SEPTEMBER 2020
Butterfly Greenhouse at Wilson Nurseries
Mandolin Virtuoso Sam Bush
PLUS... Dulcimer Maker Warren A. May Keeneland’s Shannon Bishop Arvin
Performing Arts: Surviving the Pandemic Display until 10/13/2020
Horseman Colton Woods www.kentuckymonthly.com
in this issue DEPARTMENTS 2 Kentucky Kwiz 3 Readers Write 4 Mag on the Move 8 Across Kentucky 9 Music 10 Cooking 38 Off the Shelf 40 Past Tense/ Present Tense
42 Gardening 44 Field Notes 46 Calendar
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48 Vested Interest
ON THE COVER Wilson Nurseries’ Butterfly Greenhouse; photo by Rebecca Redding
SEPTEMBER
featured
14 Pollinator Paradise Wilson Nurseries’ butterfly greenhouse delights visitors while protecting these essential creatures
20 The Father of Newgrass As the accolades roll in, Sam Bush keeps on making new music while he sets the stage for a new generation of bluegrass stars
32 Turning Over the Reins Shannon Bishop Arvin will call upon her determination, expertise and love of the horse to lead Keeneland through uncertain times
28 No Ordinary Season
Kentucky’s performing arts centers adapt to the challenges of today’s COVID-19 world
36 A Partnership for a Lifetime
While he trains horses, Colton Woods also educates their owners to strengthen their relationship with their equine companions
24 For the Love of the Craft
Warren May’s dulcimers honor the wood and the music k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 1
kentucky kwiz 1. The Kentucky Derby was not run on the first Saturday in May this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was rescheduled for Sept. 5. From 1875-1895, the race was run later in May. What other significant change happened following the 21st Derby? A. The track direction was changed from right-handed turns to left-handed B. The distance was changed from 1½ miles to 1¼ miles C. Hats were permitted for the first time 2. When was the last time the Kentucky Derby was not held on the first Saturday in May? A. 1945 B. 1914 C. 1929 3. Clay County native George W. Barrett, known as “The Diamond King,” rose to infamy in Indiana, becoming the first person to do what? A. Open a jewelry store on North Meridian Street B. Turn down a free meal at the Steer-In in Irvington C. Go to the gallows for killing a federal officer
A. Mules B. Barrels C. Soldiers 6. Adjacent counties Allen and Simpson were both named for soldiers who died in which War of 1812 battle? A. Battle of Fallen Timbers B. Battle of River Raisin C. Battle of Point Pleasant 7. In the 1967 Neil Diamond song “Kentucky Woman,” what will she do if she gets to know you? A. Stone you B. Love you C. Own you 8. Which Kentucky’s university’s mascot is Victor E. Viking?
This issue is dedicated to the memory of A. Bennett Jenson (1939-2019). Jenson and his wife, Shin-je Ghim, were named Kentuckians of the Year in 2006. Celebrating the best of our Commonwealth © 2020, Vested Interest Publications Volume Twenty Three, Issue 7, September 2020
Stephen M. Vest Publisher + Editor-in-Chief
Editorial Patricia Ranft Associate Editor Rebecca Redding Creative Director Deborah Kohl Kremer Assistant Editor Ted Sloan Contributing Editor Cait A. Smith Copy Editor
Senior Kentributors
A. Lindsey Wilson B. Northern Kentucky C. Thomas More 9. When Shelby Countian Whitney M. Young drowned in Nigeria, the United States president sent a plane to collect his body and traveled to Kentucky to deliver the eulogy at his funeral. “He knew how to accomplish what other people were merely for,” said which president? A. Jimmy Carter B. Lyndon B. Johnson
Jackie Hollenkamp Bentley, Bill Ellis, Steve Flairty, Gary Garth, Rachael Guadagni, Jesse Hendrix-Inman, Kristy Robinson Horine, Kim Kobersmith, Abby Laub, Brent Owen, Walt Reichert, Ken Snyder, Joel Sams, Gary P. West
Business and Circulation Barbara Kay Vest Business Manager Jocelyn Roper Circulation Specialist
Advertising Lindsey Collins Account Executive and Coordinator For advertising information, call 888.329.0053 or 502.227.0053
C. Richard M. Nixon
4. Safe Harbor Grider Hill, pictured in the above award-winning photo that ran in the August issue, is located in which southern Kentucky county? A. Clinton B. Russell C. Cumberland 5. Clinton County, which rests on the Tennessee line, provided what, per capita, to the Union army more than any other free county? 2 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 0
10. Cassius Marcellus Clay, the namesake of Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali, was a staunch emancipationist who spent much of the Civil War working as the United States minister to Russia. During that time, he helped negotiate the purchase of what? A. Vodka (Prodazha) for the Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson White Houses B. Alaska, also known as “Seward’s Folly”—at least until gold was discovered C. The Gadsden Purchase, also known as “The Sale of La Meilla”
KENTUCKY MONTHLY (ISSN 1542-0507) is published 10 times per year (monthly with combined December/January and June/July issues) for $20 per year by Vested Interest Publications, Inc., 100 Consumer Lane, Frankfort, KY 40601. Periodicals Postage Paid at Frankfort, KY and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to KENTUCKY MONTHLY, P.O. Box 559, Frankfort, KY 40602-0559. Vested Interest Publications: Stephen M. Vest, president; Patricia Ranft, vice president; Barbara Kay Vest, secretary/treasurer. Board of directors: James W. Adams Jr., Dr. Gene Burch, Gregory N. Carnes, Barbara and Pete Chiericozzi, Kellee Dicks, Maj. Jack E. Dixon, Bruce and Peggy Dungan, Mary and Michael Embry, Wayne Gaunce, Frank Martin, Thomas L. Hall, Judy M. Harris, Greg and Carrie Hawkins, Jan and John Higginbotham, Bill Noel, Walter B. Norris, Kasia Pater, Dr. Mary Jo Ratliff, Barry A. Royalty, Randy and Rebecca Sandell, Marie Shake, Kendall Carr Shelton and Ted M. Sloan. Kentucky Monthly invites queries but accepts no responsibility for unsolicited material; submissions will not be returned.
kentuckymonthly.com
readers write FOND SUMMER MEMORIES
2020 GIFT GUIDE
Regarding Bill Ellis’ article, “No Air Conditioning” (March issue, page 44), I was born in 1949, so I remember well growing up in the 1950s with no air conditioning. My parents put window fans in the bedrooms to draw in the cool air, especially at night. My sisters and I—all three of us—would sleep with our heads practically in the fan at night. When we three would spend the night at Aunt Lucy Early’s house on River Road in Maceo (Daviess County), fans were in the windows of the big farmhouse, especially in bedroom windows. My cousin, Harrison Early, who is close to me in age, would sleep outside at night on the big wraparound porch. I was not that brave. Harrison would come in for morning breakfast covered in mosquito bites. He did not care, as he said he was tough. I have fond memories of Aunt Lucy’s farmhouse, with its two-holer outhouse. My parents had only a one-holer, so we thought they were uptown, as they say. And during summers, we would take Mason jars and gather fireflies so they would twinkle in the bedroom at night. We never needed a nightlight. Such is memory. Cindy Evans, Lewisport
APPRECIATION FOR STUART I enjoyed Bill Ellis’ article on Jesse Stuart (May issue, page 42). It made me recall the first Stuart writing I read. It was at Maysville High School in the late 1960s. My English teacher assigned the reading of Stuart’s short story “Another April.” It’s about an old man, spring again, and the cycle of life. I certainly understand it better now than I did then. Thanks, Jack Brammer, Shelbyville Correction Bill Ellis’ August article (page 44), should have mentioned that Carol Montgomery Williams taught a combined 52 years in secondary school and at Georgetown College.
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featuring ky made products
GRAYMARKET DESIGN graymarketdesign.com Although these beautiful napkins, pillows and scarves are assembled in Graymarket Design’s Louisville studio, the material is handmade in Asia. A team of artisans in Jaipur, India, create the hand-drawn designs, which are then carved into a teak wood block. The final gorgeous and high-quality product is the work of many hands. Find more of our favorite products in our gift guide at kentuckymonthly.com.
K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY. C O M
UN I TI N G K EN TUC KI A N S EV ERY W H ER E .
Kentucky Monthly welcomes letters from all readers. Email us your comments at editor@kentuckymonthly.com, send a letter through our website at kentuckymonthly.com, or message us on Facebook. Letters may be edited for clarification and brevity.
Featured in this issue Did you miss a past issue? Visit us online for articles, blogs, recipes, events and more!
F O L LOW U S.
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 3
travel
Even when you’re far away, you can take the spirit of your Kentucky home with you. And when you do, we want to see it!
MAG ON THE MOVE Take a copy of the magazine with you and get snapping! Send your high-resolution photos (usually 1 MB or higher) to editor@kentuckymonthly.com or visit kentuckymonthly.com to submit your photo.
Kristen Eighme KEY WEST Kristen, who moved to Louisville from Connecticut in 2018, is pictured at the southernmost point of the continental United States.
4 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 0
Inez and Dave White
Greg and Marsha Foltz
WEST BADEN SPRINGS, INDIANA
GERMANY
The couple, who live in Louisville, paid a visit to the architecturally unique West Baden Springs Hotel.
The Ludlow pair took a Great Rivers of Europe cruise through Austria, Germany and the Netherlands. They are seen here in the Wertheim, Germany, town square.
History you can see, touch, taste, and smell.
10500 West Hwy 42, Goshen, Kentucky HermitageFarm.com | 502.398.9289
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 5
travel
The Mattinglys and the Edelens ITALY Joe and Carol Mattingly of Lebanon and Brenda and Ben Edelen of Lexington visited the Forum in Pompeii, Italy. Mount Vesuvius is pictured in the background. The couples also visited Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, where they viewed Bourbon Pompeii.
Jane and Buddy Naber ST. KITTS The Nabers, who live in Louisville, traveled to the Caribbean island of St. Kitts, British West Indies.
George Martin Baynham and Becky Spalding
ECUADOR
MASSACHUSETTS
The Nebo (Hopkins County) resident traveled to Guayaquil, Ecuador, to learn about shrimp production. George attended the Global Outlook for Aquaculture Leadership conference as part of his duties as treasurer of the Soy Aquaculture Alliance.
While on a trip to see their first great-grandchild, the Louisville couple visited friends in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and saw Plymouth Rock.
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K ENT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 0
Colonial Cottage Restaurant 3140 Dixie Highway, Erlanger 859-341-4498 thecottagenky.com
Richard and Sally Smothermon HAWAII The Frankfort couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a two-week trip to Hawaii, where they visited the islands of Oahu, Kauai and Maui, where this photo was snapped.
LIKE KENTUCKY? Then you’ll love Kentucky Monthly Magazine Q Visit kentuckymonthly.com or call 1-888-329-0053 to subscribe
Pam and Mark Knight
Horticulture Meets Humor
ITALY The Somerset couple traveled to Florence, Italy, where they visited the Basilica of Santa Croce, known for its intricate architecture as well as being the burial location of Michelangelo, Gioachino Rossini, Niccolò Machiavelli and Galileo Galilei.
shopkentuckymonthly.com 888-329-0053
WW_fullpg.indd 51
Get ready for gardening season with th down-home collection of practical advice and personal anecdotes from Kentucky Monthly’s gardening columnis Walt Reichert. Organized by the season each chapter offers color photography and straightforward tips for everything from combating critters to pairing plant The Bluegrass State’s green thumbs hav proliferated, thanks to Walt’s encouraging and down-to-earth morse of gardening wisdom.
