Voice-Tribune August 2026

AUGUST 2026

Artist

THERESA

CARPENTER

BEAMES

With Gratitude,

KAREN CASSIDY SIRENE MARTIN

Empathy Leads with

at the

Speed

MAGGIE HARLOW’S

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To the Many Voices of Louisville, This volume is dedicated to the women who have gone above and beyond, not only in their careers, but in their homes, their communities, and in every role they have chosen to embrace. It honors the women who took risks, challenged expectations, and helped redefine what it means to be a working woman, whether that included raising a family or forging a path entirely their own. I find that these women keep going and keep showing up.

This is my 41st volume of the VOICE-TRIBUNE, and I didn’t even realize it until someone recently asked me how long I had owned and published it. It made me realize how rarely we pause to look back. So many women spend their lives building, leading, and creating that they seldom take a moment to recognize just how far they’ve come or all they’ve accomplished while forging the path ahead.

What strikes me most is just how recent many of these milestones truly are. The working women generation is still very close. We often think of women’s rights as distant history, yet so many of the freedoms women enjoy today were achieved within the lifetimes of our parents and grandparents.

1848: The Seneca Falls Convention, the first women’s rights convention in the U.S., is held in New York.

1869: Wyoming becomes the first U.S. territory to grant women the right to vote.

1920: The 19th Amendment guarantees women the right to vote nationwide.

1963: The Equal Pay Act makes it illegal to pay women less than men for equal work.

1964: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits employment discrimination based on sex.

1965 (Voting Rights Act): Signed into law on August 6, 1965, it banned discriminatory voting practices like literacy tests and poll taxes, finally enforcing equal access for Black women and men.

1967: Executive Order 11375 extends federal employment protections to prohibit sex discrimination by federal contractors.

1972: Title IX is signed into law, prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded education and dramatically expanding opportunities for women in sports.

1973: The U.S. military begins admitting women into more military career fields as the All-Volunteer Force is established.

1974: The Equal Credit Opportunity Act allows women to obtain credit and open bank accounts without a male co-signer.

1978: The Pregnancy Discrimination Act prohibits workplace discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.

1981: Sandra Day O’Connor becomes the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

1983: Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space.

1993: The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides eligible workers with job-protected leave for family and medical reasons.

1993: Women are allowed to fly U.S. military combat aircraft.

2007: Nancy Pelosi becomes the first woman elected Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

2009: The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act strengthens workers’ ability to challenge pay discrimination.

2013: The U.S. military removes the ban on women serving in direct ground combat positions.

2016: Hillary Clinton becomes the first woman nominated for president by a major U.S. political party.

2021: Kamala Harris becomes the first woman, first Black American, and first South Asian American to serve as Vice President of the United States.

2022: Congress passes the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, expanding workplace protections for pregnant employees (effective 2023).

Yet history is still being written. There has never been a handbook for balancing leadership, family, ambition, and purpose. Still, women continue to lead Fortune 500 companies, command military units, serve as governors, judges, scientists, entrepreneurs, artists, mothers, and CEOs. Even with all that has been achieved, there are still milestones ahead.

Progress has never been about one single achievement; it has always been built one courageous step at a time.

Every generation of women has expanded the possibilities for the next, often without knowing how far their efforts would reach.

To every woman who leads with purpose—whether your contributions are celebrated publicly or happen behind the scenes. Your work matters. Your courage matters. Your investment in your community matters.

To every woman featured in these pages, and to every woman reading them, thank you for helping build a Louisville that is stronger, kinder, and more inspiring because of your efforts.

Here’s to the women who came before us, the women leading today, and the generations still to come.

To the Many Voices of Louisville,

Amelia Frazier Theobald Publisher & CEO, The VOICE-TRIBUNE

PRESIDENT/CEO, AMELIA FRAZIER THEOBALD OPERATIONS MANAGER, MARY ZOELLER CHIEF DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL & EDITOR, ALISHA PROFFITT CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER & DIRECTOR OF SALES, JULIE KOENIG CHIEF GRAPHIC DESIGNER, JOSH ISON COPY EDITOR, RENAE ISON SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER & EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT, BRYLEA PEACH ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE & FASHION DIRECTOR , CLEO HEINE CHIEF EVENT PHOTOGRAPHER & DIRECTOR, EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHER & VIDEOGRAPHER, GRAPHIC DESIGNER, KATHRYN HARRINGTON FASHION & EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHER, MATT JOHNSON FASHION & EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHER & VIDEOGRAPHER, ANTONIO PANTOJA DISTRIBUTION, KELLI & RAGAN VAN HECKE, JILL & JOHN MINNIX, TANNER BATEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: ALISON CARDOZA, ALISHA PROFFITT, CLEO HEINE, JACKIE ZYKAN, KELSEY KNOTT, KEVIN MURPHY WILSON, LAUREN TAYLOR CARR, RUSS BROWN CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: GIOIA PATTON, IMPACT100 LOUISVILLE, JACKIE ZYKAN. MARTY KING, MINDY BEST, UOFL ATHLETICS

VOICE-TRIBUNE AUG 2026

5

FEATURES

36

10 Theresa Carpenter Beames Observation and Abstraction

22

By VOICE-TRIBUNE Photos By Matt Johnson

Annette Vitale: The Vision That Saved Mallard Hall Estate

14

By Alisha Proffitt Photos By Kathryn Harrington

Sirene Martin: Leading By Listening

28

By Alisha Proffitt Photos By Matt Johnson

Karen Cassidy’s Seed of Compassion Continues to Grow at Hildegard House

18

By Alisha Proffitt Photos By Matt Johnson

Maggie Harlow’s Everyday Extraordinary

32

By Alisha Proffitt Photos By Matt Johnson

Reaching a milestone: Impact100 Louisville surpasses $3 million mark in donations

By RUSS BROWN Photos Provided

6

AUG 2026 VOICE-TRIBUNE

Alisa Oerther Gray: From Childhood Volunteer to Kentucky Humane Society CEO

50

By Alisha Proffitt Photos By Matt Johnson

By Kevin Murphy Wilson Photos By Matt Johnson

40 Kaitlyn Tisdale: Telling the Whole Story at Historic Locust Grove

Opening the Doors to Art

52 Cannonball Isn’t Just Swimwear: It’s an Adventure Line

By VOICE-TRIBUNE Photos By Matt Johnson

By Cleo Hiene Photos By Matt Johnson & Kathryn Harrington

44

56

Women In Business Guide

48

Jackie Zykan Maître Liquoriste + Perfumer + Herbalist

Isabella Corine: Surreal Memory

58

By VOICE-TRIBUNE Photos By Kathryn Harrington Sponsored By The Shapin-Nicolas Art Project (S.N.A.P.) Foundation

Strong Bones

By Alison Cardoza Photos By Matt Johnson

ON THE COVER: MAGGIE HARLOW PHOTOGRAPHED BY MATT JOHNSON AT KMAC CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM

48 > 62 Goodwill’s Excel Center Removes Barriers, Rebuilds Confidence

By Kelsey Knott Photos By Kathryn Harrington

66 Still Standing: Corey Feldman says “Stand By Me” finds every generation exactly where it hurts.

By Lauren Taylor Carr & Kevin Murphy Wilson Photos Provided

68 Giving Back Guide

84 76 Monarch Artist Feature: Ryan Anderson

By Kelsey Knott Photos By Matt Johnson

SOCIETY

103

THANK YOU TO SPONSORS

78 RIP KENNY KLEIN: All who knew UofL’s Kenny Klein agree he was special

By RUSS BROWN

114 Community Engagement By: Jennifer Kramer

74

82

MOVING ON UP: With new QB, solid defense, Brohm thinks big things are in store

Louisville Calendar

32 >

52 >

By RUSS BROWN VOICE-TRIBUNE AUG 2026

7

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OBSERVATION & ABSTRACTION 10 AUG 2026 VOICE-TRIBUNE

By VOICE-TRIBUNE Photos By Matt Johnson

Artists will often describe the moment they decided to make work. Theresa Carpenter Beames tells a different story. Her practice did not begin with a clean break from another career. It surfaced through decades spent paying close attention. After nearly 40 years as a producer, director, writer, and editor, Beames turned the attention she had long devoted to telling other people’s stories toward her own. Observation simply found a new language.

