreed. Matt told me it was a really nice spot and he wanted to show it to me.”

“When we got there, I saw the lighthouse and immediately knew something had to be up. I started to check out Matt’s outfit to see if I could find a ring box, but I didn’t notice anything, which threw me off a little bit. We walked the path along the lake and as the sun was setting we began to head back to the car and I thought “okay I guess it isn’t happening tonight,” but then he asked to stop at a bench to sit and take in the sunset. As we approached the beach he got down on one knee and finally asked me, “do you want to marry me?” It was the easiest ‘yes’ of my life!”

Where/when was your wedding?

“We originally wanted a Florida wedding, but after touring Whitehall House and Gardens on a weekend home, I called Matthew and sent him pictures of their incredible property. He told me he used to ride his bike through the grounds and always wondered about the parties that were thrown there. Seeing it and knowing this, I felt like Whitehall was meant to be our wedding venue. There were only a few dates available, so I snagged the first Saturday in October. Our date and venue were set. After about a year and half of planning we had a beautiful wedding on the gorgeous day of October 7, 2023. It was truly a dream come true.”

Who were your vendors?

“Our vendors were: Wedding Coordinator, Anna’s Additions, Anna Bunting and her marvelous team: Holly, Lori; Louisville; Rentals: 50 Chairs, Rental Depot, Pizzazzle Events — all local to Louisville; Dishes, flatware, glassware & linens: In Good Company, Louisville; Florals: Susan’s Florist, Louisville; Photographer: Heather Durham Photography, Nashville; Videographer: Love the Renaud’s, Lexington; Invitations and signage: Julie Diamond, Louisville; DJ: Yancey Entertainment, Louisville; Hair and makeup: The Beauty Patrol (bridal artist: Kenzie Nally for makeup and Laura Conard for hair), Louisville; Hotel Room Block, Rehearsal Dinner & Bridesmaids Luncheon: The Brown Hotel, Louisville; Cake:

Mert’s Cakes, Louisville; Bridal Gown: Sareh Nouri Gown from Stanley Korshak Bridal, Dallas TX; Bridal Veil: A Class Act, Louisville; Bridal Earrings: Vivian Drew (online); Bridesmaids Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids; Bridesmaids Earrings: SJ Bailey Co. (online); Groom & Groomsmen Tuxedos: Men’s Wearhouse, Louisville.”

Where did you honeymoon?

“We decided to honeymoon at Sugar Beach Resort in St. Lucia. We discussed doing either a tropical vacation or going to Europe, and ultimately decided that after the wedding, all we would want to do is relax on a beach. We were so happy that we made that decision. We both absolutely loved our resort and left feeling like it was the best vacation we’d ever been on.”

Did you incorporate any family legacy, honorary memories or significant heirloom pieces into the event?

“My mom created a devotional booklet for our guests for the weekend. It was included in the welcome bag given to each of our guests when they checked in at The Brown Hotel. It was also shared online when Ashlea Spears, who does Social Media for Belle Monde Boutique, read the devotion during an instagram live post on Saturday. Several asked for copies, and it has been distributed at the boutique.Our faith is important to us, and it was so, because in the midst of the chaos of wedding week, we were able to start each day by focusing on what mattered most. We believe God is the designer of marriage, and we wanted to seek His blessing and make sure this honored Him. The devotion helped set the tone for such a beautiful weekend, and it encouraged prayer for us as newlyweds throughout our first year of marriage, with scripture-guided prayers for the 7th day of each month of the year.”

“It was important to us to make sure our ceremony reflected not only the celebration of our marriage, but also to be reverent to God. Our parents walked in to ‘The Blessing’ by Kari Jobe, which is based on Numbers 6:24-26 in the Bible which states,‘The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.’”

“Our wedding party walked in to ‘Ever Be,’ by Bethel, a praise and worship song that says ‘Your praise will ever be on my lips.’ My dad walked me down the aisle to ‘Goodness of God’ by CeCe Winans,which I chose because of the faithfulness and goodness we have seen of God throughout our lives and our relationship. It was so spiritual. My coworker, and ordained minister, Michael Record, officiated leading us from

Genesis through Revelation focusing on God’s design for marriage. So many people thanked us for the focus and celebration of faith.”