Horticulture meets humor in gardening columnist Walt Reichert’s collection. o o o o o
To order: kentuckymonthly.com 1-888-329-0053
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 7
1/
across kentucky
#FEEDTHEWEST O
ver the past four years, five grocery stores in Louisville’s West End and some downtown neighborhoods have closed, leaving a food desert. Some residents in these predominantly Black neighborhoods do not own cars, making grocery buying especially difficult. The Louisville Community Grocery, a group committed to food justice, has partnered with Community Farm Alliance—a statewide organization working for self-sufficiency in the food supply—to bring a cooperative, full-service grocery store to these neighborhoods. In June, LCG Board Member Shauntrice Martin launched the #FeedTheWest initiative to get groceries to those in need. “It is absolutely imperative that we as West End residents are the leaders in food justice,” Martin said. “A lot of politicians, corporations and gentrifiers have big plans for West Louisville, but they are too scared of my people to be on the block and support the plans we already have.” Progress already has been made. In late July, CFA purchased $1,400 worth of fresh produce from local Black farmers, including Cleav’s Family Market and Kentucky Greens Co. Volunteers packed and delivered 100 bags of the produce to families in the Russell neighborhood. “The more we give people fresh produce instead of processed, we help stretch their Mike Jackson dollar with a mindset change,” said Mike Jackson, owner of Kentucky Greens Co. and LCG board secretary. “Having the opportunity to assist with feeding over 100 families lets me know that me and Travis’ [Travis Cleaver of Cleav’s Family Market] work has a larger purpose.” The LCG and CFA plan to purchase and deliver more produce to families in the near future. For more information on the initiative, visit cfaky.org.
Packed to the Rafters The Campbell County Historical and Genealogical Society in Alexandria is bursting at the seams. “We wanted to procure four filing cabinets for our growing number of genealogical records,” said Historical Society President Steve Battistone. “Finding someone to donate them is no problem; we just have absolutely nowhere to put them. We also have people holding exhibit items they wish to donate until we can find a place large enough to show them.” The all-volunteer organization has a research office, library and museum on the second floor of the historic Alexandria Courthouse to maintain its projects, including history and genealogy research; cemetery and log cabin research; military veterans information; and oral histories. These projects have filled the space to capacity, leading to the need to expand. To support this effort, the nonprofit partnered with Horizon Community Funds of Northern Kentucky to establish a fund and announced the release of One Day in Campbell County, a book of color photos from hobbyists and professionals alike, all taken on Saturday, April 27, 2019. “This book is a culmination of our neighbors’ work and is a collection of places that really make Campbell County such a great place,” Battistone said. For more information about One Day in Campbell County, contact Battistone at sbattistone@fuse.net. 8 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 0
BIRTHDAYS 1 Boyd Holbrook (1981), actor/ fashion model from Prestonsburg 1 Angaleena Loletta McCoy resley (1976), singer/songwriter from Martin County 7 Kaitlynne Postel (1986), Lexington native and Miss Kentucky 2007 9 Keven McQueen (1966), Richmond-based author 12 Josh Hopkins (1970), Lexington-born film and television actor 12 Will Chase (1970), Broadway actor/singer from Frankfort 17 Richard Taylor (1941), Kentucky Poet Laureate (1999-2001) 20 Jude Devereaux (1947), Fairdale-born romance author of more than two-dozen bestsellers 21 Jerry Bruckheimer (1945), television/film producer, who, along with his wife, Linda, has preserved properties in Bloomfield (Nelson County) 22 Stephen Buttlesman (1964), official bugler at Churchill Downs and Keeneland 23 Les McCann (1935), Lexington-born soul jazz piano player and vocalist 23 George C. Wolfe (1954), Tony Award-winning theatre and film director from Frankfort, best known for Bring in ’da Noise, Bring in ’da Funk 25 Hal Sparks (1969), comedian/ actor from Franklin County, best known for hosting E!’s Talk Soup 25 Bell Hooks (1952), poet/writer from Hopkinsville, member of the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame 30 Lisa Thornhill (1966), Hardinsburg-born actress best known for the television series Veronica Mars
music
Keep the Music Playing BY LAURA YOUNKIN
I
f anyone has a good overview of the music industry, it’s Stacy Owen, program director for WFPK, a public radio station that is part of Louisville Public Media. Owen books acts for Waterfront Wednesday, a popular monthly free concert in Louisville that draws 8,000-10,000 people to Waterfront Park. But it didn’t happen this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “That was pretty heartbreaking to cancel that,” Owen said. “We opted for helping people stay safe.” The series was canceled before Gov. Andy Beshear said there could be no public gatherings of more than 50 people. While safety was foremost on Owen’s mind, booking bands was becoming challenging. “None of the bands were touring at that time anyway,” she said. The pandemic has been brutal to the performing arts. “It’s pretty much dismantled the music industry,” Owen said. Venues are struggling to stay in business, and musicians can’t play in public, except sometimes in restaurants, which also have taken a hard hit. Musicians are often weighing whether to play or not. She said it’s a choice of “a tight bind financially or getting sick.” Many musicians have opted to perform online. “Different formats work for different people,” Owen said. “It’s hard to make that
interesting, especially if someone is doing it every week.” She said bands or singers who engage with the crowd, have themes, or take requests seem to have the most successful concerts. Some performers also set up virtual tip jars for viewers who might want to make a contribution. “Some of the venues’ needs are as important as the musicians in need,” she said (see page 28 for related story). She recommended that music lovers check out saveourstages.com created by The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA). The site has an online form for people to contact their legislators about helping support local, independent music venues. The mission of NIVA is “to preserve and nurture the ecosystem of independent live music venues and promoters throughout the United States. This is our final push to Congress, and there won’t be another opportunity.” The figures are sobering. According to the website, “A recent survey conducted by the National Independent Venue Association found that 90 percent of independent music venues face closure if the coronavirus shutdown lasts six months or longer, and there’s no federal support provided.” Without places to perform once the pandemic ends, artists, promoters and clubs won’t be able to bring music to people anymore. Musicians tend to be a creative, resilient lot. For example, the Musicians Emergency Resource Foundation in Louisville recently held a COVID-19 fundraiser online. “Wash Your Hands and Keep Jammin’ ” raised nearly $30,000 to help local musicians in need. If homegrown music is important to you, consider contacting your legislators about helping independent music venues, sending money electronically to your buddy’s virtual tip jar during a Facebook Live concert, or contributing to a local organization that helps musicians in crisis.
Creating a Culture of Excitement We’re excited to welcome students to our Versailles, Ky campus in 2021! Master’s and Doctoral Degrees for Registered Nurses Specialties Offered: • Certified Nurse-Midwife • Family Nurse Practitioner • Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner • Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Frontier.edu/KyMonthly
Proud to call Kentucky home.
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 9
cooking
a fragrant feast
10 K E NT U C K Y M O NTHLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 0
bouquetrestaurant.com 519 Main Street Covington, KY 41011 859.491.7777
Maple Glazed Pork Chop with Duck Fat Applesauce
Smoked Old Fashioned
Bouquet Restaurant
Photos provided by Estes Public Relations
Chef Stephen Williams opened Covington’s Bouquet Restaurant in 2007 with a basic idea: to serve delectable dishes using locally grown and produced ingredients. He continues that concept today by sourcing products from more than 50 nearby suppliers. The results of Williams’ culinary art and craft have been lauded by food critics, fellow chefs and diners. With the following recipes, you can try your hand at preparing some of his inspired dishes.
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 11
cooking
Braised Carrots with Asparagus, Hummus and Lemon Parsley Oil
Seared Scallops with Zucchini & Almonds
Braised Carrots with Asparagus, Hummus and Lemon Parsley Oil SERVES 4
8 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths 4 cups vegetable stock 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 cups white rice, uncooked 3½ cups water 2 teaspoons ground sumac 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths Salt to taste Fresh parsley leaves, optional for garnish For hummus: 1 15.5-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed 1 tablespoon tahini paste 2 tablespoons lemon juice ½ cup water 2 tablespoons olive oil Salt to taste
12 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 0
For lemon and parsley oil: 1 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves 2 tablespoons lemon juice ¼ cup water ½ cup olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a baking dish, place carrots, vegetable stock and a generous pinch of salt. Cover with aluminum foil and cook for 30 minutes. 2. For the rice, add butter to a medium pot and place over medium heat. Once the butter starts to become fragrant and nutty, add rice and continue to cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the water and sumac. Bring the rice to a boil, then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to very low. Cook the rice 12 minutes, then remove the pot from the heat and allow to sit covered for 10 minutes to finish cooking. Remove the lid from the pot and stir in carrots, reserving 12-16 carrot pieces for serving. Season to taste with salt. 3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in asparagus stalks (not the tips) and cover for 2½ minutes, then add tips and cook another
Cinnamon Bread Pudding
minute. Check for doneness and drain immediately. (You can plunge into an ice bath or rinse with cold water to further halt the cooking process.) Toss asparagus into the rice mixture unless the stalks are super thin. If asparagus is thin, add while plating. 4. While the carrots and rice are cooking, make the hummus. Add drained and rinsed garbanzo beans, tahini paste, lemon juice, water and olive oil to a blender. Purée until smooth. Adjust the texture by adding water 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Season to taste with salt. Feel free to make the hummus in advance or use store bought if you’re in a hurry. 5. For the lemon and parsley oil, add parsley, lemon juice and water to a blender. Purée for 30 seconds, then slowly drizzle in olive oil until completely incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 6. To serve, place a large scoop of the rice and carrot mixture on a plate. Gently rest three or four carrot pieces on top of the rice and top these with asparagus. Drizzle the lemon and parsley oil around the dish. Place a dollop of the hummus on the plate and garnish with fresh parsley leaves.
Seared Scallops with Zucchini & Almonds SERVES 4
8-10 small waxy potatoes (red or yellow) Olive oil for roasting potatoes
3 medium Honeycrisp apples, diced ¼ cup duck fat 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar ¼ cup water Salt and pepper to taste
Salt and pepper to taste 1½ pounds U10 scallops 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil 2 large zucchini ¼ cup dry white wine 1½ cups vegetable broth 1 cup sliced almonds, toasted Scallions 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Quarter the potatoes. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast on a baking sheet for 30 minutes or until fork-tender. 2. In a Dutch oven over high heat, add grapeseed oil. Season scallops with salt on both sides and sear one side until golden—about 90 seconds— then remove from the pan and place on a lined baking sheet. 3. Lower the heat to medium while slicing zucchini longways and then into half-inch-thick slices. Sauté in Dutch oven until soft and lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. 4. Add white wine to pot and allow it to almost cook away, then add vegetable broth. Allow vegetable broth to reduce, then remove from heat. There should be a little liquid left in the bottom of the pot. 5. Finish cooking scallops by placing them in the oven until they are cooked through. (They will be opaque.) 6. To serve, place zucchini and potatoes with some of the liquid from the bottom of the pan onto a plate. Top with 3-4 of the seared scallops and finish with toasted almonds and scallions.