Her intricate colored pencil drawings pulse with geometric forms, saturated color, and an intuitive rhythm. Constellations of circles, lines, and organic forms accumulate into compositions that resist rigid interpretation.

They invite viewers to linger. They are patient works, often requiring 25 to 35 hours to complete. Every line and circle accumulates through intuition rather than a formula. “The drawings let me know when they’re complete,” Beames says. “I notice when another line or circle will not add anything further.”

That trust in intuition is the main ingredient in her artistic path. Although self-taught, Beames is well-read in art history. She speaks with equal admiration about the Lascaux Cave paintings, Claude Monet’s luminous handling of light, Hilma af Klint’s spiritual abstraction, Helen Frankenthaler’s fearless experimentation, and the vibrant visual language of Beatriz Milhazes. What connects these artists, in her view, is not style but conviction. “I love color, rule-breakers, and the artists who see beyond the obvious.”

As a longtime board member and former president of KMAC Contemporary Art Museum, Beames spent more than a decade championing artists and expanding access to contemporary art. Rather than positioning creativity as something reserved for a select few, that experience affirmed that making art belongs to those willing to dedicate themselves to the work.

Louisville’s cultural ecosystem became not only a place where she supported artists, but one where she eventually found the confidence to stand among them.

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Her creative momentum accelerated after visiting Monet’s panoramic Water Lilies at the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris and the 2022 Venice Biennale. Watching a process film of artist Simone Leigh’s work also left a lasting impression. The lesson was refreshingly uncomplicated. Artists make art. They do not wait for permission.

That philosophy continues to guide her in her daily practice. Morning coffee becomes an opportunity for observation as birds, shifting light, leaves, and even stacks of paper become muses.

Beames has since expanded into painting, textiles, and wearable art, while her work has entered private collections across the United States and abroad. Yet her ambitions remain down to earth. She hopes her work simply brings happiness into the homes where it lives.

Her advice to women considering a creative leap later in life: “DO IT! Creativity has no age limit.” While Louisville continues to nurture artists willing to take risks, Theresa Carpenter Beames extends to us something equally valuable: that a creative life is not measured by when it begins, but by the courage to begin at all.

12 AUG 2026 VOICE-TRIBUNE

14 AUG 2026 VOICE-TRIBUNE

By Alisha Proffitt • Photos By Matt Johnson

The work of repatriation generally enters public view only when objects leave museum collections. By then, years of consultation, documentation, and negotiation have already changed the organization itself. At the Speed Art Museum, Assistant Curator and Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Coordinator Sirene Martin describes that transformation as one that encourages consultation rather than possession.

When Martin arrived at the museum as an intern in 2023, the Speed had completed portions of its NAGPRA obligations but had not established a formal repatriation program. Since then, she has developed inventories, organized documentation, and helped determine the museum’s approach to the federal law requiring museums to consult with Tribal Nations about Native American ancestral remains and certain cultural belongings.

“The most important part of this work is consultation. Meeting with tribal representatives allows us to build relationships, listen, and learn directly from the communities connected to these belongings.”

“One of the biggest challenges has been managing my own concerns about presenting Native American culture as thoughtfully and authentically as possible.” As a non-Native curator, Martin takes that responsibility very seriously.

“Research is an important part of the process, but so is listening. I regularly share the work with the Speed’s Native Advisory Council, a well-regarded team comprised of national experts whose guidance has helped shape the reimagined galleries. That collaboration has also been one of the most rewarding parts of the project. Their insight has made the Native galleries stronger and more connected to the communities they represent.”

Those conversations have also changed Martin’s understanding of curatorial work. Early in the process, she expected repatriation to move quickly. Instead, nearly three years passed before the museum prepared to return its first belongings to the Southern Cheyenne and Southern Arapaho Tribes.

“That experience has taught me that patience and intentionality are essential.

Because NAGPRA work is so sensitive, every step needs to be thoughtful and trustworthy. Consultation can carry a great deal of emotion, grief and hurt, and it is important to make room for all of that rather than moving too quickly toward an outcome.”

In many ways, the work has also changed how she sees her role as a curator. “Academic training often teaches us to remain impartial and observe from a distance. Repatriation asks something different. It asks us to be fully present, to listen deeply, and to lead with empathy.”

That empathy appears in the Speed’s reinstalled Native American galleries. Instead of presenting Indigenous culture through a familiar arrangement of historical objects, the installation gives considerable space to two-dimensional works and portraiture. “As a ‘non-Native’ curator, I am always mindful that my perspective should not be the only one shaping the story. Portraiture became an important way to bring Native presence, identity, and individuality into the gallery and to allow those images to speak directly to visitors.”

The galleries also introduce kincentricity, an Indigenous worldview that understands the natural world as family.

Instead of treating the concept as a thematic label, Martin frames it as a question for visitors. What changes when the Earth is understood as a relative instead of a resource?

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The newly rotated Native American gallery takes a step forward from older museum practices to better reflect Native voices and living cultures. “For many years, museums presented Native art mainly through a historical or ethnographic lens, which could make Indigenous cultures feel fixed in the past. That approach often overlooked the fact that Native communities are living, evolving, and continuing to create.

In the Speed’s African Diasporic and the Native American galleries, we place historical works alongside contemporary art. That contrast helps visitors see a fuller story, one that honors tradition while also recognizing Native and African diasporic artists as active cultural voices today. It shows that these art forms are not frozen in history. They continue to grow, change, and shape the present.”

“At its heart, What Awaits Us Will Be, Black is about resilience, continuity and the lasting power of Black creativity.”

Martin has also been hard at work on the museum’s forthcoming African Diasporic galleries, organized under the curatorial thesis What Awaits Us Will Be, Black. The project draws inspiration from the Dikenga, or Kongo Cosmogram, a Bakongo symbol associated with the life cycle and the lasting nature of the human spirit. It also highlights the influence of Central African traditions through the work of Henry Gudgell, a formerly enslaved Kentucky artist whose art has been connected to Bakongo spirituality. The project traces the continuity of Black artistic traditions despite the violence of the transatlantic slave trade. “The title recognizes the devastating impact of the transatlantic slave trade, while also making an important point: Black artistic and spiritual traditions did not disappear. They survived, evolved, and continued to shape American culture.”

“Museums have a responsibility to address difficult histories with honesty and compassion. The African and Native American collections carry complex and often painful stories, and it is important that we do not avoid them.

Museums can also create space for people to learn, ask questions and see history from perspectives that have too often been overlooked.

That means using our independence as cultural institutions to tell fuller, more inclusive stories even when those stories are challenging,” Martin explains. “At their best, museums can help people better understand the past while creating opportunities for dialogue, reflection, and connection.”

Sirene Martin sees parallels between the Native American and African collections in the histories they carry. “Unfortunately, these collections share similar pains regarding erasure and stereotypes. Both demand to be seen and understood on their own terms, with their own art-historical understandings.”

She ultimately hopes visitors leave with a broader sense of whose histories museums can tell. “African and Native history is simply human history, and if I do my job correctly, that shared humanity is illuminated in the galleries.”