“Lastly, we took a moment to have our immediate families surround us in a prayer circle before we exchanged vows. As they held hands, they prayed over us and our marriage. Our guests were asked to join us in prayer in their seats. It was an incredible moment bringing everyone together to pause and give thanks and ask for God’s blessing. It was such a sweet way to enter into marriage.”

What was your favorite moment of the ceremony?

“I think Matt and I both agree that our favorite moments from the day were when I walked down the aisle and our first dance. Walking down the aisle and locking eyes in that moment, especially seeing the emotion on Matt’s face, was really special. We overcame long distance, the challenges that the military component brought…we waited, and this was our day, our time. It was so sweet and full of excitement and emotion as we entered into our ceremony and our lives as Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Addison.”

“For our first dance, we took dance lessons and learned a choreographed dance to go with our song ‘The Best’ by Tina Turner. It was so upbeat, and fun to just spin around the dance floor. He twirled me, he lifted me again and again, swirling me around the room. It was a great way to kick off the night and our life. It was,‘Simply The Best!’”

In Memoriam: Cody Layne Dorman

provided by December 18, 2005 — November 5, 2023 Photos the Dorman Family

Cody Layne Dorman, 17, of Richmond, KY passed away Sunday, November 5, 2023 in Atlanta, GA on his way home from supporting his best friend, Cody’s Wish, a world-renowned thoroughbred named in his honor, in his final race at Santa Anita Park in the Breeder’s Cup Dirt Mile.

Cody, a 70-pound terminally ill child who suffered from Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome, was born in Lexington, Ky. on Dec. 18, 2005. The genetic defect that results when someone is missing a small piece of chromosome No. 4. It can cause a litany of serious medical issues – heart defects, kidney failure, developmental disability, difficulty swallowing, seizures – and can be deadly, which was predicted for Cody by one doctor, who told the Dormans their son would not live to see his second birthday.

His inexplicable, yet undeniable bond with a champion Thoroughbred racehorse named for him captured hearts within and outside of horse racing, died November 5 while traveling home from the Breeders’ Cup in California before his retirement; Cody’s Wish had fun his last race.

“Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana sends its deepest sympathy to Cody Dorman’s family and the countless others he inspired.

In his short life, Cody taught us all what it means to love. The incredible bond between Cody and Cody’s Wish filled the world with hope. We are honored to have granted his wish and will never forget his life and legacy,” said Stephanie McCormick, Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana President & CEO. The death of the 17-year-old from Richmond, Ky., drew reaction from racing personalities throughout the world, as well as the governor of Kentucky.

“As a dad, my heart breaks for the Dorman family as they mourn the loss of their remarkably strong and kind son Cody,” Gov. Andy Beshear wrote in a social media post.“He was an inspiration to many, and I was always left smiling when I saw him. His legacy will live on through the impact he made on many, including me.”

Cody’s parents, Kelly and Leslie, said their son, who met the governor at Keeneland Race Course at the 2022 Breeders’ Cup and Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day this year, would be pleased with those comments.

“I know if Cody could say one thing, he would want to let everyone know not to cry for him, but to smile for him,” Kelly said, acknowledging that may be easier said than done at this time.

Yet, there was on Saturday, November 4, a month shy of his 18th birthday, in the Santa Anita paddock, making sure the horse he considered his best friend could see that he was there to watch the final race of his career. Two days earlier, Cody had visited Cody’s Wish on the backstretch, and once again the horse who has a reputation of being a bad actor in the starting gate meekly walked over to his friend’s wheelchair and lowered his head.

That interaction came five years after the pair first met at Gainsborough Farm in Lexington, when Cody was visiting as a Make-AWish ambassador as part of Make-A-Wish Day at Keeneland. Godolphin’s Danny Mulvihill, the farm manager, brought out a broodmare named Dance Card and her 5-month old weanling, a son of leading stallion Curlin.