Maple Glazed Pork Chop with Duck Fat Applesauce SERVES 4
4 bone-in pork loin chops ¼ cup maple syrup 2 tablespoons butter
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Sear in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until golden, 3-4 minutes per side, then transfer them to a baking sheet. 2. Add maple syrup and butter to the sauté pan. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour the maple and butter mixture over the pork chops, then place them into the oven and cook until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chop registers 145 degrees, about 15 minutes. 3. While the chops are in the oven, heat a sauté pan on medium-high, making sure the pan is large enough to hold the apples. Add duck fat to the hot pan. Once it has melted, add apples and cook until they start to turn golden. Add brown sugar and cook until it has melted, taking care that it doesn’t burn. 4. Allow the contents of the pan to cool, then place them in a blender. Add apple cider vinegar and water to the blender, then purée until smooth and season to taste. 5. Serve with the pork chop nestled atop the applesauce, with any extra glaze drizzled over top.
Cinnamon Bread Pudding SERVES 4
2 cups milk 2 teaspoons vanilla ½ teaspoon cinnamon 2 cups sugar Pinch of salt
2. Meanwhile, grease a 9-inch springform pan and fill it with cubed bread. Add eggs to cooled milk mixture and whisk. Pour mixture over bread. Top with the butter/sugar/nut topping and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a thermometer reads 165 degrees. 3. Serve warm, topped with seasonal jam or your favorite ice cream. Topping: 1 cup brown sugar ¼ cup butter, softened ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup chopped nuts Mix together all ingredients to form a paste.
Smoked Old Fashioned SERVES 1
2 ounces Elijah Craig small batch bourbon ½ ounce smoked simple syrup (recipe follows) 2-3 dashes Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters Sorghum Bourbon Barrel Foods Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt Large ice cube Orange rind 1. Line an old fashioned glass with sorghum on one-third of the inside rim and sprinkle Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt on the sorghum. 2. Place a large ice cube in the glass, then add bourbon, simple syrup and bitters to the glass. Stir with a bar spoon or chopstick. Top with a torched orange rind.
16 cups stale, cubed bread (about a half loaf)
Smoked Simple Syrup
5 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
Topping (recipe follows)
2 cups water
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm milk, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar and pinch of salt. Continue cooking just until sugar melts; cool.
1. Heat a smoker grill to 180 degrees. Pour the sugar and water into a 13by 9-inch pan and stir. 2. Smoke for two hours, stirring occasionally. Let cool, then refrigerate. k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 13
Wilson Nurseries 3690 East-West Connector Frankfort 502.223.1488 wilsonnurseriesky.com
14 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 0
By Deborah Kohl Kremer Photos by Rebecca Redding
POLLINATOR PARADISE Wilson Nurseries’ butterfly greenhouse delights visitors while protecting these essential creatures
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 15
16 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 0
Check Wilson Nurseries’ Facebook page to find this year’s monarch tag-and-release date and updates on whether the event will be open to the public.
F
or a butterfly, what would be better than living in a screened-in greenhouse that protects from predators and is loaded with brilliant blooming plants? Wilson Nurseries in Frankfort might have created butterfly utopia for the colorful, fluttering insects, but for the rest of us, visiting the greenhouse is a pleasant respite from the sometimes overwhelming and tumultuous outside world. The greenhouse, which opened in 2019, is something that nursery owner Jennifer Wilson had been thinking about for several years. “I always knew I would have one, and then one day it came to life,” she said. “It is actually built on a swamp out back with lots of shade and water nearby. It is the perfect environment for them.” Pollinators such as butterflies are essential for plant reproduction, thus maintaining our ecosystem and the growth of plants we need to survive. According to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, improper use of insecticides and parasitic mites are to blame for the reduction in pollinator populations around the globe, with bees taking the hardest hit. Protecting all parts of the pollinating cycle has become vital. “Butterflies are every bit as important as honeybees,” Wilson said. According to pollinator.org, the pollinator—
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 17
SAGE ADVICE
After your visit to the nursery, plan to stop by its on-site farm-to-table restaurant, Sage Garden Café. The eatery serves up scrumptious sandwiches such as the Bluegrass Benedictine, Mary Cat’s Monte Cristo and Cranberry Chicken Salad, which all feature fresh ingredients on house-made artisanal breads. Salads and bowls highlight house-made dressings and include the Garden Salad, Thai Salmon Salad and Bean-Goddess Bowl. The café offers Saturday and Sunday brunch, with an appetizing assortment of breakfast paninis on housemade sourdough bread, breakfast favorites such as French toast and the Outrageous Oatmeal Bowl, sandwiches and a quiche of the week. For dessert, you can’t go wrong with one of Sage Garden’s Colossal Cookies dipped in chocolate, giant lemon squares— called Lemon Love Bars—or Buffalo Trace Bread Pudding. Visitors can dine indoors or on the café’s welcoming patio.
SAGE GARDEN CAFÉ Monday-Friday 10:30AM-5PM Saturday 9AM-5PM Sunday 10AM-5PM with brunch served till 11AM on Saturday and noon on Sunday.
18 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY
whether it be a butterfly, bat, bird, moth, wasp, bee or even a small mammal—drinks nectar or eats pollen, then transports the pollen to a different flower or plant. With about 95 percent of flowering plants needing help to pollinate, these critters are essential.
Wilson Nurseries has been around for more than 40 years, growing and selling just about any type of plant imaginable that grows in the Bluegrass region’s climate from its 25-acre nursery and greenhouses. Visitors come to find specific plants or just to meander down the aisles to get ideas or enjoy the ambience. The butterflies and their pollinating abilities are an added benefit to the grounds. The butterfly greenhouse is populated from June through October, with hundreds of the stunning creatures being released into the greenhouse each week. Most of them come from Idlewild Butterfly Farm in Louisville. “Almost all are already butterflies,” Wilson said, “but some are still in chrysalis … In the greenhouse, visitors can see the entire life cycle—eggs, caterpillars, chrysalis and butterflies.” Wilson said that usually there are at least 10 species in the greenhouse, with 200 butterflies, but the number increases to as many as 1,500 in the peak season. These insects indigenous to Kentucky include painted ladies,
swallowtails and monarchs. The structure is full of dazzling hydrangea, salvia, hibiscus and—a butterfly favorite—milkweed, along with hundreds more blooming plants. “The cool part for visitors is that it is an ever-changing thing,” Wilson said. “We have a limitless supply of plants, so we can constantly add plants that are blooming.” She said the nursery hosted 8,000 visitors last year, but the outdoor, open-air greenhouse was never crowded. “We planned this for all species of native butterflies,” she said. “We have pollinator plants all around the outside of the greenhouse, so we
find so many butterflies on the outside as well.” “At the end of the season, we just open the doors and let all the other species do what they do. They can stay or go … But it is the monarch that needs to get tagged and released in early October to start their migration.”
In October, Wilson’s hosts a monarch butterfly tag-and-release event. The butterflies are tagged with a small plastic sticker attached to the underside of the hind wing. This does not interfere with their flying and enables scientists to follow and learn about their migration patterns.
Monarchs, who typically live only six to nine months, fly south for the winter, usually to central Mexico. They are able to fly about 25 miles per day, but the entire trip extends about 3,000 miles. The monarchs then reproduce and die in the spring, and their offspring make the trip back north. Last year, after staff and volunteers tagged and released the monarchs, they waited for them to fly away, but they didn’t. The butterflies stayed in the area for a few more weeks. “It was kind of a bonus. We did not expect them to hang around,” Wilson said. “But I guess they liked it here.” Q
ONLINE EXTRA
Find more photos at kentuckymonthly.com! k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 19
As the accolades roll in, Sam Bush keeps on making new music while he sets the stage for a new generation of bluegrass stars
THE FATHER OF
NEWGRASS B Y PA M W I N D S O R
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t’s been a quiet summer for Sam Bush, who has missed getting out and touring in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The multi-Grammy-winning mandolin and fiddle player, known for his highenergy live shows, is a big draw on the festival circuit. He’s been a top act at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado for nearly five decades and was looking forward to events in his native Kentucky. “We missed seeing the people at ROMP in Owensboro, and this was going to be the first year we played at Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville,” he says. “We’re looking forward to the day we can get back out and see our friends again.” He’s stayed busy with music projects at home and is now preparing to celebrate the induction of his New Grass Revival band into the International Bluegrass Hall of Fame. (The virtual induction is set for Oct. 1 during the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards.) For Bush, who is known as the “Father of Newgrass,” the honor is both gratifying and humbling. “It’s amazing to me to think that we, the New Grass Revival, have been put in the same company as the people we were directly influenced by,” he says. “It’s almost indescribable, because I didn’t know if it would happen in my lifetime.” New Grass Revival got its start in 1971 and for the next 18 years helped guide the progressive bluegrass movement. “When we started New Grass Revival, we didn’t think we were starting Newgrass,” Bush explains. “We thought
we were reviving a style that the Osborne Brothers and Jim & Jesse, the Country Gentlemen and The Dillards already had going. People ask, ‘Did you all consciously try to change bluegrass music?’ No, we just played it like we felt it.” The group used bluegrass instruments to incorporate sounds from rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and reggae. “When I first heard the Bob Marley and the Wailers album Natty Dread,” Bush recalls, “what first attracted me was Bob’s staccato rhythm guitar playing. It reminded me very much of Bill Monroe’s chop, what mandolin players call the rhythm chop. It’s one of the things I still love most on the mandolin, playing rhythm.” In addition to introducing new sounds, New Grass Revival songs featured lyrics that differed from the usual topics found in bluegrass. “We weren’t writing about my little cabin home on the hill or memories of Mother and Dad, as in the traditions of bluegrass,” Bush says. “We were writing about modern-day subjects. And that, too, would make a change in the music.” Original members of NGR included Bush on mandolin, Courtney Johnson on banjo, Ebo Walker on bass, and Curtis Burch on guitar. There were some changes in between, but by 1981, the lineup of New Grass Revival consisted of Bush, lead vocalist and bass player John Cowan, guitarist Pat Flynn, and banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck. Now a close friend, Fleck considered Bush a musical hero at the time and was thrilled to join the groundbreaking group. k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 21
Photos courtesy of Sam Bush. SHELLY SWANGER PHOTOGRAPHY
“There was a great balance of highly arranged and highly improved music in the band’s repertoire,” Fleck says, “but the thing that I believe made it really stand out was the sheer intensity that the group played with. Sam used to riff on Ike and Tina Turner saying, ‘We never do anything nice and easy!’ But it was quite true. Even a Bill Monroe romantic waltz became an opportunity for emotional power.”
While Bush is credited with taking bluegrass in a new direction, his love of music is grounded in the traditional roots of the genre and an appreciation for the legendary artists who created it. “I grew up on a tobacco and cattle farm outside Bowling Green,” Bush says. “I was very fortunate to grow up in a part of Kentucky where, if my dad would climb up on the roof and adjust the antenna, we could get the Nashville television stations, specifically WSM-TV with the Grand Ole Opry. That’s where my interest in bluegrass and country music came from. I got really turned on to Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs and others.”