Gallery Images, Mindy Best, Works on Loan Tia Collection 16 AUG 2026 VOICE-TRIBUNE

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18 AUG 2026 VOICE-TRIBUNE

By Alisha Proffitt • Photos By Matt Johnson

Maggie Harlow is suspicious of the stories people inherit about themselves. In her newly released book, Everyday Extraordinary, she encourages readers to question the assumptions they impose on themselves and their daily lives. She believes ideas about success, identity, and belonging should be reconsidered, and challenges that many of the limits people accept are ones they have inflicted on themselves.

That lightbulb first went off for Harlow when she decided to start her first business.

“The most important moment that defined my life was deciding to start my first business,” she shares. “It was a huge risk, a huge effort, and it taught me countless lessons about life.” More importantly, building a company that supported employees while serving its community gave her confidence that she could create something meaningful. The experience altered what she calls her “self-perception.”

That concern with perception, particularly self-perception, recurs throughout the book. Harlow believes that people often mistake imagined expectations for fixed social realities. “Most of us live under the shadow of expectations,” she says. “But many of those are simply what we IMAGINE others expect.” Rather than accepting our assumptions as fact, she encourages people to test them.

Try something different, she suggests, and see what actually happens. “In most every case I’ve found the world makes space for me in ways I didn’t realize.”

This also applies to Harlow’s view of authenticity. She observes that people tend to work hard to appear “normal,” even though individuality is what makes life engaging. “People are all unique. Weird, different, special,” she says. “If we learned to enjoy and embrace our uniqueness, we would live with such contentness and curiosity about life. Sounds fun to me.”

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Her daily habits complement that mindset. Harlow pays close attention to the thoughts that surface automatically, especially those self-conscious in nature. If she considers eating alone at a restaurant and immediately thinks others might judge her, she stops to question that belief. Most people are not paying nearly as much attention as we imagine, she says, and even if they are, their opinions do not need to dictate our choices.

The willingness and confidence to let go of other people’s approval has become one of the most important lessons in her life. “The desire to be liked is pernicious and debilitating.” Freedom begins with accepting the possibility of disapproval.

“Learning that people NOT liking me is perfectly okay has been wildly freeing.”

She tackles setbacks with a similar perspective. Rather than dramatize disappointment, Harlow and her husband respond with a phrase that has become a household refrain: “I have other gifts.”

Her book closes on a note inherited from her mother, Kathleen Reno, whose aspiration was simple enough to resist sentimentality: “My goal is that each person I meet is made even a tiny bit better by interacting with me.”

If there is one idea she hopes readers take with them from Everyday Extraordinary, “Life is a magic place. Even bad days can still have moments of wonder.”

20 AUG 2026 VOICE-TRIBUNE

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22 AUG 2026 VOICE-TRIBUNE

THE VISION THAT SAVED MALLARD HALL ESTATE

By Alisha Proffitt • Photos By Kathryn Harrington When Annette Vitale first stepped inside Mallard Hall Estate, she was greeted by a home that many considered beyond saving.

“Honestly, my connection to this property started long before it was ever for sale. For years, I would drive past with genuine curiosity, wondering what was behind the overgrown vegetation and the broken gates. One day, several years before the estate came on the market, my sisters and I let our curiosity get the better of us. We made our way onto the property and actually got inside.”

“There were raccoons living in it. Holes in the roof, and vandalism everywhere. By any reasonable measure, it was a ruin. But even standing in the middle of all that, I could see through it. The natural light pouring into every room. The original ash flooring under the debris.

The Federal-style mantels and moldings that nobody builds anymore. I saw a home that had stood since 1790, a place that had been an iconic Saddlebred farm and a beacon in Shelby County for decades. Houses like this don’t get built anymore, and once they’re gone, they’re gone forever.”

Developers had already expressed interest in clearing the land to make way for a subdivision. “If I hadn’t bought it, that 1790 farmhouse would be a cul-de-sac right now. What I saw wasn’t what it was at that moment. It was what it had been, and what it could be again. It just needed someone willing to stand between it and the bulldozer, and to do the work. So that’s what I did.”

Annette’s vision became a four-year restoration project that transformed the crumbling 1790 farmhouse into one of Shelby County’s most sought-after wedding and event venues. What makes this story especially remarkable is that Annette completed much of the work herself, serving as her own general contractor while learning unfamiliar trades along the way.

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“It really started with how I was raised. My parents were incredibly encouraging. With three sisters and a brother, all five of us were raised to believe we could do whatever we set our minds to. Nobody ever told us certain things weren’t for girls. So I didn’t walk into this thinking I was stepping into a man’s world. I walked in thinking I was stepping into work that needed to be done. What my parents gave me wasn’t the skills. It was the willingness to take the risk,” she reflects.

A registered dietitian with a corporate background, she had no formal construction experience when she purchased the estate. Instead, she relied on her own determination, research, and willingness to learn as she went. As contractors came and went, she stepped in to keep the project moving. She handled demolition, leveled floors, installed fireplaces, built the spa, laid stonework, wrote detailed project specifications, and even installed plumbing fixtures herself after working through eleven plumbing contractors.

“When you’re restoring a home built in 1790, you learn quickly that no one cares about it as much as you do. I went through eleven plumbing contractors over the course of this project. Eleven. At some point you realize that if you want it done right, done the way this house deserves, you have to be willing to do it yourself.”

Her dream wasn’t solely focused on construction alone. Every decision was made with a desire to preserve the home’s history while creating a welcoming destination for modern guests. She carefully restored original ash floors, Federal-style mantels, and historic moldings. Brick from the original patio was repurposed in the estate’s speakeasy, while vintage architectural pieces collected over many years became part of the property’s design.

“Some days pushed me to the edge. I still remember discovering that the 200-year-old floor joists in the dining room were cracking and the floor was collapsing, at the very same time the basement was flooding. A day like that could break you. Maybe it’s just my stubbornness, but I never let doubts or thoughts of not finishing overcome me. It wasn’t an option. I stayed positive, stayed determined, and believed I would figure it out. And my family carried me through the low points, showing up unannounced with work gloves in hand. I never had to ask.”

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Annette’s children worked beside her throughout the massive project, helping build spaces that guests now enjoy during weddings and celebrations. “What I’m proudest of isn’t a skill I learned. It’s the ones I passed on. My children worked alongside me on this restoration.

My son and I installed the fireplace and stone wall in the speakeasy together. My daughter and I restored the antique outdoor fireplace and built its stone hearth side by side. Those aren’t just features of the estate to me. They’re places where I got to teach my kids what I was learning myself: that you can do hard things, and that things worth having are worth working for.”

Today, Mallard Hall Estate is a thriving business that hosts weddings, corporate retreats, fundraisers, and special events throughout the year. The home that once stood empty for more than a decade is once again filled with life.

While the success of the business is rewarding, preserving a piece of local history means even more to Annette. “When I bought it, the estate was one decision away from disappearing forever. Now it stands stronger than it has in decades, with new stories being written here every weekend.”

What we’ve learned from Annette is that expertise is not always where a project or a passion begins. Sometimes it’s learned with every challenge and the courage to try. By trusting her instincts and refusing to give up, Annette saved a landmark that could easily have been lost, along with the many cherished memories her guests have made in the space. “When I say this house was a labor of love, I mean it literally. The labor and the love both.”

The restored estate now welcomes guests from across the region, but behind the absolutely stunning property is the work of one woman who refused to let a historic home disappear. Her hands built much of what visitors experience today, and her determination and skill turned an abandoned property into a destination that will serve the community for generations to come.