The chemistry was so evident that Godolphin named the horse after Cody and the organization that is dedicated to creating

life-changing wishes for critically ill children. The second meeting occurred two years later, in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Cody’s parents thought a visit to see “his” horse would snap him out of the deep depression into which he had fallen. They were correct.

Cody was at Churchill Downs when Cody’s Wish won for the first time, on Oct. 2, 2021. He would see him run in person seven times, and got to appear in six win photos with him, including Saturday, when the horse captured his second straight Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

It was known well in advance this would be the last start of the horse’s 16-race career, providing a definitive end to the racing side of this heartwarming tale, and Cody was not going to miss it. The Dormans traveled to California last week and on Wednesday accepted on behalf of Team Cody’s Wish the Mr. Fitz Award, presented by the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association for typifying the spirit of racing.

“I love everyone on the team with all my heart,” Cody said, communicating through his tablet.“They all worked hard to see my wish and their wishes come true.”

Stationed in the winner’s circle next to his doting 10-year-old sister Kylie, Cody watched his equine friend gradually wear down National Treasure, this year’s Preakness Stakes winner, who had an easy lead throughout the race. It was a photo finish, but Cody’s Wish won by a nose, ensuring a happy ending to the story of Cody Dorman and Cody’s Wish (although a 5-minute stewards’ inquiry put the celebration temporarily on hold).

“He said he was going to go out on top,” Kelly Dorman said of a Friday night hotel room conversation, though the Dormans could not have fathomed Cody would be referring to himself as well as the horse.

“We can’t get over the timing,” Kelly said.“It’s like Cody was saying,‘I’ve done everything I can do and it’s time for me to go now.’ I think most people feel that.”

Before Cody became a horse racing celebrity, he was famous in the world of professional fishing. In fact, the original wish that he requested, and was granted, was a trip to Bass Pro Shop headquarters in Missouri to meet his good friend, fishing TV personality Mark Zona, for whom he named his dog, and tour the Wonders of Wildlife museum. He was also recognized at the Bassmaster Classic, where champion angler Kevin Van Dam and emcee Dave Mercer wore Casting for Cody shirts on stage.

Cody often requested gift cards that he could use at his favorite bait shop, Backwater Outfitters in Lexington, run by the Myers Family, who accompanied the Dormans on Cody’s Make-A-Wish trip to Bass Pro Shops.

Through his participation in a charity motorcycle ride for Make-A-Wish, he befriended many bikers, who would drive by the Dormans’ house and rev their engines, bringing a smile to Cody’s face.

“He liked to sit around and listen to fish stories,” Kelly said.“He had great affection for animals and the outdoors, and loud trucks and motorcycles. He was a country boy at heart.”

Cody was a senior at Madison Central High School in Richmond, where he was a proud member of the fishing team and Future Farmers of America. He recently had his senior pictures taken at Gainsborough, the farm where he met his best friend, and was scheduled to graduate in May. He went to the prom last spring with his occupational therapist, Janna Lopez, and showed a 30-percent improvement in the ACT exams this year.

Cody’s connection with Cody’s Wish was more of a regional story until the Forego Stakes at Saratoga in August 2022, when the horse pulled off a shocking upset over Jackie’s Warrior, who had been unbeatable at the venerable New York track. From there it was on to the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland, a half-hour from the Dormans’ home. NBC produced an Eclipse Award-winning piece for the broadcast, Cody’s Wish won the Dirt Mile, and two stars were born.

Cody won the Big Sport of Turfdom Award, given annually by the Turf Publicists of America to a person or group who enhances coverage of Thoroughbred racing through cooperation with the media and Thoroughbred racing publicists. He traveled to Arizona to accept it.

Cody’s Wish was named winner of the Secretariat Vox Populi Award, presented to a horse whose popularity and racing excellence best resounded with the American public and gained recognition for the sport during the past year.

Godolphin and trainer Bill Mott chose to keep Cody’s Wish in training for his 5-yearold campaign and the horse responded with four wins in five starts and a third-place finish in the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga. The Dormans enjoyed a memorable trip to perhaps America’s most iconic racetrack, despite the loss.