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At the age of 11, Bush watched a young Ricky Skaggs play the mandolin on one of those TV shows and was inspired to play music. His dad, a musician, had both a mandolin and a fiddle, so Bush picked up the mandolin first, then later became proficient on the fiddle. He soon began making annual trips to Weiser, Idaho, to compete in the National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest. “I came in fifth the first year, and then when I was 15, 16, and 17, I won. So, I was called the national junior champion,” Bush says. In high school, he began learning other instruments. “I was just a sponge. I loved every kind of music.” During his senior year, he began taking violin lessons from a professor at Western Kentucky University. He planned to attend college but got an offer from a band in Louisville to play guitar five nights a week and jumped at the chance. (In May of 2019, Bush received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from WKU.) That band was called Bluegrass Alliance. Soon after Bush took the job, guitarist Tony Rice joined the group, and Bush switched to playing the mandolin.
“I got to go back to the mandolin, which has always been my first love,” he says. “And out of that band came New Grass Revival, when four of us quit to form our own group.”
For nearly two decades, New Grass Revival pushed forward with an innovative style that created new trends in music. Fleck describes the band’s approach. “I have always been most interested in the music that is on edge, between distinct musical idioms,” he says. “I’d even say that that is where growth and progress tend to reside—not dead in the center, but teetering on the edge of a form. New Grass Revival jumped off the cliff completely, and that’s exactly where it should have been.” The group released a series of albums under different labels. One of its highest-charting songs was “Callin’ Baton Rouge,” later recorded by Garth Brooks. New Grass Revival disbanded in 1989, and Bush went on to perform with a number of other artists. “It’s been said through the years that, if you know how to play
We’ve missed you!
bluegrass, you can play anything,” Bush says. “And for the most part, that’s true because it’s led me to blend in with so many people. I’ve gotten to play jazz/rock with Bill Evans and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. [He spent a year with Fleck’s group years after New Grass Revival.] I’ve played on John Prine and Guy Clark records, and they are two of the greatest songwriters I’ve ever known. I was in Emmylou Harris’ band for five years, then did a stint with Lyle Lovett.” He later formed his Sam Bush Band, in which he is both musician and lead singer.
Bush has been honored numerous times for his accomplishments in music, including IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year Awards, and in 2009, he received the American Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist. He also was the subject of a 2015 documentary called Revival: The Sam Bush Story. As the IBMA marks his contributions to bluegrass with the upcoming Hall of Fame Induction, Bush says the future of the genre is in capable hands. “You have a lot of young people, some playing in the tradition of Bill Monroe, many trying to play like J.D. Crowe and The New South, and some playing like New Grass Revival,” he says. “The good part is musicianship has grown so much, and it’s not a good ole boy’s club anymore. There are some great ladies playing bluegrass and giving it a new thought pattern and musical
approach. One of my favorites, Sierra Hull, is one of the greatest mandolin players you’ll ever hear. So, it’s in good hands because young musicians are taking it to new places.” Hull, a Tennessee native who began playing mandolin at the age of 8, points to Bush as one of her strongest influences. “Sam is so revered,” she says. “I learned early on he was someone I should pay attention to and not only because of his own music, but he’s also played on so many other people’s albums. Alison Krauss was one of my biggest heroes as a kid, and Sam’s on the very first Alison album I got called Forget About It.” Hull first met Bush when she was 9. “He sat down and jammed with me for well over an hour,” she remembers. “I think that says a lot about him and the influence somebody has at an early age.” She’s also grateful to him for paving the way for others to play their own style of music. “Without people like Sam having pushed the boundaries, I don’t really know where someone like myself would be as a musician,” Hull says. “I think his courage and vision to make new music has trickled down to the next crop of musicians.” Bush is still creating new music and says his greatest joy comes in collaborating with others, whether with members of his own band or other musicians. “I love getting to do this,” he says. “I hope I get to keep doing it for a long time. Each and every day is a blessing.” Q
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FOR THE LOVE OF THE CRAFT Warren May’s dulcimers honor the wood and the music Text and Photos by Kim Kobersmith
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necessary component of a Warren A. May dulcimer is time. The first element is wood, and its story began many decades ago. It started as a tiny seed, then flourished as a walnut tree on a remote Kentucky farm. After withstanding storms, predators and other ravages of time, the tree was marked by those hardships in the distinct beauty of its grain pattern. At the end of its life, the tree was collected by May. He then gave it time, letting it mellow and age in his workshop for more than 30 years. “The tone and look of the vintage wood is better,” he said. One day, May pulled out that piece of walnut and cut it into slabs. He studied the piece of aged wood, getting to know its knots, its grain and its particularities. Only then did he take his template and cut a halfdulcimer shape from it. He cut that shape into six thin pieces, each of which would become half of the front or back of one of his artisan instruments. “The wood selection and placement are important for the tone,” said May, who lives in Berea. Those 1/8-inchthick panels are seasoned for months before May begins the three-week process of turning them into an instrument. Each front and back is book-matched, which means he takes neighboring pieces of wood, splits them open like a book, and crafts a whole top or bottom from them. In this way, he highlights the unique character of each piece of wood and honors the history and beauty of the tree from which it came. May uses a combination of handwork and machine work to craft his dulcimers. The sound holes, cut on a scroll saw, become hummingbirds, vines and enhanced knotholes. The fretboards are marked with wood-burned tulips, and the end scrolls are hand-carved. Completed
dulcimers are hand-finished to a gleam. He saves his finest wood and most elaborate handwork for his Ultimate models. Each is crafted from aged walnut or cherry or exotic tonal woods like Brazilian cherry. The fretboards are wood-burned with intricate flowering vines and inlaid with turquoise. They are beautiful enough to hang on a living room wall as works of art. But that is not May’s intent. “I make my dulcimers for people,” he said. He wants them to be
played, for them to come alive and bring joy to their owners, no matter if they play folk or classical music.
May is one of the last makers of the traditional style of Kentucky dulcimers, the official state instrument. Dulcimers have been an integral part of mountain culture since the 1700s, when they migrated to Appalachia with German immigrants. Easy to make and easy to play, these simple fretted instruments were quickly adopted in a region known for its a cappella singing. While the instrument is three-stringed, only the single melody string needs to be fingered. But magically, each strum reveals a perfect three-part harmony. May explained that, by eliminating all sharps and flats, the strings become perfectly complementary. Given that a dulcimer player can perform chords and the melody together—a
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may sells his traditional handcrafted dulcimers via mail order through Facebook and his website, warrenamay.com.
rare feat for string instruments—it is the perfect accompaniment for regional ballad music. May started making dulcimers in 1972. While they have a traditional design, his dulcimers have small modifications to enhance the musicality and ease of playing. Lighter colored wood is placed on the top of the instrument, lending its rich, resounding tone. He adds a fourth string—a double melody string—for a stronger lead line. Most of May’s dulcimers are crafted from native central Kentucky woods: walnut, cherry and tulip poplar. Each has a distinctive tone and look. Poplar is lighter yellow-green and has an authentic ringing sound. Walnut is brown and sounds mellow and forgiving. The reddish cherry has a more precise noting quality. More than half of the wood he uses is vintage and harvested from 30-50 years ago, which gives it a richer tone and patina. May pointed out one particularly striking 26 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 0
instrument, crafted from 50-year-old curly cherry. It seemed to sparkle as the light danced across the surface. And this artful selection of wood was on the back of the dulcimer. May typically does not use recycled wood, with a few exceptions. In his collection, he has a stash of particularly beautiful 100-year-old poplar from a Casey County jail. He also has some wood from the 1800s log cabin where he was born and grew up as the youngest of 10 children in Carroll County. A lifelong Kentuckian, May graduated from Eastern Kentucky University. He worked as a shop teacher for eight years before devoting his life to woodworking. He discovered dulcimers while teaching in Lawrence County, a stop on the Country Music Highway that is steeped in musical tradition. “I tried to play the guitar,” he said. “I was not much good at it.” His business benefited from two other Kentuckians who popularized the dulcimer. One was Jean Ritchie from
Viper, who was part of the American folk music revival in the 1950s and ’60s. She introduced folk music greats, such as Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, to the mountain dulcimer and launched its mainstream popularity. The other was the late Phyllis George. As the First Lady of Kentucky in the early 1980s, she promoted the exquisite arts and crafts of the Commonwealth. George had a deep appreciation for May’s work. May is an internationally acclaimed dulcimer maker. He was an exhibiting member of the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen and has lifetime juried status with the Kentucky Crafted Program. But when asked about any famous people who have his instruments, he steers the conversation toward homegrown musicians. The subtle tones of the mellow dulcimer do not make the instrument ideal for stage performances. But May delights in making the practical, easyto-play instruments that can be enjoyed at home or in small gatherings. In July, one of his newly completed works was headed out to a 94-year-old gentleman who had recently decided to start playing the dulcimer.
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2020 marks the end of an era for May. When he became a full-time woodworker, he and his wife, Frankye, moved to Berea, the arts and crafts capital of Kentucky. For 42 years, they had a dulcimer shop on College Square, open six days a week, which was a cornerstone of the local craft scene. They closed their storefront last December. May is enjoying the increased freedom that being semi-retired allows and paying more attention to the work on his 47-acre farm, but he continues with his life’s work of crafting dulcimers. He signs, dates and numbers each instrument. On a visit to his studio in July, he was in the midst of making instrument number 18,907. That is more than one instrument a day for the 48 years of his dulcimer-making career, a lifetime composition of sweet music. Q
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NO
ORDINARY SEASON 28 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 0
Kentucky’s performing arts centers adapt to the challenges of today’s COVID-19 world
By this time of year, rehearsals usually have wrapped up, schedules have been set, and tickets have been sold for the myriad performing arts venues across Kentucky. But not this season. COVID-19 has shuttered stages and canceled concerts nationwide. Many smaller theaters lost most of their revenue, resulting in budgets that hang by a thread. Other venues have adapted and found new platforms on which to share the arts, reaching audiences far beyond the Commonwealth’s borders. We talked to a few from across Kentucky to see how they are adapting to this difficult time.
Mountain Arts Center The Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg had a full slate of shows and concerts ready to go for the 20202021 season. Then, COVID-19 hit. “I think we say once a week: ‘Who would have thought we would be dealing with this?’ ” said Joe Campbell, the MAC’s executive director. Campbell was forced to furlough many of the center’s full-time employees and all of its part-time workers last spring because of coronavirus. But, as things slowly began to reopen, Campbell said the center started bringing back some employees, scheduling some shows, and reopening its meeting rooms for public rental. The MAC has been able to host a few concerts by local musicians. It has enacted strict social distancing guidelines, such as slashing the audience count and placing guests in every other row, although family groups can sit together. The center has some events on the books for the coming months, but, as most people have experienced, nothing is set in stone. “We just don’t know if that’ll happen,” Campbell said. “We’re in a holding pattern.”
In the meantime, Campbell said the MAC has purchased new equipment that will enable it to stream shows and performances online, so patrons won’t miss out on some needed entertainment. The center is relying on revenue from its rental spaces and its recording studio. “We have a nice, full-fledged recording studio—anything like you would see in Nashville or New York City,” he said. “This gives an opportunity during all this to really push it hard and try to get some revenue from it. It’s available for bands, musicians and demos, and if you need to record a spot for a radio commercial, we can do it here.” Campbell said that, once the MAC can fully re-open, it may have some national acts on the schedule. For now, it’s giving local artists the stage. “At least for a little while and then build back up to some bigger events,” he said. “Our cash flow is pretty rough right now, so I think it’s going to take a while to dig out of that hole.”