For more information visit: www.mallardhallestate.com

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28 AUG 2026 VOICE-TRIBUNE

CONTINUES TO GROW AT HILDEGARD HOUSE

By Alisha Proffitt • Photos By Matt Johnson The idea that became Hildegard House began with a gap in care that Karen Cassidy encountered every day as a palliative care nurse practitioner.

Working at St. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital in Louisville, she cared for patients approaching the end of life who qualified for hospice but had nowhere to receive it. Some were homeless. Others lived alone without family or caregivers. Without a home and support, hospice was often out of reach.

A visit to a comfort care home in New York demonstrated a more practical model to Cassidy. Around the same time, she traveled to Bingen, Germany, following the footsteps of St. Hildegard of Bingen, the 12th-century Benedictine abbess, healer, and scholar whose monastery welcomed people in need of care. “Seeing what Hildegard could do in the 12th century, I envisioned this for our community.”

That vision is now Hildegard House, Kentucky’s first and only comfort care home, where people without housing or loved ones to care for them can receive hospice services in a home setting. The organization partners with Hosparus Health while relying entirely on donations, grants, volunteers, and community support to provide care at no cost to residents.

Cassidy hopes that distinction will not remain unique.

“That Hildegard House is the only one in Kentucky is a sad thing. We are always full and most often have a waiting list. I hope that more comfort care homes will be developed throughout the region and state.”

The stories she takes with her from Hildegard House are reflective of the purpose behind its work. Jim, a homeless Navy veteran with liver cancer, was connected with a veterans organization that ensured he received a military burial.

Thelma celebrated her 100th birthday at the house after outliving her family, teaching fellow residents and volunteers to pray the Rosary and play bingo. Bettie reconciled with her estranged daughter before her death. Hazel was reunited with her son, a long-haul truck driver who had no home of his own. “I could fill a book with all of the special ones we have had the honor of serving.”

Building the organization required explaining a model unfamiliar to many partners and supporters. It also required cultivating a community willing to sustain it.

Today, more than 150 Compassionate Companion volunteers serve alongside nurses, physicians, staff, board members, gardeners, meal providers, and countless donors. All of which has grown from a seed of compassion Cassidy planted in this community.

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“I am most proud of the culture of compassion that exists at Hildegard House,” Cassidy says. “These dedicated volunteers provide care to our residents just as a family member would.”

As she hands leadership to Becky Romans, Cassidy speaks of her gratitude. “I had a vision and a dream. But no one can do it alone.” As she prepares her next steps forward into retirement, she leaves behind her a legacy of genuine love and care for her neighbors.

“I would like for people to remember me as someone who saw a need in her community, in the most vulnerable of our neighbors, and tried to fill it.”

Karen, the Hildegard House community celebrates not only what you’ve built, but the example you set. Your vision has given hundreds of people comfort, dignity, and companionship at the end of life, while inspiring others to serve with generosity and compassion.

Thank you, Karen, for your kindness, your leadership, and your dedication to Louisville’s most vulnerable neighbors. Your work has changed lives and will continue to do so for generations to come.

30 AUG 2026 VOICE-TRIBUNE

10720 US Highway 42 Offered for $1,565,000 CLAIRE SCHENK | 502.271.7771

14701 Forest Creek Way Offered for $639,900 D E B R A P OT H | 5 0 2 . 5 5 2 . 7 7 2 8

3903 Bayonne Ct Offered for $415,500 MEGHAN SMITH | 502.548.9160

Scan to view this month’s collection of featured properties

1112 Bentwood Pl Offered for $829,500 L A U R E N N E U T Z | 5 0 2 . 4 5 7. 2 1 8 0

7112 Covered Bridge Rd Offered for $3,400,000 NANCY STEVENS | 502.551.0552

1854 Trevillian Way Offered for $800,000 S T E P H A N I E K E RT I S | 5 0 2 . 7 6 7. 3 3 2 2 C L AY TO N G E N T I L E | 5 0 2 . 3 8 6 . 6 6 6 0

IMPACT100 LOUISVILLE SURPASSES $3 MILLION MARK IN DONATIONS

By RUSS BROWN • Photos Provided When Carey Goldstein agreed to help her mother, Dani Kannapple, launch a Louisville chapter of Impact100 in 2020, she had no idea what she was getting into.

“It’s shocking, but shows what passion and engagement women in Louisville have for their community,” Board president Kim Hansford said.

“My mom spends part of the year in Florida and there are a lot of Impact chapters there,” Goldstein said. “She thought we could do it here in Louisville and encourage people to be more connected to their giving. I truly thought we were going to have dinner with a few friends, and maybe if we were lucky, raise $100,000 by getting 100 women involved.”

Impact100 Louisville’s 2026 membership total of 527 translates to five $100,000 grants and $27,000 in merit grants to be awarded later this year. Impact100 Louisville received a record 165 applications and has invited 37 organizations to submit full grant applications. Finalists will be introduced on Oct. 26 in an event at the Keneseth Israel Congregation. Awards will be presented on Nov. 9 at The Olmstead.

Seven years later, Impact100 Louisville reached a milestone, with the 2026 commitment of $527,000 to nonprofit organizations in Jefferson County, meaning current and former members will have donated more than 3 million ($3,115,000) to local nonprofits with unparalleled explosive growth.

“This has gone above and beyond our expectations, and it did so very quickly,” said Goldstein, who now serves on the Board of Directors in a co-founder role and chairs the membership and nominating committees.

Incredibly, the Louisville chapter is comparable in size to the metro Atlanta, New York City, and Detroit chapters.

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Impact100’s mission statement says it is a collective force for uniting and empowering women to give together, creating transformational impact, locally and globally. With over 70 chapters around the world, Impact100 Global has given away nearly $160 million collectively since granting its first Impact Awards in 2002.

The Impact100 model of collective giving is simple and effective - 100 women (or more) each donate $1,000 to create a $100,000 Impact Grant for a nonprofit organization in their community.

After a detailed screening process, the full membership of Impact100 Louisville votes for the final grant recipients. Impact grants are awarded for capacity building, program support, and innovation.

According to Goldstein, “Women have the power to transform their communities by coming together collectively and collaboratively.

When you give $1,000, you hope it makes an impact; when you give $1,000 through Impact100 Louisville, you know it will make a significant impact in our community.”

Hansford, a pediatric dentist and Associate Professor at the UofL School of Dentistry, was an early member of Impact100 Louisville and said she was attracted by a premise that felt so smart and simple.

“At that time we were in the COVID pandemic, and I felt like our city had suffered so much hardship,” she said. “I really wanted a reason to connect and find ways to get involved in the good things going on in our community. I felt like Impact100 was really doing ‘boots on the ground’ work. $100,000 can be a total game changer for a nonprofit, especially in this day and age where funding is so hard to come by.

“We have heard stories of Impact100 being a springboard for groups to receive other funding, and our members are passionate about following the needs of our nonprofit partners. One of the greatest joys has been meeting the wonderful folks working in the city’s nonprofit community and seeing them start to interact and work together because of the connections to Impact100 Louisville.”

Last year’s grant recipients were Louisville Academy of Music (Project: Music for Everyone); Louisville Lightning (Adapted Sports for All); New Americans Initiative (Program Support); Steam Exchange Community Arts Center (Afterschool Art/STEAM classes); Wellspring (Adult Mental Health Crisis Stabilization).

Sara Louise Callaway, Louisville Academy of Music Executive Director, said the 2025 Impact100 grant has made a huge difference for LAM, both for the present and for the future.

“At the Louisville Academy of Music, we teach music in an enriching learning environment that nurtures the whole musician and, in turn, the whole person,” Callaway said. “Last year our 30 faculty members taught over 17,000 music lessons to 1,000 students.