As they reflect on the 18 years they were blessed to love and care for their son, Kelly and Leslie Dorman are struck by his unyielding courage and positive outlook.

“Every adversity that was stacked up against him, he defied them all,” Kelly said.“He had good days and bad days, but almost every day he was in a good mood. Everything he went through, he came up with a smile. His body had been ravaged with strokes and seizures, but his mind still worked perfectly.”

Since his first experience with Make-A-Wish, Cody took great pleasure in helping the organization raise money so that other children could benefit.

“He was the sweetest little thing,” said Leslie, who stopped working when Cody was 6 months old in order to care for him.“He had the biggest heart. He would always thank me for taking care of him.”

In addition to his parents and sister, Cody is survived by his paternal grandparents, Fred and Patricia Dorman; his maternal grandmother, Julita Spoon; an uncle, Kevin “Weazer” Dorman; an aunt, Angie Feese, and her husband, Bryan, and their sons, Dylan and Colton. He was the grandchild of the late Lester Spoon.

The family has requested that donations in Cody’s memory be made to Make-A-Wish of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

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One complimentary float at Weightless Float Center Register through December 31st.

Winners will be drawn on January 8th and announced on our social media channels. Winners will be notified by email.

September 22, 2023

TWILIGHT IN THE GARDEN

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Photos by Bill Wine

osted by the Yew Dell Botanical Gardens, Twilight in the Garden is Yew Dell’s signature event and largest fundraiser of the year. Guests enjoyed food, cocktails as well as a live and silent auction. Proceeds from Twilight in the Garden went towards the preservation of the Yew Dell Botanical Gardens as well as various activities, workshops, and educational activities offered to the community.

Lori Hebel-Osborne and Carol Hebel

Laurie and Clint Kaho

Stephanie and Troy Coulter

Amelia Frazier Theobald, Owner and CEO of the Voice- Tribune and Parker Theobald

Brian and Vicky Houtchens

Debbie and Jay Hall

Kyle and Susan Saylor

Megan and Jon Schwetschenau

John and Leslie Smart

Brad and Cara Sue Broecker with Carol and Dr. Paul Cappiello, the Executive Director of the Yew Dell Botanical Gardens

Adam Burress and Lauren Coto

Emma and Jacob Stidham with Lisa Allen

Anuj Rastogi, Leanne Lundy with Ellen and Steven Blevins

Scott and Wendy Menzel

Phil and Diane Gerrow

Stephen and Lauren Gibson

October 6, 2023

DENIM & DIAMONDS

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Photos by Kathryn Harrington

he Norton Healthcare Foundation hosted its 16th Annual Denim & Diamonds Gala at the Mellwood Arts Center. Guests showed up in their finest denim wear for the event that featured live music, specialty cocktails, a photo booth and live and silent auctions. The event benefited the Parkinson Support Center of Kentuckiana, a part of Norton Neuroscience Institute Resource Center.

Holly and Robin Cooper.

Lynnie Meyer and Erika Samuels.

Tom Pifer and Brian Helton with Ann and Doug Pifer.

Jennifer and Steve Bell.

Shaun Logsdon.

Tom Pifer and Brian Helton.

Rachel Way and Jonathan Lane.

Peggy Karman and Caitlyn Walsh.

Kris Jones and Rocky Rawlins with Bob and Chris Goodknight.

Shaun Logsdon, Pamela Fulton Broadus, Lauren Broadus and Kelly Scott.

Haleh and Devin Krauter with Maggie Lamberjack.

Doug Peabody, Sharon Snider, Tom Musselman and Beth Peabody.

Dianne Steinert and Heidi Kraft.

Bill and Shannon Musselman.

Martina Bright and Heidi Pierce.

October 7, 2023

CRAFTING COCKTAILS

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Photos by Kathryn Harrington

he KMAC Museum hosted a brand new annual benefit, Crafting Cocktails: The Art of Drink. The event brought together local beverage makers for an evening of great food, mocktails and cocktails.