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To keep up with the latest schedule, visit the MAC’s website at macarts.com.
RiverPark Center “Just because the world has changed, doesn’t mean our mission
has. This pause in time is only an intermission.” These are words of hope on RiverPark Center’s website touting its “Intermission” online series. The weekly presentation on the center’s YouTube channel enables local actors, dancers, musicians and poets the chance to showcase their work during a time when they normally would be on stage in front of a paying audience. As a result of COVID-19, the Owensboro arts center has seen a 30 percent loss of annual revenue and a season schedule that can change at a moment’s notice. RiverPark’s executive director, Rich Jorn, said this has been a crazy situation. “Usually by August, your whole season is set up, you’ve done all your marketing campaigns, and you just wait for the money to start coming in on ticket sales and all that,” Jorn said. “Right now, you can’t get anybody to confirm … because they don’t know what they’re doing yet.” Jorn said RiverPark does have a few acts lined up to take the stage, with strict health and safety guidelines in place, but at the mandated reduced seating capacity, Jorn said the center will lose thousands of dollars. Jorn knows he’s not alone and that k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 29
This season, Louisville's Actors Theatre is presenting “transmedia storytelling”— virtual shows, audio productions and more online.
the entire live entertainment industry is in the same boat. “The entertainment industry was probably the first thing that got shut down. We’re going to be the last thing that comes back full-speed,” he said. “Our whole industry is based on two things—having a crowd and disposable income—and the pandemic is pulling both of those right off the bat.” In the meantime, RiverPark is booking what it can for in-person performances while also utilizing streaming technology to keep arts alive. “Art is happening. Music is happening. Theater is happening, and here’s an opportunity to catch it [online],” Jorn said.
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Check out the latest schedule and possible changes at RiverPark’s website, riverparkcenter.org.
Kincaid Regional Theatre In 1997, a major flood devastated most of the town of Falmouth. Subsequently, the Kincaid Regional Theatre’s 1997 fall season was canceled. But theater treasurer Shirley Merrill said 1997 has got nothing on 2020. The theater was able to rebuild after the flood and continue to entertain the community.
“But this summer? Wow. What a big disappointment,” Merrill said. “We’ve been through some storms, but we couldn’t have predicted this. This has probably been the worst.” Brett Price, the theater’s artistic director, said it had reached an agreement with nearby Stonewood Gardens in the past year to begin hosting the gardens’ productions, and the momentum for a great year was building. “We were just about at the top of the hill … and then, bam, COVID happened, and it halted all that,” Price said. The company was forced to cancel its 2020 summer season, and the results were crippling. “We have no income,” Merrill said. “With not having any productions, you can’t have audience ticket sales. Without a production, you can’t sell ads. Without a production, you can’t ask for corporate sponsors to be in your playbill. It puts a limit on all the ways we were making revenue. At this point, none of that is available.” The theater plans to present at least two productions this fall, including the hit show Annie in December. But Merrill admits even that is “up for grabs.” Not everything is doom and gloom. Price said the idea of live streaming the theater’s shows is on his radar.
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“We haven’t had any official conversations about that yet, but I know personally, when it comes to scoping out the rest of the year, I think that’s something I think we could consider—especially with our Christmas show if we aren’t able to do Annie,” Price said.
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To get the latest updates on what the Kincaid Regional Theatre is planning, visit krtshows.com.
Actors Theatre When COVID-19 and its aftermath hit, Actors Theatre in Louisville immediately began looking at how to make the best of a bad situation and continue to share the arts with the public. “What we’re just trying to figure out is how we can share good news in a moment where there’s a lot of bad news; a lot of demoralizing news; a lot of stressful, frightening news; a lot of cynical news,” said Robert Fleming, the theater’s executive artistic director. “We have invested in the digital platform, working in a virtual context. That’s just more than putting on plays without an audience on a digital capture. It’s actually transformed into something that allows us to broaden our connection with our stakeholders through different kinds of ways that we share stories.”
The entire 2020-2021 season will be what Fleming calls “transmedia storytelling”—virtual shows, audio productions and more that will be available online. “People can access [our productions] from anywhere in the world,” said Patrick Owen, Actors Theatre’s chief external relations officer. “As word continues to get out about what we are doing and people continue to engage with it and they start sharing it, we believe our national audience is going to grow tremendously over time.” Fleming points to the June Facebook Live presentation of Hannah L. Drake’s Fix it, Black Girl, which drew more than 400 live viewers—the equivalent of selling out the Bingham Theatre at Actors Theatre’s brick-and-mortar location on Main Street. For the upcoming season, Actors Theatre will present eight productions ranging from one-act plays to radio dramas, all available online. Ticket prices to each event
vary, but subscription packages are available.
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More information on the show lineup and prices can be found at actorstheatre.org.
Singletary Center for the Arts In ordinary times, the Singletary Center for the Arts at the University of Kentucky brings dozens of local and national acts to its Lexington stage. But the pandemic has forced it to close its doors to the public and shift its focus. “So for the fall of 2020, it looks like we’re really going to be focusing our efforts on the academic mission for the College of Fine Arts,” said Matthew Gibson, the center’s marketing and ticketing director. “We’ll be acting primarily as a classroom space to be able to provide socially distanced spaces for music ensembles and other
academic classes in the college.” But Gibson said that doesn’t mean the public won’t be able to enjoy performances from the students. Like many professional theaters and venues across the Commonwealth, performances will be shared online. “While it was difficult to initially accept the fact that we’re not going to be able to invite audiences in and not have the interpersonal aspect of the concert/performance experience, we’re looking at this as an opportunity to document these School of Music ensembles in a way that we haven’t been able to as much before,” he said. “Normally, when you go to a concert, you have one seat, and that’s your fixed perspective for the entire experience. So we’re excited to be able to do some multi-camera shoots and show things to people in a different way.”
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For updates on the Singletary Center’s online performances, check out finearts.uky.edu/singletary-center.
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k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 31
Turning Over the Reins Shannon Bishop Arvin will call upon her determination, expertise and love of the horse to lead Keeneland through uncertain times B Y A B B Y L AU B
F
or horses, determination is an innate characteristic. “It’s pretty magical when you watch a newborn foal stand for the first time 10 to 15 minutes after being born,” Shannon Bishop Arvin said. “If that doesn’t teach you about determination, then I don’t know what does.” Arvin knows a thing or two about both determination and horses. In July, she was unanimously appointed by the Keeneland Trustees in Lexington as the successor of Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason, who announced his retirement after a decade with the Keeneland Association that included eight years at the helm of the global racing and sales company. Arvin, as a partner with law firm Stoll Keenon Ogden, has served as corporate counsel to Keeneland since 2008 and as secretary and advisory member of Keeneland’s board of directors since 2015. She will serve as the incoming president-elect beginning Sept. 1 and will officially transition to president and CEO on Jan. 1, 2021. Arvin becomes Keeneland’s eighth president and the first woman to serve in that position. She has said she is “humbled and grateful for the opportunity.”
Arvin’s association with Thoroughbred racing and with Keeneland began much earlier than 2008. The Lexington native called horses “majestic.” “There isn’t an animal alive that’s as beautiful as a horse,” she said. “I took living around horses for granted as a child. Every Sunday, we had lunch at my greatgrandfather’s farm on Military Pike. It was not a horse farm, but it was right across from a horse farm. I was just used to that beautiful green space.” Through SKO’s Lexington office, where she has practiced since 2002 and gained respect for her work in the equine industry, Arvin has represented Thoroughbred
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owners and prominent industry organizations in Kentucky and around the world. She also serves on the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Foundation Board of Directors and is a member of The Jockey Club. Arvin is secretary of Lexington-based tour company Horse Country, director of Kentucky Bank, director of The Lexington School, and chair and director of Bluegrass Care Navigators (formerly Hospice of the Bluegrass). She also is past president of the Thoroughbred Club of America. She studied political science and international studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, graduating with a bachelor’s degree. She graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 2002. Arvin and her husband, Will, have two daughters, Bishop and McCutchen. She enjoys teaching the girls about horses and shared a unique experience with them last spring when they witnessed a foal being born. “I do live on a farm now, which I love,” she noted. “And I love that opportunity for my children to be able to see the horses. My favorite time of the year is foaling season, but that’s because I’m not a night watchman. There’s nothing like watching a foal being born. This past year was one of the times that it was the most marked for me, maybe because my kids are at the age where they really got it.”
Arvin was schooled in the Thoroughbred industry by her family. Her grandfather, W.T. “Bish” Bishop, was the first general manager of Keeneland when the track opened in 1936. Her father, the late William T. “Buddy” Bishop III, grew up at Keeneland, living in an apartment next to the clubhouse. Buddy Bishop’s lifelong service to Keeneland included positions as director, secretary, trustee and counsel. Arvin’s experiences at Keeneland also began as a kid,
P H O T O B Y K AT I E K E L L E Y
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when she worked in the sales office in high school. “I helped file catalogs and cards and worked the switchboard during the summer and during sales,” she said. “In the kitchen, I always remember while working here, there were graham crackers and peanut butter as a snack. They still have that in the kitchen.” She noted that Keeneland didn’t always boast an atmosphere that was as family friendly as it is today, explaining that the addition of Sunday racing brought out more families and that, when she was growing up, “Saturday racing was kind of an adult day.” When a full-time career called, she didn’t stray far from those roots, even in the legal profession. “[Working in the equine industry] definitely starts and ends with horses,” she said. “But it’s also the relationships. This is such a relationship business, and this sport draws interesting people. One day you can be on the phone with Ireland, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Australia. It’s such an international business. And my friends have been my clients, and my clients have been my friends. Those relationships definitely led me to Keeneland and this role.” Leadership at Keeneland was already well aware of her work when Thomason’s retirement was announced. “I feel privileged to work alongside people who share a commitment to always put the best interest of the horse first and to exceed our customers’ expectations,” Thomason said in a prepared statement. “Keeneland was founded upon these principles, which continue to guide our operations to this day. Shannon’s life and work experiences intertwine with that philosophy, and I look forward to her leadership of Keeneland for years to come.” The years to come will start with the challenging one that is 2020. Arvin assumes responsibility at a time when Keeneland is experiencing a massive drop in the number of fans out of necessity due to COVID-19. Determination will again be the name of the game.