Thanks to support from contributors like Impact100, 37% of our students received no or low-cost programming. We are so thankful to Impact100 and their belief in our vision to give more students access to a complete education through music. Their investment in our school has been transformational and the impact has been tangible. We are excited to continue building momentum through the grant period and beyond!”

Looking for avenues for future growth, Impact100 Louisville is trying to create interest among high school girls with a unique program titled Impact JR. Each girl pays $100 a year and makes a mini-grant to award to one of the semifinalists. In March, the board matched their contribution, allowing them to donate $7,200 to Kentucky Refugee Ministries.

“We are grateful every day to the women who have chosen to believe in this concept and help move it forward,” Goldstein said.

“We were lucky enough to create a founding board of women who gave so much of their time and energy to getting this off the ground.

And now we are able to take a step back and watch the board evolve and grow and continue to make a difference in Louisville. In theory, while this is a very easy giving model, there is a lot of work behind the scenes. But collective giving has a lot of power and impact.”

For more information, contact info@impact100Louisville.org or visit www.impact100Louisville.org.

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New home in Norton Commons valued at over $1 million or $750,000 cash*

Net proceeds from the raffle go to Norton Children’s Hospital through the Norton Children’s Hospital Foundation.

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2027 BMW X1 from BMW of Louisville plus $10,000 cash

*In lieu of taking the title of the raffle house, the grand prize winner may choose to receive $750,000 in cash (the “cash option”). Winners must pay taxes.

Housing & Hope for adults with serious mental illness 24/7 Crisis Stabilization | Case Management Suppor ted Employment | Homeless Ser vices

on Thursday, September 10, 2026 Let's do something good together!

Scan Wellspring's QR Code to donate during Give for Good Louisville on 9/10:

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FROM CHILDHOOD VOLUNTEER TO KENTUCKY HUMANE SOCIETY CEO

By Alisha Proffitt • Photos By Matt Johnson Alisa Oerther Gray has spent her career building stronger communities by helping both people and animals. As president and CEO of the Kentucky Humane Society (KHS), she believes the two are closely connected. When families struggle, their pets struggle too. “Helping an animal often means helping an entire family, and that realization has become the foundation of my work and the mission we live every day at the Kentucky Humane Society,” Gray explains.

Gray’s inclination to service surfaced in childhood. Growing up, her parents encouraged her love of animals by welcoming a variety of pets into their home. As a child, she started a neighborhood dog-walking business and volunteered alongside her grandmother delivering Meals on Wheels. Those experiences left their mark on her and taught her responsibility, compassion, and the value of giving back.

She joined the Kentucky Humane Society in 2014 and served in several leadership roles before becoming president and CEO in 2023. Along the way, her view of leadership has changed. “Earlier in my career, I thought leadership meant having the answers,” she recalls. “Today, I believe leadership is much more about listening, asking the right questions, building trust, and helping other people succeed.”

That approach has helped strengthen the organization. Nearly half of open positions at KHS are now filled through internal promotions, which gives real perspective to the organization’s investment in employees and future leaders.

Gray has also guided KHS through a significant growth period. Under her leadership, the organization has expanded services outside of Louisville into communities across the state through the LOVE 120 initiative, providing veterinary care, disaster response, shelter support, and other resources in 105 Kentucky counties. A massive undertaking. Instead of applying the same solution everywhere, KHS works with local partners to understand each community’s specific needs.

Fundraising has been another area of success for KHS. Gray views philanthropy as relationship building. By focusing on transparency, trust, and measurable results, KHS has seen remarkable support for its mission. The organization has raised nearly $29 million toward its $37 million ALL IN: Animal & Community Campus campaign, which will expand affordable veterinary care, increase shelter capacity, and strengthen emergency response services.

While KHS continues to rescue and care for animals in immediate need, Gray is equally focused on preventing future crises. Programs that provide affordable veterinary care, spay and neuter services, foster homes, and pet retention assistance to help families keep beloved pets at home whenever possible.

Partnerships also play an important role in their operations. “No organization can do this work alone, and I do not believe we should try,” Gray says. Collaborations with shelters, veterinarians, businesses, volunteers, and community organizations allow KHS to reach more animals and families than it could alone. Gray points to the partnership with Purrfect Day Cafe, which has helped more than 13,000 cats find homes, as one example of what shared efforts can accomplish.

Gray’s work always comes back to kindness. Wherever her focus, she believes every interaction has the potential to make a lasting difference.

“That mindset has stayed with me throughout my life,” Gray shares. “I truly believe smiling is important and that positivity is contagious.

A smile, a compliment, a handwritten note, or simply taking the time to listen can completely change someone’s day.” That simple philosophy continues to guide both her leadership and the Kentucky Humane Society’s growing impact across the Commonwealth. “We all have far more influence than we realize,” she concludes, “and I hope to use mine to leave people, animals and communities better than I found them.”

For more information on how you can support Kentucky Humane Society’s Mission, visit: www.kyhumane.org

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SHOP FIND LOCAL RETAILERS FALL IN LOVE

ODUOAK.COM @ODUOAK

Kendall Perkins Executive Director

Rhonda Schladand President

Laura Warren Treasurer

VA L AT E R R A . O R G

Joyce Crum Secretary

502•895•3650 amyjo@mellwoodartcenter.com

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TELLING THE WHOLE STORY AT HISTORIC LOCUST GROVE

By VOICE-TRIBUNE • Photos By Matt Johnson

At Historic Locust Grove, the stories that tell us the most are very often the ones that have only survived in fragments.

Maybe it’s a name in an estate inventory. A reference in a letter. A record of emancipation. Kaitlyn Tisdale, Director of Interpretation at the Louisville landmark, says those scattered traces are the starting point for reconstructing the lives of those who built one of Kentucky’s most significant historic sites and whose experiences have been widely overlooked in Kentucky’s historical record.

“I fell in love with history as a young girl, at about 8 years old,” Tisdale recalls. “What fascinated me was all of the other stories that were yet to be discovered. The overshadowed or forgotten figures: women who were kept voiceless and voteless, People of Color who were enslaved and stripped of their agency and humanity.”

That curiosity has inspired her work during a decade in public history. At Locust Grove, where generations of the Croghan family lived and where enslaved men, women, and children built and sustained the estate, Tisdale has flipped the script on the interpretation to amplify those voices in their true and accurate place alongside the site’s military, political, and architectural history.

“Our goal isn’t to replace one history with another,” she says.

“It’s to broaden the story so visitors leave with a fuller understanding of our nation’s history.”

That work continues. Tisdale is searching for people who appear only briefly in the historical record, hoping to learn the surnames they adopted after emancipation, trace the families they built, and identify descendants who may still live in Kentucky. Each discovery helps restore another piece of a history that has gone untold, ensuring that the people who lived, worked, and endured at Locust Grove are remembered as individuals and not anonymous figures in the past.

Historic Locust Grove is one of many historic sites that are reconsidering whose stories are preserved and how they are told. Tisdale’s work requires patience, knowledge, empathy, and a willingness to confront difficult histories with honesty.

This difficult work may not be visible to visitors, yet it impacts every conversation that takes place within the museum’s walls. Through historians like Tisdale and others committed to this work, the historical record continues to expand, making room for lives that deserve to be remembered with the same care afforded to those long celebrated.

“The house exists because of the labor of enslaved men, women, and children,” she says. “Their stories deserve to be told with the same care and sensitivity as those of the Croghan & Clark family.”

Her research resembles detective work. Deeds, wills, census records, church registers, and family papers are read together, each providing clues that can reconnect families separated by slavery or restore an identity. One recent milestone of this work came during Locust Grove’s Fourth of July program, Dawn’s Early Light, when the museum publicly read the names of 100 people enslaved at the site.