Tawanda Chitapa, Kris Thompson, Chris Welsh and Deji Lasisi.

Wende Cudmore and Julia Comer.

Melissa Hines, Julie Bowie, Emily Digenis, Chris Welsh and Hunter Sattich.

Nick Loper and Willa Pettit.

Lucy Owen and Jasmine Groves.

Grace Holleman with Rivergreen Cocktails.

Sandy and Jeremy Trayner with Louisville Shrubology.

Will Elger with Hermosa.

Jacob Haberlock and Zora Gordon.

Grace Allen and Claire Gothard.

Joanna Hay and Caroline Thornewill.

Angela and Ken Hagan with Left Bank and Tamarra Jenkins with Hell or High Water.

Leslie Millar, Angela Hagan and Jody Howard.

Wayne McFarquhar, Sarah Bracken and Stacey McFarquhar.

Parker and Amelia Theobald with Angela and Ken Hagan.

Eric Wentworth with Modica.

Amanda Riff with Elixir Kombucha.

Amelia Theobald and Deji Lasisi.

October 7, 2023

ROB AND ASHLEY PENTA’S WEDDING CELEBRATION

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Photos by Kathryn Harrington

ob and Ashley Penta hosted their wedding celebration surrounded by friends and family at the Louisville Country Club. The couple married earlier this year on June 23 at the Four Seasons on Lāna’i in Hawaii.

Lynn and Dirk Voss with Bill and Diana Siler.

Parker and Amelia Theobald, Rob, Ryder and Ashley Penta with Paula Nissen and Cordt Huneke.

Ashley, Ryder and Rob Penta.

Nic and Blake Deitrich.

Sandy Morris and Patty Groves.

Paula Nissen and Cordt Huneke.

Nikki Wachal and Jon Dill.

Ryder Penta and Jon Dill.

Aaron and Sarah Yarmuth with Parker and Amelia Theobald.

Maren Schikler and Keitan Stacks.

Greg Voss, John Smith and Joe Larger.

Jeff Treitz, Chuck Mitchell, Parker Theobald, Paula Nissen, Cordt Huneke, Greg Voss, Rob, Ashley, Betsy and John Penta, Kevin Grangier, Kim Voss and Amelia Theobald.

October 9, 2023

OLD FASHIONED WEEK KICK OFF

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Photos by Madeline Mullenbach Hall

eat Bourbon Bar and Heaven Hill hosted the Old Fashioned Week Kick Off. The event featured Heaven Hill’s Max Shapira who spoke about the company and it’s 87 years of history.

October 12, 2023

MIDNIGHT MUSE

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Photos by Bill Wine

uests gathered at the home of the Louisville Orchestra’s Music Director Teddy Abrams for an evening of art and interaction. Presented by Teddy Abrams, Revelry and Louisville Creative Connection, the night featured live painting, musical performances and more.

Rosemary Kent and Kathryn Brooks

Javonte “ Smiley “ Williams painted.

Artist Sam Newby painted as she viewed a local church steeple.

Kathryn Brooks and Rosemary Kent

Jesse Daniels, Owner and Publisher of Today’s Woman magazine Tawana Bain, Quincey Nelson and Owner-CEO of the Voice- Tribune Amelia Frazier Theobald

Diane Yang and Sabrina Parry

Nico and Michael Phillips

Karen and Chris Spearman

Jenny Baughman and Blue Palmoutsos

Chris Skyles and Adrienne Hinkebein

James Seymour, Laura Pitkin, Melissa Atlas and Dillon Welch

Peterson Thomas, Mo Mcknight Howe and Scott Howe

Artists Lisa Ann Markuson, Tigresse Bleu and “ Jahoss”

Owner and Publisher of Today’s Woman magazine Tawana Bain, Owner-CEO of the Voice- Tribune Amelia Frazier Theobald and Teddy Abrams, Director of the Louisville Orchestra and the host of the event.

October 17, 2023

THE SUMMIT GRAND OPENING

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Photos by Dick Arnspiger

ouisville leaders held a grand opening ceremony for The Summit Wellness Center.