Thomason navigated Keeneland through a decade of substantial growth and change in the Thoroughbred industry. Keeneland achieved strong spring and fall meet attendance and handle, highlighted by the more than $25 million wagered on last year’s Toyota Blue Grass Day and the more than $160 million wagered during the 2019 fall meet. The Shadwell Turf Mile and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes’ purses were elevated to $1 million. On the sales front, Keeneland further expanded its global outreach, resulting in gross sales of more than $627 million last year; launched the Keeneland Digital Sales Ring, the first online Thoroughbred auction in North America; and undertook a multimillion-dollar renovation of the barn area to better showcase offerings for Keeneland auctions. Keeneland successfully hosted the 2015 Breeders’ Cup, which generated a nearly $70 million economic impact for Lexington, and Thomason negotiated the event’s return to Keeneland in 2020. Arvin said that she and Thomason aim to steer 34 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 0
Keeneland back to that level of achievement “delicately” once the pandemic allows. “I’m working this fall with Bill still at the helm through what we know is going to be a really challenging fall, unlike any other we’ve ever seen,” she said. “Paramount to Keeneland, along with its openness, is responsibility. We work responsibly with guests, consignors, employees, people on tour, buyers, race fans and athletes, and we will continue to work closely with public health officials.” Arvin said they will continually work through enhanced ways for guests to enjoy Keeneland at home. She is hopeful the track can host a fall meet in an altered manner. “The moment that has felt the most surreal to me, maybe since the pandemic began, was during our July meet,” Arvin said. “The biggest crowd we had on any given day was 600 people. We can’t wait for the crowds to be back … And it’s just so important to our industry to have racing.” In addition to the crowds during a race meet, visitors can enjoy Keeneland throughout the year for its beauty, welcoming atmosphere and popular events. “It’s such a unique place,” Arvin said. “Everyone in our industry feels some sort of ownership and pride in Keeneland, which we love. We have been very open. We’ve got 1,000 acres, and we welcome people on our grounds. When we’re not in a pandemic, we have lots of dog walkers and other guests enjoying the property. I think those things endear Keeneland to the community. And it acts with integrity as an organization and does the right thing.”
Keeneland has important ties to central Kentucky’s heritage, economy and culture. Over its 80-plus-year history, it has benefited the local community and the horse industry while staying laser focused on advancing the safety and integrity of the sport for both human and equine athletes. In light of COVID-19, that continues with business as usual behind the scenes as trainers and grooms care for the horses with a lot more temperature checks and safety precautions. “I have so much respect for Bill and have very big shoes to fill,” Arvin said. “I’ve worked with Bill for as long as I was a lawyer. He has such a passion for Keeneland. You’d be hard pressed to find a kinder and harder-working man with such integrity. That integrity is such a huge part of the fabric of Keeneland and his legacy there. He does the right thing for the right reasons even when that’s not easy. I will work to continue to lead Keeneland with that level of integrity.” Though she leaves behind a beloved and storied legal career, Arvin is looking forward to a new rhythm in her professional life. “I practiced law for 18 years, and I’ve managed my time in six-minute increments for a long time, so I’m looking forward to not doing that anymore,” she said. “It is such a unique opportunity to lead an organization like this. There is not a place in the world like Keeneland.” Q
Kentucky Gateway Museum Center 215 Sutton Street
Maysville, KY 41056
606-564-5865
www.kygmc.org
Open Tuesday – Saturday 10:00am to 3:30pm
THE AGE OF THE OCEAN LINER
Steamships on the North Atlantic Before the Triumph of the Jet
Now oN Exhibit Maysville Stonewar e From the collection of Bill and Char lene Boggs Maysville Stonewar e Catalog coming soon to the Atr ium Gift Shop
KYGMC Read On
Beginning October 2020
Now
Colton Woods was scheduled to be a presenter at Equitana USA this year, but the threeday celebration of the horse was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Equestrian professionals and enthusiasts can meet Woods at Equitana USA, Oct. 1-3, 2021, at the Kentucky Horse Park. To learn about Equitana presenters in various equine disciplines, visit equitanausa.com.
A Partnership for a Lifetime While he trains horses, Colton Woods also educates their owners to strengthen their relationship with their equine companions BY DEBORAH KOHL KREMER
W
ith a mission to “Educate Horses and People with a Lifetime in Mind,” Colton Woods Horsemanship of Paris works to train horses and teach horse owners what their trained horse needs to succeed. Owner Colton Woods uses a holistic approach in his training, which involves examining how the horse thinks and what motivates it. He also adds technical skills and some human psychology. “We want to help the horses, but we need to help the people who own them as well,” he said. Woods did not grow up aspiring to be a horse trainer. He loved to 36 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 0
play sports, and his parents were professionals whose careers took the family to live in China for two years when Woods was 12. He had never been around horses, let alone ridden one. But when he turned 16, he got a job on a hunter-jumper horse farm, where his duties included mucking stalls and stacking hay. Then for several summers, he worked at a show-horse training program, where he earned his stripes and cemented his love of horse training. During high school, Woods took a job at Safe Haven Equine Rescue & Retirement Home in North Carolina to fulfill his service hours for graduation. That summer, the young and strong volunteer was assigned to build fences and shovel gravel, but along the way, he saw neglected and abandoned horses that would never find a home. “I realized that neither the horse nor the human was educated in training, and neither had access to this training,” he said. “I found my purpose. I needed to train the horse and make them adoptable, so they could find a home.” Woods headed to University of Kentucky, where he majored in equine science and management with a business focus and a minor in agricultural economics. He was fortunate to get valuable internships such as one at Taylor Made Sales Agency, where he learned to care for, exercise and show Thoroughbreds. Throughout college, Woods got up early and stayed up late working with horses and meeting people who worked with an assortment of breeds.
After college graduation, Woods accepted the position of assistant trainer at Double Dan Horsemanship in Midway, where he cared for a team of horses and continued learning. In
2016, Colton and his then-fiancé Maredith decided to put down roots in the Paris and Georgetown area and established Colton Woods Horsemanship, which combined their shared passion for horses. Now married, the couple own and operate the business together. Colton Woods Horsemanship has had many successes along the way and is well-known in the horse world. Woods credits these successes to his training criteria, which includes several components. First, he works with the horse on ground skills, such as leading, trailer loading and saddling. The second step involves teaching the horse what to do once the saddle is on. This includes how to trot, canter and back up. Then, Woods moves on to performance-type skills such as dressage, hunter and jumper and versatility. Lastly—and possibly the most important—is the owner training, which is offered free to horses being trained by Woods. “All of this creates a partnership between the horse and the athlete,” he said. Woods trains horses and teaches classes at home, but he spends many weeks on the road, doing the same thing at farms and horse shows. His website offers online educational opportunities, and his podcast, “The Heart of Horsemanship,” provides a vehicle for him to broadcast tips and guidance and include guests who can share their insights. Woods sums up his intentions on his website: “Our greatest mission is to leave a lasting legacy of positive impact on the lives of horses and people all across the globe. Whether through an in-person event, online video or course, on the phone, or on social media, our top priority is to provide you with valuable content that helps you and your horse take your next step on your horsemanship journey.” For more information, visit coltonwoodshorsemanship.com.
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k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 37
off the shelf
(P)-Paperback (C)-Clothbound (H)-Hardback
Honoring a Racing Hero In 1919, Sir Barton won horse racing’s first American Triple Crown before the iconic Triple Crown was formally proclaimed as such. That perhaps symbolizes the tepid reception the amazing Thoroughbred has garnered throughout the sport’s history. Sir Barton was sired by an English horse, Star Shoot, out of the mare Lady Sterling and bred by John Madden, owner of Lexington’s famed Hamburg Place (now the location of a major retail center), but was later sold to Canadian businessman J.K.L. Ross. Sir Barton’s racing record was impressive, with 13 wins, 6 seconds and 5 thirds in 31 starts. He was a competing contemporary of the great Man o’ War. For the racing world, some thought a match race was needed to find some sort of separation between the two. It happened on Oct. 12, 1920, at Kenilworth Park near Windsor, Ontario, Canada. For Sir Barton, things didn’t turn out well. In Sir Barton and the Making of the Triple Crown, author Jennifer S. Kelly “charts how Sir Barton broke track records, scored victories over other champions, and sparked the yearly pursuit of Triple Crown glory … [and] helps carve out a place in racing fans’ collective memory for a horse whose legacy has languished in the shadow of Man o’ War for nearly a century.” By Steve Flairty Sir Barton and the Making of the Triple Crown By Jennifer S. Kelly University Press of Kentucky, $29.95 (C) 38 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 0
Untold Racing Stories Horse racing conjures up images of the twin spires of Churchill Downs and the changing leaves at Keeneland in the fall, but the sport is so much more. This book tells some of the stories that race fans may never have heard, as well as the history of how racing came to be the way it is today. Hidden History of Horse Racing in Kentucky provides interesting facts about long-forgotten horse farms and racetracks. It also shines a wonderful spotlight on the group that the author refers to as the first professional athletes, the AfricanAmerican jockeys of the 1800s. Although they had huge successes on the track, these men had no choice but to travel to racetracks in Europe as the segregation laws of the Jim Crow era and a trend toward hiring Caucasian jockeys made finding mounts difficult. Seventh-generation Kentuckian and Lexington native Foster Ockerman Jr. is an attorney and historian. He is president of the Lexington History Museum and serves as historian there. Ockerman is a contributor to the public television series Chronicles: Kentucky History Magazine.
Equine Anecdotes If you hear someone described as having horse racing in their blood, well, they may well be talking about Ercel Ellis Jr. His father was the manager of Dixiana Farm in Lexington, and young Ercel grew up surrounded by horses. He was born in 1931, and by the time he was just 6 years old, his dad had introduced him to an amazing horse named Man o’ War, which was not the only superstar horse he met along his 75-year career in the horse industry. A past editor of The BloodHorse magazine and Daily Racing Form, Ellis also has been an owner, breeder, trainer and radio host, including his 20-year radio show, Horse Tales. Kentucky Horse Tales makes the reader feel engaged in a conversation with Ellis as he tells some of his favorite stories of horses he has known and loved. Some you have heard of, most you have not, but all are tales that any horse lover will enjoy. Ellis lives on a Bourbon County farm with his wife, Jackie, and several retired racehorses.