“Speaking these names aloud on this property was truly one of the most moving experiences of my career,” Tisdale says.

Among the individuals whose story remains with her is Louisa Brown, who was emancipated in 1856 but died only 29 days later after suffering fatal burns in a rented room in Louisville. Brown’s daughter married famed enslaved cave explorer Stephen Bishop, while her son Gibson served with the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War. Tisdale sees Brown’s story as one of both hardship and inspiring strength.

Visitors usually arrive expecting to hear about George Rogers Clark or Kentucky’s frontier past. They leave, Tisdale hopes, understanding that those histories cannot be separated from the people whose lives and labor made them possible.

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CELEBRATING

ACROSS LOUISVILLE

By VOICE-TRIBUNE • Sponsored

Women-owned businesses are leading the Louisville area with innovation, passion, and purpose. This collection celebrates the women entrepreneurs who are building successful businesses, creating jobs, and making a lasting impact across the Louisville area.

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“From the first day that I opened 502 Hemp, I was struck by the cross section of our community that came through our doors,” says Dee Dee. “All kinds of people across generations and every walk of life were coming in and receiving relief from injury, arthritis, anxiety, insomnia, seizures. Cancer patients reeling from chemo, veterans trying to just feel at home in their own lives again.”

The 502 Hemp approach is simple: Do things with love and care.

“My staff and I encounter people who never even thought to smoke a joint in their lives, but somewhere they heard that they could try something natural, and it would make things better. When it works, and I see them come back again doing so much better, it’s just the most incredible thing. A lot of happy tears are shed at our shops. And who am I kidding, they’re mostly mine.”

Dee Dee Taylor Owner of 502 Hemp/812 Hemp/President, Kentucky Hemp Association 502Hemp.com

Cartwheels Papers & Gifts, in the heart of St. Matthews, is owned by local mother-daughter team Kathy Lintner and Meredith Lintner Metzmeier. Together they have created a unique guest centered shopping experience, focused on thoughtfully curated gifts, home decor, special occasion baby & toddler clothing, and bespoke stationery.

Both Kathy and Meredith enjoy helping their guests celebrate life’s most meaningful moments. That is why they intentionally focus on finding special gifts, beautiful papers, and sweet fabrics for children’s clothes.

They also love working with and supporting local artists, whose works add a very special community touch.

Cartwheels is the only brick and mortar stationery boutique in Louisville. Meredith really enjoys the time she is able to spend with couples planning their upcoming weddings, new parents welcoming their babies, graduations, and birthday celebrations for every generation.

Since opening in 2009, they have formed lasting relationships with generations of families throughout the community. They are grateful for the continued support of their customers and artists. They look forward to continuing to serve the community and celebrating those special moments for many years to come.

Clay and Cotton was created by women, for women. We believe the right clothing should look amazing, feel incredible, and give you the confidence to move through every part of your life—from everyday moments to life’s special occasions.

Our thoughtfully curated collections feature limited style runs, which allows you to express your personal style without blending into the crowd. We proudly partner with many women-owned brands, from talented makers here in Louisville to artisans around the world. In fact, every piece of jewelry in our boutique is handmade by women.

For more than 20 years, Clay and Cotton has been a Highlands favorite, known for distinctive fashion and goods, exceptional quality, and a welcoming shopping experience. We invite you to stop in, explore our latest collections, and discover what makes our boutique so special. We are located at 1341 Bardstown Rd, Louisville, KY 40204.

Edenside Gallery Celebrates 35 Years For 35 years, Edenside Gallery has offered an eclectic collection of fine art, crafts, jewelry, and distinctive gifts. A ten-time Best of Louisville award winner, the gallery features oil paintings by local artists, contemporary ceramics, fine woodworking, and handcrafted treasures.

Edenside is especially known for its exceptional collection of antique jewelry, including beautiful Art Deco diamond rings.

Visit us in the heart of Louisville’s historic Highlands.

Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 10:30 AM–5:30 PM • 1422 Bardstown Road • (502) 459-ARTS

“When I founded Eternity Wellness in 2019, I wasn’t trying to build another medical practice, I was creating the kind of healthcare experience I believed people deserved.

After years in traditional medicine, I saw too many patients feeling unheard and searching for deeper answers. I envisioned a place where evidence-based medicine, functional wellness, prevention, and natural aesthetics could come together under one roof, supporting patients as they navigate every season of their health.

As a wife, mother, nurse practitioner, and entrepreneur, building Eternity Wellness has been one of the most meaningful journeys of my life. What began as a dream has grown into one of Louisville’s most unique integrative wellness practices, built on compassion, inclusivity, education, and personalized care.

Today, our team is honored to help patients optimize their health, restore confidence, and age with vitality. Every person who walks through our doors has helped shape our story, and we are grateful to continue serving our community with the same passion and purpose that inspired it all.”

Kristina Pohl, MSN, APRN, FNP-C Founder & CEO, Eternity Wellness

My name is Jill Higginbotham and I’m the proud owner of J Michael’s Spa & Salon in Louisville, Kentucky. When myself and my father, Jerry Plappert, opened J Michael’s in 2011, our mission was simple: to elevate our guests, our team, and our community through exceptional service. We envisioned a luxury spa and salon in Louisville that feels both elevated and welcoming. A sanctuary where everyone can relax, feel cared for, and enjoy a moment of beauty that’s truly their own. We’re proud to now be a family affair, with my sister Kristi Burge as co-owner and Chief Operations Officer.

Every visit is designed around you. We are committed to creating an experience where your beauty is illuminated, inside and out. From our warm, attentive team to our customized services that include haircuts, color, facials, Hydrafacials, massage, nails, permanent makeup, extensions, and bridal, each detail reflects our belief that beauty begins with how you feel. That’s why it’s so important to us that we curate a space of connection, service, and excellence. So that you can have the best salon experience every time.

At Laura Rice & Associates, we are committed to delivering a seamless client-focused real estate experience rooted in expertise, professionalism, and personalized service. Led by Laura Rice - a top producing Louisville real estate agent and leader of one of the top-performing teams in the Louisville Market - our team closed more than $39 million in sales volume across 80 transactions in 2025. Through strategic marketing, skilled negotiation, and a hands-on approach, we are dedicated to providing exceptional results and an elevated experience for every client we serve.

For 35 years, Margaret’s Consignments has been Louisville’s go-to destination for designer and name-brand women’s fashion at exceptional prices. The locally owned boutique offers a thoughtfully curated selection of clothing, shoes, handbags, jewelry, and accessories, with new arrivals added daily.

Looking to refresh your closet? Margaret’s is currently accepting gently loved women’s clothing and accessories on consignment, making it easy to clear out your wardrobe while earning extra cash.

Shoppers can also score incredible savings during the Quarterly Tag Sale, July 31–August 7, featuring 25%–70% off throughout the store. The celebration continues August 10–14 as Margaret’s marks its 35th anniversary with customer appreciation events, including 35% off purchases with a Kentucky Humane Society Wish List donation and a special puppy meet-and-greet on Friday, August 14, from 5–7 p.m.

Visit Margaret’s seven days a week at 2700 Frankfort Avenue or shop online.

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Mellwood Antiques — A Louisville Treasure Hunt Located inside the historic Mellwood Art Center, Mellwood Antiques is Louisville’s oldest antique mall and a dream destination for collectors, decorators, and bargain hunters. Spanning more than 45,000 square feet, the mall features 100+ dealers and over 200 booths filled with fine antiques, art, books, records, primitives, Arts and Crafts, Mid-Century Modern, Space Age pieces, collectibles, and unique home furnishings.