The facility at 601 Presidents Boulevard houses the LMPD Wellness Unit and prioritizes the five pillars of wellness: mental, physical, social, spiritual and financial.

Dwight Mitchell, Jim Ellis (Chairman of the Police Fund) and Deputy Chief Steve Healey

Great support from the local communities to support LMPD and make the LMPD Wellness Center a reality.

Officers Paige Doerr and Zack Haley

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg

Major Bryan Edelen (LMPD Performance Division)

LMPD Chaplains Wayne Bishop and Theresa O’Bannon

Curtis Calhoun with Sgt. Natalie Hughes

Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey, Steve Gault, Bill Strench and Sandra Frazier

The five pillars of the LMPD Wellness Center (The Summit): Mental, Financial, Spiritual, Social & Physical

Rachel & Mayor Craig Greenberg

The Summit (LMPD Welless Center)

Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey

October 17, 2023

SPEED OUTDOORS GROUND PLANTING

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Photos by Kathryn Harrington

he Speed Art Museum held a “Ground Planting” ceremony for its new transformational Art Park. The Speed Outdoors project will transform three acres of grounds surrounding the Speed Art Museum into a public green space that is projected to open late 2025.

Raphaela Platow, Lopa Mehrotra and Jennifer Chappell.

Grace Fridy.

Todd Lowe, Viki Diaz, Mayor Craig Greenberg, Campbell Brown and Rachel Greenberg.

Mayor Craig Greenberg.

Todd Lowe, Campbell Brown and Viki Diaz.

Viki Diaz.

Lopa Mehrotra.

Elizabeth McCrary and Amanda Haas.

Landscape architect Reed Hilderbrand.

Raphaela Platow, Mayor Craig Greenberg, Stacy Gordon-Funk, Jennifer Chappell, Barbara Sexton Smith and Campbell Brown.

Raphaela Platow, Grace Fridy, Mayor Craig Greenberg and Todd Lowe.

Campbell Brown, Viki Diaz and Gill Holland.

Campbell Brown, Todd Lowe, Mayor Craig Greenberg, Viki Diaz, Raphaela Platow, Lopa Mehrotra and Jennifer Chappell.

Campbell Brown and Raphaela Platow.

October 18, 2023

KMAC BOARD HAPPY HOUR

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Photos by Kathryn Harrington

MAC hosted a gathering for its board members with the theme of Flowers, inspired by the exhibit of Marisa Adesman.

Board members enjoyed cocktails and light bites.

Hosts Laura Melillo Barnum, Trina O’Brien, Heather Varda, Ann Grissom and Tara Hagerty.

Ann and Doug Grissom, Nicola Scott, Brian and Lucy Holzer.

Heather Varda, Trina O’Brien, Laura Melillo Barnum and Kiki Strother.

Stacy Mehrfar with Courtney and Bill Wobee.

Ron Wolz and Ann Grissom.

Josephine Buckner and Tara Hagerty.

Christy Metzger and Jane Beck.

Michelle Staggs and Becky Ragland.

Will Elger, Tony Varda and Ozair Shariff.

Chris Welsh, Trina O’Brien and Curtis Conlin.

Merliyn Sexton, Winkie Dawkins, Amy Street and Cheri Collis White.

Ashley Blacketer, Josephine Buckner, Tara Hagerty and Ashley Eifler.

Lucy Holzer and Jennifer McGill.

Jacob McGill and Brian Holzer.

October 19, 2023

THE BASH AT BUTCHERTOWN

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Photos by Kathryn Harrington

osted by Copper & Kings, The Bash at Butchertown celebrated the release of the new Copper & Kings Bourbon. Guests were invited to dress in black and orange as they enjoyed live music from Ben Bernhard and Tony and the Tan Lines, bourbon and brandy tastings, flash tattoos, caricature portraits and more.

Ben Bernhard.

Tony and the Tanlines.

Kyle Staggers, Tyler Zoller with Louisville Bourbon Buzz and Tim Van Riper with Single Barrel Snob.

Copper & Kings Head Distiller Brandon O’Daniel.

Travis Thompson.