By Deborah Kohl Kremer
By Deborah Kohl Kremer
Hidden History of Horse Racing in Kentucky By Foster Ockerman Jr. The History Press, $21.99 (P)
Kentucky Horse Tales By Ercel Ellis Jr. The History Press, $21.99 (P)
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Lincoln’s Rhetorical Style More than 150 years have passed since Abraham Lincoln’s death, and his quotes and parts of speeches are still regularly referenced. Although speeches and letters have been studied for historical facts and to understand the way he felt, this book delves into Lincoln’s prose and how his rhetorical style changed over the years. By comparing early letters to those written later, Dr. Marshall Myers brings out examples of Lincoln’s maturity and how he adapted his writing to the audience he was addressing. More than 5,000 letters have been identified as written by Lincoln, and naturally, not all were used in this project, but typical nuances and word choices became apparent as the research continued. Myers gives examples of Lincoln’s early letters, which have a different tone than those to his generals during the Civil War and to his cabinet. A more endearing side of Lincoln is studied in letters to friends and, of course, his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. Myers, of Richmond, has written more than 300 articles, stories and poems. He is professor emeritus of English and former coordinator of composition at Eastern Kentucky University. By Deborah Kohl Kremer The Rhetoric of Lincoln’s Letters By Marshall Myers, McFarland, $39.99 (P)
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k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 39
past tense/present tense by Bill Ellis
Paul Sawyier: ‘A Minor Master’
I
n 2000, the University Press of Kentucky published my book The Kentucky River. In the mid-1990s, Todd Moberly and I completed more than 150 interviews with people who had an intimate relationship with the river. Eastern Kentucky University and the Kentucky Oral History Commission supported this venture. The interviewees included people who lived on the river and lockkeepers who had worked the 14 locks and dams at one time or another. Others had worked on river craft or had fished the river. “We lived half of the year on the Kentucky and the other half in the Kentucky,” recalled Marine Col. George M. Chinn, a renowned firearms expert and historian in his own right. In chapter six, “My Mind on the River,” I concentrated on the thoughts and actions of people intimate with Kentucky River life. Of course, that included artist Paul Sawyier, who painted numerous scenes on or near the river. ggg
My wife, Charlotte, and I have 10 Sawyier prints in our home, most given to us as gifts back in the 1970s and ’80s or inherited from my parents. Though born in Ohio, Sawyier (1865-1917) came of age in Frankfort, where his father practiced medicine. Coming from an artistically inclined family, the youth studied briefly at the Cincinnati Art Academy under Frank Duveneck and with William Merritt Chase in New York City. After his father became involved with the Kentucky River Mills at Lock and Dam 4 in Frankfort, Sawyier 40 K E NT U C K Y M O NTHLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 0
occasionally served as traveling salesman for the mills. He worked reluctantly and not to any great success. The Sawyier family business did not prosper, with heavy debts weighing on both father and son. The
he would work furiously for a spell. Known as an affable companion, the Kentucky artist enjoyed his favorite brand of bourbon upon occasion, perhaps to excess at times. Sawyier kept up a longtime romance with Mary Thomas “Mayme” Bull of Frankfort. After the death of his parents, Sawyier broke free of family responsibilities and purchased an old houseboat, a motorboat, a skiff and a canoe in 1908. For most of the next five years, he slowly moved up to High Bridge and a little beyond. ggg
young artist fought a never-ending battle against poverty. Having to care for his aging parents, Sawyier scraped along selling through Frankfort and Lexington businesses, often making as little as $10 to $15 for several hours of work on a painting. He was most at home in the Frankfort area. There, he developed a style akin to the French impressionistic en plein air painting, principally using watercolors. While he often painted outdoors, Sawyier also made use of photographs of specific sites and finished works in a makeshift studio. “Wapping Street Fountain,” “The Old Capitol,” “A Rainy Day in Frankfort,” “Kentucky River Scene” and “Old Covered Bridge” are early examples of his talent. An avid outdoorsman and fisherman, Sawyier loved to roam the Kentucky River and its tributaries around Frankfort. There were periods of time when he was inactive. Then,
In an oral history interview, Margaret True recalled Sawyier when he tied up his shanty boat at Camp Nelson. “When I had to go to the grocery, my mother would make me go through the field to keep from disturbing him when he was painting,” she recalled. On other occasions, “I just spoke to Paul Sawyier; he was just Mr. Sawyier to me. I saw him at least twice a week.” Along the way upriver, Sawyier painted “Sweet Lick Mountain” near Irvine for a businessman. He painted dozens of scenes, often entertained guests, and spent time visiting with friends along the river. During his sojourn upriver, Mayme called off their 23-year courtship and shorter engagement after Paul allegedly became attracted to a younger woman. Biographer Willian Donald Coffey surmised that Sawyier “experienced newfound freedom during his five years” on his houseboat from 1908 to 1913. At last, he appeared to be free to live his own life. In the fall of 1913, the 48-year-old Sawyier moved to Brooklyn, New
York, and lived with his widowed sister Lillian. Thus began a new and last phase of his career. Though he appeared to have lived a virtual handto-mouth life as an artist, he already had had some success with exhibitions of his works in Cincinnati, at the Columbian Exhibition in Chicago in 1893, and at New York City galleries. He was not completely unknown. In New York, he painted on commission for galleries and individuals. He began painting in other styles and with oils. During the brutal winter of 1915, he and a Belgian artist lived in a mostly unheated studio in the mountains. Sawyier found his last home with the Schaefer family in Fleischmanns, New York. In the final months of his life, Sawyier apparently began drinking more heavily, and his work suffered. On Nov. 6, 1917, at age 52, he died of heart failure far from Kentucky. He was first buried in New York and then returned home to the Frankfort Cemetery on June 9, 1923.
ggg
One watercolor often seen in books and catalogs of Sawyier’s works is that of Mayme Bull in a canoe. Covered bridges, river banks, creek scenes, crops, Frankfort’s “Singing Bridge,” farmers harvesting hemp—just ordinary scenes captivated him. Willard Rouse Jillson estimated that Sawyier painted 2,000-3,000 scenes, as well as portraits. William H. Coffey of Sawyier Galleries in Frankfort in a 1988 interview said he believed that the number was fewer. Coffey claimed to have “cataloged over 1,500 Sawyier originals, almost all watercolor landscapes and waterscapes.” There is an old story that the man who purchased Sawyier’s houseboat threw dozens of the artist’s paintings into the river. I am not a connoisseur of art, but I like what I like. I like Sawyier. Impressionism, as I understand, must be viewed from an appropriate distance, depending on your eyesight. Faces are always indistinct or hidden.
The scenes to me are more imaginable. A painting of a can of soup is not art to me. I have never seen anything by Vincent van Gogh that did not enthrall me. Sawyier could paint in other styles, and his portraits are outstanding. You cannot look at “The Rock Breaker,” a pastel on paper of a Black laborer, and not feel the melancholy of a portrait of a working man worn down by the elements and time. Like many prominent artists, Sawyier was influenced by his formal training, but he also was an individual who placed his own stamp on his work. My favorites among the 10 prints that we own include “Boys Wading” and two of a sportsman, “Angler’s Rest” and “The Fisherman.” Arthur F. Jones in The Art of Paul Sawyier declared the Kentuckian “must be assessed overall as a minor master in American art.” I think Sawyier would have been satisfied with that. How many Sawyier prints do you have? Which is your favorite?
R
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k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 41
gardening by Walt Reichert
Get the Dirt on Good Soil I
f there is one thing gardening columnists and “educators” don’t do enough of, it’s emphasizing the importance of good soil. It is much more fun to write about the latest weeping, variegated, aqua-florescent, everblooming flower introduction than it is to write about something as mundane as dirt—well, soil. But nothing is more important. Soil not only provides the “foundation” for your garden plants, it also gives them the nourishment they need, the air they breathe, the water they drink, the home for their roots. Put a good plant in poor soil, and it will fail to flourish if not die outright; put a poor plant in good soil, and it will eventually, if not right away, take off and thrive. So the gardener who knows how to find—or make—good soil is way ahead of the gardener who knows how to pick out good plants.
A Soil Primer What makes a good soil? Let’s start with a useful, if oversimplified, primer. Soil essentially is weathered rock mixed with organic matter. It comes in three basic types: sand, silt and clay. Each type has advantages and disadvantages. Sandy soils give plants plenty of space for root growth and drain well. Too well, in fact—they tend to be droughty. Sandy soils also tend
to hold few nutrients because minerals in sandy soils wash away easily. These soils are most common in eastern Kentucky. Silt soils—the rarest of the three, at least in Kentucky—drain well and hold nutrients better than sandy soils, but they also dry out readily. Old riverbeds and bottoms often have silty soils. Clay soils, which predominate in central and much of western Kentucky, often are poorly drained, but they are richer in nutrients than sands and silts. They also are slower to warm up in the spring and, once dried out, can be difficult to saturate again. If you are lucky enough to have a mixture of sand, silt and clay, you have what is called a loam, which is close to the ideal gardening soil. Loam soils hold nutrients and moisture better than sand and silt, but they have much better drainage than clay soils. Loams are more common in western Kentucky but can be found throughout the state. I’ve just never been lucky enough to garden in a loam. One problem for many gardeners is that, even if they live in an area with decent soil, their landscapes and gardens have poor soil, especially if they plant near the house. That’s because, when their homes were built and foundations
Readers may contact Walt Reichert at editor@kentuckymonthly.com
42 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 0
dug, the contractors piled all the dirt they excavated right up around the house. That dug-up soil lacks oxygen and is a poor medium for root growth. Even if the contractor was conscientious and saved the topsoil to use as a top layer, the compression caused by heavy machinery often has damaged the soil structure. That explains why older houses in cities, the foundations of which were dug with horse-drawn and lighter equipment, have much better soil than houses in new developments.
Making Soil Better The good news is that soil can be improved. The bad news is it won’t happen overnight. But it is definitely worth the effort, and fall is a good time to start. First, forget about buying fancy soil amendments and soil conditioners. They are gardening voodoo and a waste of money. Commercial fertilizers, such as 10-1010, are fine, but be aware they are a quick fix and do nothing to improve the basic structure of the soil. The key to making soil better is adding organic matter. Over time, the breakdown of organic matter improves soil structure, allowing it to drain better, and adds nutrients in a form that plants can readily access.
For small gardens and landscaping around the house, adding compost and/or organic mulches to the soil is a good start. You can buy compost by the bag or, even better, make it yourself. Spread a thin layer (no deeper than an inch) over the garden and top with mulch. The compost will supply nutrients fairly quickly, and the mulch will break down to keep improving the soil’s structure. For larger gardens—vegetable plots, perennial borders or rose beds—you might add organic matter in the form of either animal manures (assuming these are not right next to the house—or your neighbor’s house) or cover crops. Ideally, animal manures should be composted first, but you can do what’s called “sheet composting” by spreading them in a thin layer over the bed and letting Mother Nature do the composting. This is best done in late fall or early winter. Another way to add organic matter on a larger scale is to plant what’s called a cover crop in the fall and work it into the soil in the spring. Rye, Austrian peas or winter wheat make good cover crops. Just be sure you have the capacity to turn the cover crop into the soil in late winter or early spring; otherwise, your cover crop becomes an obnoxious weed. Adding organic matter to a large area, such as a big lawn, is trickier. You likely don’t want to spread dairy droppings all over the place, and tilling up a crop of rye may be a bit much. The best approach to improving lawn soil is to keep grass growing vigorously. (If you read last month’s column, you know how to do that.) And use a mulching blade for mowing. The mulching mower chops up the grass into fine particles, adding organic matter to the soil as you cut. Whatever you do, don’t habitually sweep up the grass clippings; you are robbing the soil of its chance to improve itself. In summation, think of adding organic matter to your garden soil the same way you add a small amount of money to your bank account every week. It seems like it will take forever to get rich, but all of a sudden you’re in the green.