Open since 2014 in the former Fischer Packing Company building, Mellwood Antiques offers a one-of-a-kind shopping experience where every visit brings new discoveries. Whether you’re searching for a rare find or a special piece to make your home unique, there’s truly something for everyone.

1860 Mellwood Ave, Louisville, KY | (502) 895-1306

ODUOAK (eau de oak) is a unisex bourbon-centric fragrance house led by Jackie Zykan. An award-winning whiskey blender, mixologist, perfumer, and herbalist, Jackie has spent her career training one of the most refined sensory instruments in the spirits world, the palate of a master blender. Decades of experience taught her how dozens of aromatic notes layer, express tension, and resolve into something greater than their parts, and that exact skill is what she now points at fragrance. She doesn’t formulate scents the way a lab does; she composes them the way she composes a blend or a cocktail, by feel, by memory, and by an instinct earned over thousands of hours at the nose and glass. Hand produced in Louisville, KY. Por one, por y’all.

Peddlers Mall is where vintage treasures, hidden gems, and unexpected finds come together—all under one roof. Every visit is a new adventure!

Since 1997, Peddlers Mall has proudly served the Louisville community, creating a unique space where hobbyists, collectors, resellers, and entrepreneurs can thrive. With hundreds of locally owned booths, you’ll discover everything from antiques and vintage finds to home décor, collectibles, handmade goods, and so much more.

Shop secondhand...FIRST. Every purchase supports local small businesses, gives pre-loved items a new life, and helps build a more sustainable community. You never know what treasure you’ll find next!

Sassy Fox Louisville was established in 2005 on Chenoweth Ln in St Matthews by Jessica Moreland.

Jessica learned the consignment business from her mother, the original owner of the Sassy Fox in Lexington. That store was sold to a new owner in 2023. Jessica worked for her mother throughout high school and college before moving to Louisville to pursue another career, eventually returning to her love of consignment in 2005 and opening her own store in Louisville, KY. She has a dedicated and fun team of employees that love consignment as much as she does. We love consignment and interacting with our wonderful customers and consignors.

Susan’s Florist has been serving Louisville since 1942. Susan’s Florist has been a finalist multiple times in the Louisville Magazine for the Best Florist in Louisville award.

We specialize in designs from contemporary to traditional. Our trademark is specializing in beautiful and creative designs, especially our whimsical Mum menageries.

We are a full-service florist and will be happy to help you plan any event from a banquet to your wedding. We provide florals for local events such as the Speed Museum Gala, the Younger Women’s Club Fundraiser and corporate customers including Brown-Forman, Norton Hospital, and Baptist East Hospital. Susan’s Florist is owned by Amy Schoenhoff Streeter.

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We welcome you to TC Highlands Farm, where rolling pastures, gentle Scottish Highland cattle, and genuine Kentucky hospitality create an experience unlike any other. Set on 120 peaceful acres in Shelby County and owned by a mother and daughter, our private, one-hour experiences invite guests into the pasture for an up-close encounter with the herd. Feed treats, brush their shaggy coats, capture unforgettable photos, and learn about this remarkable breed—all in a relaxed setting designed for small groups. Whether you’re planning a girl’s getaway, gathering with friends, celebrating a special occasion, organizing a team-building event, or bringing an FFA or college group, every visit is intentionally personal, memorable, and one you’ll be talking about long after you leave.

A women-owned company founded in 2017 on the belief of beautiful skin made simple, The Only Facial is an award-winning authority in skin- and self-care. Offering one exceptional, comprehensive 11-step facial at one consistent price, we make the facial treatment experience approachable and accessible for everyone. What started as one location in St. Louis has grown into a thoughtful and deliberate expansion, with Louisville being the 27th location in 10 states. We are proud to support and empower women in business and the communities in which we live and serve, and give back to help take care of those who need care and their caregivers. To learn more, visit TheOnlyFacial.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Coming soon to 3592-101 Springhurst Boulevard, Louisville, KY 40241.

Valaterra is a serene retreat and wellness destination in LaGrange, Kentucky, created to foster healing, connection, and personal growth. Set on 100 acres of countryside, it offers an inspiring setting for corporate, nonprofit, and board retreats, women’s retreats, yoga, mindfulness workshops, creative gatherings, and holistic wellness experiences. Founded through the vision of Valerie Young and operated by the Young Family Foundation, Valaterra honors her belief in the healing power of nature and community.

Valaterra is committed to cultivating a welcoming community where people of all backgrounds and identities feel safe, seen, and valued.

Led by Executive Director Kendall Perkins and guided by Board President Rhonda Schladand, Secretary Joyce Crum, and Treasurer Laura Warren, Valaterra is stewarded by leaders committed to creating spaces where people can slow down, reconnect, and flourish.

Whether for a strategic planning retreat, wellness experience, or creative gathering, every visit invites rest, reflection, and renewal.

Jennifer Wright is an Independent Cabi Stylist serving women throughout the Louisville and Southern Indiana area. After a 27-year career as a dentist, Jennifer discovered Cabi as the perfect way to combine her love of fashion, helping others, and building relationships. She believes every woman deserves to feel confident and beautiful, regardless of her age, size, or lifestyle. Jennifer specializes in creating versatile wardrobes that simplify getting dressed while reflecting each woman’s unique personality. Whether through private styling appointments, pop-up boutiques, or fun styling events with friends, she makes fashion approachable, personal, and enjoyable. Her goal is for every client to leave feeling more confident than when they arrived. Jennifer is passionate about encouraging women, supporting local businesses, and building community—one outfit at a time.

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LEARN MORE WWW.SUSANSFLORIST.COM (502) 635-6351

Wearing Rodeo Drive Styled By Cleo Heine

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SURREAL MEMORY

By VOICE-TRIBUNE • Photos By Kathryn Harrington • Sponsored By The Shapin-Nicolas Art Project (S.N.A.P.) Foundation

Isabella Corine’s paintings explore emotions and ideas through symbolic imagery. Each work begins with a feeling or concept, such as courage, discipline, or nostalgia, expressed through people, objects, animals, nature, and architecture. Her dreamlike scenes are submerged in honey, veiled by oil, streaked with paint, and suspended beneath rippling water. The small details of her oil paintings invite close looking, but the artworks refuse the logic of straightforward portraiture and favor a more surreal kind of beauty.

Her work initially began with challenging herself to master what she considered the most difficult subjects. “It started as a challenge to paint what was considered to be the hardest subject matter: people, water, and shiny objects like glass.”

Once she mastered the foundation, realism no longer felt sufficient. “As I started to master that technique, I wanted to find a way to take it a step further than what felt like replicating photography.”

This nudged Corine toward the surreal, dreamlike storytelling now displayed in her work. Corine’s art uses organic substances as visual metaphors without abandoning the convincing illusion of physical reality. “I started to use these surreal, organic elements to represent the unseen in a way that looks real, but wouldn’t naturally occur in real life. It lets the viewer use their imagination to explore the deeper meaning and simultaneously appreciate its simplicity.”

Embedded lights transition from day to night, while speakers play field recordings captured at that location. “Frisson is the feeling of goosebumps or overwhelming awe,” she explains.

“For me, that feeling has always been found lying beneath the stars, surrounded by nature, and this piece invites others to experience that moment with me.”

This inclination toward storytelling inspired The Art of Equilibrium, Corine’s forthcoming podcast. Each conversation with artists, entrepreneurs, and leaders will become the basis for a new painting, illustrating the exchange. The project suggests that, from Corine’s perspective, painting is not the conclusion of an idea but another way of carrying a conversation forward.