Jesse Goldstein and Sarah Kozlowski.

Lindsey Davis and Steven Fleischauer.

Sherri Jenkins and Lauren Skelton.

Sara Havens and Tracy Karem.

Michelle and Scott Jones.

Travis Thompson, Andrew Ludwick and Danaiel Van Dijk.

Annie and Eric King.

Catherine Macdowall and Megan Widmer.

Sarah Burns and Kayla Deprizio.

October 20, 2023

AFTER HOURS AT THE SPEED

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Photos by Kathryn Harrington

he Speed Art Museum hosted its monthly After Hours at the Speed. The theme of the event was the current premier exhibition at the Speed, A Celebration of Stories Retold: American Art from the Princeton University Art Museum. The evening featured art making, the 4Play Ensemble, Lipstick Wars Poetry and the Bobby Falk Group Album Release performance.

Pam Bischoff, Ashley Mason-Bullard, Kristi Caldwell and Catla Pearman.

Lynn Gelzheiser with Michael and Laura Gruenthal.

Diana and Laura Slider.

Jean Johnson and Karen Knight -Wilburn.

Eddy Sim, Monica Lurie and John Fields.

Kristina and Dan Kyle.

Erika Holmquist-Wall.

November 3, 2023

CHENOWETH SQUARE HOLIDAY WALK

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Photos by Kathryn Harrington

henoweth Square hosted its annual Holiday Walk where attendees got into the holiday spirit with great deals, hot drinks, sweet treats and even a visit from Santa Claus himself.

Marilyn Strother and Maurine Waterhouse.

Kathy Lintner, Santa Claus and Meredith Lintner Metzmeier.

Katie Brooks, Karen Graehler and Tommy Sheehy.

Elaine Jacob, Kathleen Shannon, Micah Chandler and Deanna Shannon.

Mary Stuckert and Sarah Schadek.

Patty Liby.

Micah Chandler and Holly Brockman Johnson.

Ben Palmer Ball and Denney Sheridan.

October 21, 2023

SISTA STRUT

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Photos by Kathryn Harrington

osted by 98.9 KISS FM, 97.5 WAMZ, 100.5 FM Louisville and Real 93.1, the Sista Strut 3k was held at the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center. The mission of Sista Strut is to increase breast cancer awareness, provide community resources as well as funding to various programs. A portion of the proceeds from the event went towards Kentucky African Americans Against Cancer.

Janice Baker, Wade Greegor ‘The Pink Crusader’ and Phyllis Reed.

Cookie, Kendra Letcher, Yevette Hudson and Tonya Slaughter.

Tawanda Hamblin and Genesis Romine.

Brittney Hatcher and Brandy Williams.

Jennifer Porter and Camille Robinson.

Ajanae and April Simmons.

Erica Gholson and Shari Silver.

Brenda Henderson and Linda Doyle.

Harlina Trumbo.

Ramona Pitts and Doris Cox.

Malaya, Janaya, Sydney and Laquita Jenkins.

Jasmine Burns, Natalie Hancox, Nikki Hatten, Joi Jenkins and Asia Hancox.

October 25, 2023

BROWN HOTEL 100th ANNIVERSARY

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Photos by Kathryn Harrington

he iconic Brown Hotel celebrated its centennial anniversary with a Roaring Twenties-themed gala. The Brown Hotel invited attendees to dress in their best Roaring Twenties inspired attire for a magical night of live music, dining and dancing.

Peace Kara and John Dayton with Bernie and Patti Killion.

Carol Reinbold, Mary Retzke and Madonna Reinbold.

The Brown Hotel Manager Brad Walker and Barbara Sexton Smith.

Bob and Cheryl Anderson.

Jerry and Kendall Ebley.

Elizabeth Shely with Gwen and Glenn Vice.

Pat and Bill Anderson.

Brittany McGill and Kimberly Lindsey.

Lisa and Ron Herd.

Aubrey Stemle and Maya Malawi.

Marty and Bonita Trent.

Lucy Hendry and Ariel Williams.