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k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 43
field notes by Gary Garth
COVID at the Ramp “We are not defenseless against COVID-19. Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus … All Americans have a responsibility to protect themselves, their families and their communities.” —Dr. Robert R. Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, July 14, 2020 PHOTO COURTESY OF OLD TOWN
“Need a hand?” The voice startled me, and I wheeled around in a manner that might have suggested a defensive posture that was neither intended nor needed. I’ve been a little jumpy lately. We all have. “Thanks,” I said with an unintended but clearly audible grunt. “But I got it.” He helped anyway, grabbing the bow hand grip and marching up the slight incline toward the parking area. It’s really a one-person job, and I had trouble hiding my annoyance. By the time we reached my gently used, recently purchased, new-to-me Subaru, my helpmate was laboring for breath. The Old Town Sportsman AutoPilot 120 kayak we were pulling weighs nearly 130 pounds fully rigged, which this one was. The battery adds about another 50 pounds. It was a sweltering summer evening in rural Anderson County. We were both sweating profusely. Fishing had been spotty—mostly bluegill, but I had one bass that was a solid 2 pounds; they all went back into the lake to be caught another day. I unlocked the car, opened the rear hatch, and pulled two bottles of water from the ice chest. The ice had melted, but the water was still cool. I 44 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 0
also reached toward the console for my face mask, then handed my helper a water bottle. I looped the mask over my right ear and let it hang freely while I gulped the water. My helper was about my age with salt-and-pepper hair and a couple of days’ worth of beard that hinted of the same color scheme. He was dressed in jeans and sneakers with a Disney T-shirt that didn’t quite meet the needs of his oversized belly. He looked at the Subaru like it was a Mars rover, then at the Sportsman AutoPilot 120, the newest and most techno-savvy of the Old Town fishing kayak fleet. It is 12 feet long and 36 inches wide, has a removable seat, uses an iPilot GPS-aided directional system, is powered by a 45-pound thrust Minn Kota trolling motor, and comes with a $3,800 price tag. I had it on media loan. “How do you haul it?” “I put it on the roof.” “Ain’t it too heavy for that?” It is. But when the motor, battery and seat are removed, the weight drops to about 100 pounds, making it manageable. I normally would have hauled it in the bed of my truck, but I had just purchased the Subaru and wanted to drive it. “Well, yeah, it’s a little heavy for the roof rack. But doable.” I removed the seat, which slides into a track that makes it adjustable for paddlers of various heights, then released and removed the 24-pound motor from a spring-loaded latch. The battery is anchored in a molded box
under the seat. The boat comes prewired, so everything is plug and play. My helper grabbed the bow handle and started to hoist it onto the rear of the car. I stopped him. “I have a little method to it,” I said while unrolling a thin rubber mat and placing on the top of the rear hatch. The mat prevents scratches. But it also provides the bow of what often is a wet and muddy boat a secure resting place while I hoist the rear and slide it onto the rack. I grabbed the bow handle and lifted. My helper put his shoulder under the boat, and it suddenly seemed to defy gravity. We soon had it secured. I removed my mask and drained what little was left in the water bottle. There wasn’t an ounce of breeze. The evening’s heat seemed to intensify. “I thought this would be over by now,” my helper said. He meant the pandemic. He gestured toward the sweat-stained mask I had in my hand. “I got one in the truck but don’t wear it most of the time. Do wear it some, though.” I considered my response. “It probably helps,” I said while looping the straps around my ears and fitting it to my face. “I think it does help.” I put the motor, battery and seat in the car along with my fishing gear. No one was going to change anyone’s mind about wearing masks here. “Thanks for the help.” “You’re welcome.” He stepped forward and extended his hand. I shook it. Courtesy sometimes exceeds CDC guidelines. Readers may contact Gary Garth at editor@kentuckymonthly.com
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JEFFERSON GUN CLUB 660 Gun Club Road, Brooks, KY 40109 FRAZIERMUSEUM.ORG/CLASSIC SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR EARLY SPONSOR
G A L L AT I N C O U N T Y Hartig Park and Wildlife Reserve has 500 acres of horse trails, hiking trails, kayaking and primitive camping.
It is hard to beat a fall camping trip! You can help protect Kentucky’s
& VENTURE.
trees by leaving your firewood at home!
With plenty of room to socially distance, Nicholasville + Wilmore are full of natural beauty and outdoor adventures.
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 45
Due to COVID-19, please call or visit the event’s website or call the contact number prior to attending to ensure that it is taking place.
calendar
David Toczko photo
SEPTEMBER 2020 SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
2
1
Ongoing Car-toon Creatures, Kustom Kars and Corvettes,
WEDNESDAY
Native Reflections Exhibit,
Devou Park, Covington
SATURDAY
4
5
Churchill Downs, Louisville, (502) 636-4400
Downs, Louisville, (502) 636-4400
Kentucky Oaks,
Kentucky Derby, Churchill
14
10
11
12
James Audubon State Park, Henderson, (270) 826-2247
Whitney Museum, Lexington, through Nov. 15, (859) 255-6653
in and around Maysville and Mason County, (606) 584-3290
17
18
Walk on the Wild Side, John
15
<<<
NKY Music Fest,
FRIDAY
<<<
7
13
3
Kentucky Native American Heritage Museum, Corbin, through Sept. 10, (606) 526-5635
National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, through Dec. 31
6
THURSDAY
Native Reflections Exhibit, Kentucky
16
Wesleyan College, Owensboro, through Sept. 29, (270) 852-3608
20
Rick Springfield,
24
Vertigo Bungee Jump,
Limestone Cycling Tour,
19
Barnyard Fun!,
High Bridge, Lawrenceburg, (502) 598-3127
Oldham County History Center, La Grange, (502) 222-0286
25
26
Fall Gospel Concert, Mountain Arts Center, Prestonsburg, (606) 886-2623
Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, (606) 324-0007
27
Indelible Exhibit, Headley
< < < Ongoing
What Is a Vote Worth? Suffrage Then and Now, Frazier
History Museum, Louisville, through February, (502) 753-5663
a guide to Kentucky’s most interesting events 46 K E NT U C K Y M O NTHLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 0
ON VIEW SEPT 11 - NOV 15 AT THE HEADLEY WHITNEY MUSEUM
JOHN STEPHEN HOCKENSMITH Kentucky native, John Stephen Hockensmith, known for his premier skills as an equine photographer, print maker and artist, features "The Chrysalis Project", an artistic journey that chronicles the astounding life and migration of the eastern Northern American monarch butterfly.
INDELIBLE: The Photography of James Archambeault John Stephen Hockensmith Linda Bruckheimer Deirdre Lyons Headley-Whitney.org 4435 OLD FRANKFORT PIKE LEXINGTON, KY 40510
Your complete outdoor space...
C E R T I F I E D, L I C E N S E D DESIGN PLANS PATIOS
h
h
&
Grant County is just a short drive from anywhere in kentucky. visit and spend some time at Lake Williamstown on a boat ride or fishing at Boltz Lake in Dry Ridge. Grant County is also home to Grant County Park, Webb & Piddle Parks, family-friendly hiking trails and family-f good-natured folks.
F U L LY I N S U R E D
NATIVE LANDSCAPES + GARDENS
WALLS + FEATURES
h
LIGHTING
h
DRAINAGE
I N S I D E O U T- D E S I G N . O R G
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 47
vested interest Woke—a political term of African-American origin, refers to a perceived awareness of issues concerning social and racial justice. It derives from the expression “stay woke,” whose grammatical aspect relates to a continuing awareness of these issues. Source: Merriam-Webster.com
The W-word W
e were raised learning the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them done unto you. We were taught that Jesus loves “all the little children of the world.” Everyone knows the first rule of Fight Club is “never talk about Fight Club.” Living with a 19-year-old college sophomore teaches you other dos and don’ts. No. 1 is: No one should ever, under any circumstances, call themselves “woke.” “Stop,” the college student ordered before I even said it. We were discussing the state of the world, from COVID-19 to political upheaval to racial STEPHEN M. VEST injustice. “No. Stop.” Publisher + Editor-in-Chief She could sense what I about to utter, and she wasn’t having it. “Even if you are, you can’t say you are. It’s not for you to say. People can say it about you, but you can’t say it.” “So,” I said, “it’s like giving yourself a nickname?” “What?” “On the Appalachian Trail, everyone has a nickname, but it’s given to you by your hike mates, and you can’t suggest it,” I explained. “Like Howard Wolowitz on The Big Bang Theory … He wanted his fellow astronauts to call him ‘Rocket Man,’ but instead, they called him ‘Fruit Loops’ because they overheard his mother calling him for breakfast. ‘How-ward, your Fruit Loops are ready.’ ” “Not really, but maybe. No,” she said. “So, what was your nickname?” “Same as it was in high school—Snail,” I said. “Wonder why?” she quipped, implying that I’m not only slow of foot but in evolution.
I told her about living in Baltimore when I was young and taking swimming lessons at an all-Black high school, and about being in the middle of Louisville court-ordered desegregation in the 1970s, and about being a sports reporter covering a historically Black university and being the only White guy on the sidelines and sometimes the lone white guy in the building, and about that time I took the MARTA back to the Atlanta airport with 300 men who had just come from a Louis Farrakhan rally. “So you can name, what, four days in your life where you felt out of place?” she asked. I could hear how ignorant I sounded without actually saying any of the things rattling around in my head. I read Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison in high school. I watched Cicely Tyson in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman in 1974. I watched all eight nights of Alex Haley’s Roots in 1977. I cried when Toomer died in The Great Santini. I choked up when Miss Daisy called Hoke her best friend. Author James Baldwin wrote that segregation is not just being blind to how others live, but having no desire to see. Black activists such as Baldwin knew it was convenient to exhibit a pretense of “wokeness” without its substance. And so “staying woke” was as critical and challenging as “getting woke.” To be truly woke, according to Baldwin, is to be conscious of the harsh realities of the racial struggle and remain committed. “Listen, Dad, here’s the problem with people your age. You’re like, what, 70-something [I’m 58]? You may think you’re whatever it is that you think you are, but still, you can’t see it.” “See what?” “It,” she said. “And as much as you think you understand, you don’t.”
E X T R A V E S T E D. . .
Traditionally, the last Saturday in September is a big one for Breckinridge County’s Joseph Holt Home. This year, however, due to COVID-19, there will be no historic baseball game or food trucks. If the tours of the renovated house are able to continue, which won’t be known until after press time, it will be limited to a few people at a time. So if big crowds put you off, this might be the perfect time to travel State Highway 144 to one mile west of Addison, Kentucky. “It’s been a trying time for all of the Friends of the Holt Home,” said President Susan Dyer. “We’ve worked all year and have waited so long to present noticeable progress,” some of which will need to wait. Judge Advocate Joseph Holt (1807-1894) presided over the trial of the conspirators in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.
KWIZ ANSWERS: 1. B. The distance was shortened; 2. A. 1945 because of World War II; 3. C. Also known as “Bad George,” he killed Special Agent Nelson B. Klein in a 1935 shootout in West College Corner, Indiana, after a cross-country scam in which Barrett would buy a car and steal an identical car, which he then would sell using the paperwork of the first car; 4. A. Clinton, which was formed in 1835 from portions of Cumberland and Wayne counties and named in honor of DeWitt Clinton, governor of New York and the driving force behind the Erie Canal. Why? Why not? 5. C. Union soldiers; 6. B. “Remember the Raisin” was a popular battle cry for Kentuckians. Nine Kentucky counties are named for officers who fought at the Battle of Frenchtown and the subsequent River Raisin Massacre. Eight of them, including Col. John Allen and Capt. John Simpson, were killed. The other counties are Ballard, Edmonson, Graves, Hart, Hickman, McCracken and Meade. Major Bland Ballard, the namesake of Ballard County, was wounded and captured but survived; 7. C. “She’s goin’ to own you”; 8. B. Victor represents the Norse of NKU; 9. C. Nixon said Young’s work was instrumental in breaking down segregation and inequality; 10. B. The United States bought Alaska for two cents an acre.
48 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 0
10 Consecutive Appearances on
6 Straight Years Advancing to the National
Jay Mathewsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; List of Top Performing Schools with Elite Students
Science Bowl Competition in Washington, D.C. 156 National Merit Finalists
We come from all across Kentucky to The Gatton Academy on the campus of Western Kentucky University. As juniors and seniors in high school, we enroll in WKU courses, conduct research with WKU professors, and study abroad. While we are challenged academically, we thrive in a supportive environment designed just for us and make lifelong friends. Best yet, our tuition, meals, housing, and fees are all paid for by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. You, too, can have a future filled with infinite possibilities.
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