Gina Stipo, Lisa Patterson and Scheurich Steffani.

Matt Snow and Steve Buttleman.

Melissa Ward and Michael Temple.

Rebecca Marks and Cindy Gedling.

Jeff and Carrie Ketterman.

November 3, 2023

MEME SWEETS RUNYON’S LEGACY CELEBRATION

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Photos by Kathryn Harrington

eme Sweets Runyon was recently honored for her legacy as Executive Director of River Fields, surrounded by friends and family.

Lee, Amber and Meme Sweets Runyon with Amelia Williamson and David Thomas Williamson.

Lee and Meme Sweets Runyon with Amelia Williamson.

Neville Blakemore, Ryan Rogers and Liz Bingham Rogers.

Amelia Theobald, Ragan Van Hecke, Ben Cowen, Kelli Van Hecke, Chase Huneke, Lee, Meme and Amber Runyon, Amelia Williamson and David Thomas Williamson.

Amelia Theobald, Meme Sweets Runyon and Amelia Williamson.

Bill Menish and Jean West.

Ragan and Kelli Van Hecke, Eileen Brown, Amelia Theobald and Libby Voyles.

Cheryl Cravens, Lisa Stemler, Joyce Meyer and Alyce Weixlee.

Von Purdy with Stephanie and Drew Fellon.

John Schutte, Landra Mulloy, Hank Acherman and Mac Brown.

Larry Smith and Dana Wyssbrod.

Susan Clare and Mary Helen Myles.

November 14, 2023

LIGHT UP LOUISVILLE TREE CUTTING CEREMONY

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Photos by Kathryn Harrington

crowd gathered to watch the cutting of this year’s 2023 Light up Louisville tree at the Forum at Brookside. Donated by the Forum at Brookside, the 40 year old 45 foot tall Norway Spruce was transported to Downtown Louisville where it will be decorated for Light Up Louisville on December 2. Onlookers also got to enjoy a performance by the Brookside Choir.

The Brookside Choir

Ashley Perguson, Darlene Fehder, Nancy Engleman Taylor and Alyx Fey.

The Brookside Choir

Ashley Perguson

Ashley Perguson, Jerry Melton, Nancy Engleman Taylor and Jerry Metsker

Jerry Metsker

Sara Shaw

The Brookside Choir

November 4, 2023

BACCHANAL Photos by Kathryn Harrington and Matt Johnson

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he Speed Art Museum hosted its annual Bacchanal party. As the museum’s premier exhibition, Stories Retold: American Art form the Princeton University Art Museum, celebrates the past, this year’s Bacchanal aimed to look towards the future. The event featured performances by the Va Va Vixens and Top Shelf, a live Theramin maestro, endless hors d’oeurves and sweet treats.

Todd Hildreth.

Vanessa Smith, Justin Owens and Amanda Riff.

Buff Fallot and Raphaela Platow.

Brent Dierson and Billy Watkins.

Ashley Mason-Bullard.

Courtney Markham and Avalon Sutherland.

Patience and Erica Fields.

Michael and Hilary Mattingly.

Top Shelf.

Elle Woolery, Carter Webb, Salem Vytchtryells and Slim Jim Dandee.

Greg Moore, Elizabeth Mccrary and Steve Burdsall.

Cheri Collins White, Max Schowalter and Annabela Cockrell.

Lisa Frye and Kat Vester.

Mallorye Cheers.

Billy Watkins, Andrew Crocker, Steven Bowling and Brent Dierson.

Austin and Ashlea Spears.

Erica Holmquist-Wall and Tyler Blackwell.

Braden, Ayse Darnell and Cat Vested .

The Va Va Vixens.

Claudia Grisanti and Jessica Fey.

Kris Thompson and Matt Coleman.

Stivan Widick, Justin Owens and Rebecca Richards.

Blue Palmoutsos and Don Phillips.

Courtney Markham and Joe Mays.

Sydni Hampton and Vic Leon.

Alicia Capece and Mallorye Cheers.

Blue palmoutsos, Damaris Phillips and Darrick Wood.

Photo by Kendra Farris Photography

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