For more information about the artist, visit: isabellacorine.com To learn more about The Shapin-Nicolas Art Project (S.N.A.P.) Foundation, visit: shapinnicolasartproject.com

Each material has its own meaning to Corine. Honey stands for “nature, playfulness, and experimentation.” Oil “simply intensifies the subject matter of significance.” Paint “represents the act of changing your own reality,” while bourbon points directly to Louisville, where Corine lives and works. She uses these recurring elements in her art to examine vulnerability, transformation, and emotional complexity through meticulously rendered surfaces. “I try to simplify it as much as possible, so the detail doesn’t become overstimulating, but the viewer can feel it without having to explain why.”

There is much to absorb in Corine’s paintings, though her studio routine is unexpectedly practical. She begins her mornings at the gym, handles marketing and sales during the day, and reserves her painting sessions for the evening.

“I often turn on an audiobook, a podcast, or a movie I’ve already seen, so I don’t get too anxious sitting still for so long.”

Her most ambitious work isn’t confined to canvas. Frisson, a multimedia oil painting now in the collection of Larry Shapin and LaDonna Nicolas, recreates a memory through hidden lighting and recorded sound. The painting depicts “a small version of myself lying in the grass, looking at the sky in the woods where I grew up.”

Wearing Rodeo Drive Styled By Cleo Heine VOICE-TRIBUNE AUG 2026

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AS DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING AT JASTEKA CULTURAL CENTER, KAREN GILLENWATER IS HELPING TRANSFORM A REMARKABLE PRIVATE COLLECTION INTO ONE OF SOUTHERN INDIANA’S MOST WELCOMING PUBLIC SPACES.

By Kevin Murphy Wilson | Photos By Matt Johnson For much of her creative journey, Karen Gillenwater has been asking a deceptively simple question: “Who feels welcome here?”

It is a question that has guided more than 25 years in museum education, exhibition development, and community engagement—during her prior stops at important venues such as the Denver Art Museum, 21c Museum Hotel, and the Speed Art Museum—and one that now shapes her work as Director of Programming at Jeffersonville’s Jasteka Cultural Center.

Founded by Jim and Irene Karp, Jasteka grew from an ambitious idea: transform a corporate headquarters filled with world-class contemporary art into a cultural center where everyone feels invited to participate. Today, the collection features work by more than 70 artists exploring themes ranging from identity and equality to the environment and personal reflection, while free public programming encourages visitors to experience the collection in ways that extend far beyond traditional gallery tours.

For Gillenwater, the mission feels deeply personal.

Growing up in Southern Indiana, she immersed herself in books, theater, music, and history before discovering art history in college. That experience revealed how artists respond to the social realities of their time—and how art can help people better understand themselves and each other. She went on to study museum education and has spent her professional life creating experiences that lower barriers to participation.

“Unfortunately, there are large groups of people who don’t participate in art and culture because they aren’t welcomed into those experiences,” she says. “I’ve devoted my career to creating welcoming opportunities for anyone to add more art and culture to their lives.”

Since joining Jasteka earlier this year, Gillenwater has quickly expanded its public offerings. Programs such as “ABC’s: Art, Books, and Coffee” pair literature with works in the collection, while the monthly “Creatives Connect” series brings together artists, writers, musicians, and curious community members to exchange ideas and inspiration. Family activities, senior tours, artist conversations, and “Fine Art Fridays” further reinforce Jasteka’s commitment to accessibility.

The programming reflects Gillenwater’s belief that culture isn’t something to observe from a distance—it’s something to experience together.

The collection itself provides no shortage of inspiration. Visitors regularly stop in amazement before Olafur Eliasson’s “Collective Decision,” a dazzling installation composed of 181 glass spheres that constantly shifts color and reflection. More contemplative moments emerge inside James Turrell’s “Aaron, Elliptical,” where changing light transforms an ordinary room into a meditative environment. Gillenwater also points to Titus Kaphar’s “Savage Escape (H.M.S. Savage 1781)” as one of the collection’s most emotionally resonant works, offering visitors an opportunity to confront history through contemporary art.

Yet for Gillenwater, the greatest measure of success isn’t a favorite artwork—it’s hearing someone say they’ll be back.

“The thing I hear most often is, ‘I didn’t even know this was here,’” she says with a smile. Her goal is to change that. She envisions Jasteka becoming a regular gathering place where people of every background know they belong—a place where art sparks conversation, friendships form, curiosity grows, and a healthier, more connected community takes shape.

If her first several months are any indication, that vision is already becoming reality.

For more information visit: jasteka.org.

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IT’S AN ADVENTURE LINE

By Cleo Heine • Photos By Matt Johnson & Kathryn Harrington

Swimming against the current of fast fashion and mass-produced clothing, Louisville designer Elle Patterson has something different in mind. Through her brand, Cannonball Swimwear, she creates handmade, reversible swimsuits designed for real people and real life.

Made entirely in Louisville, Cannonball Swimwear is functional and fashionable, with a dash of whimsy.

“I create swimwear with real people in mind,” Elle said. “Each suit is inspired by events, places, the season you’re in, and a little bit of whimsy.”

Each collection is designed to move effortlessly through swimming, lounging, vacation adventures, and even workouts. They can be styled for a night out on the town or to go out dancing.

Before launching Cannonball, Elle owned Laura Fauna, a clothing line specializing in coats, dresses and other wears. When Louisville’s longtime fabric supplier, Baer Fabric, closed its doors, she found herself at a crossroads.

“Baer Fabric was a wonderful three-story building full of high-quality fashion fabric,” she said. “When it closed, I no longer had my source.”

Instead of leaving fashion designing behind, Elle leaned into another passion. As a yoga instructor, retreat goer/leader, and swimwear competitor, she struggled to find a swimsuit that fit her active lifestyle.

“I needed something I could actually swim in, but that also had a lot of different roles and a high level of function,” she said.

That need became the foundation for Cannonball Swimwear, and helping women feel confident is one of Elle’s favorite parts of the business.

“I want people to come see me after they’ve had a baby and say, ‘I want to do something that’s good for my body,’” she said.

Her customers include parents chasing kids around the pool, couples planning a spicy anniversary trip, and anyone looking for swimwear that’s comfortable, flattering, and functional.

“Cannonball is also for people who just want to treat themselves and feel good in their bodies,” she said.

While most of her customers are local, Cannonball has gained a following across the world.

Owning a business has taught Elle plenty, including, she joked, “how to do taxes really good.” But the biggest lesson has been remembering why she started.

“Never lose the magic,” she said. “You’ve got to keep the whimsy and the happiness. If you don’t keep the magic, it’s just taxes and un-fun-ness.”

When asked what keeps her creating, her answer was simple: “What motivates you to keep breathing?”

For Elle, creating isn’t just a career—it’s part of who she is.

Cannonball Swimwear is available through Cannonball’s instagram page @cannonballswimwear, through which you can message Elle directly to set up a personal fit consultation at her beautiful home studio, through her website cannonballswimwear.com, and locally at Clay & Cotton, a popular and wellcurated boutique in Louisville’s Highlands neighborhood.

Keep calm and

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Photo By Matt Johnson

Photo By Matt Johnson Photo By Matt Johnson

Photos By Matt Johnson (Taken at Revelry Boutique Gallery)

Photo By Matt Johnson

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Photo By Kathryn Harrington At Lakeside Swimclub

Photo By Matt Johnson

Photo By Kathryn Harrington At Lakeside Swimclub

Photo By Matt Johnson

Photo By Matt Johnson

Photo By Matt Johnson

Photo By Matt Johnson

Photo By Matt Johnson Photo By Matt Johnson

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By Jackie Zykan Olfaction, or scent detection, is our oldest sensory system. The ability to detect and respond to chemicals in our environment is an ancient application originating all the way back to single celled organisms. The system allows us to respond to that which could nurture and replenish us, as well as that which can threaten our survival. At our core lives an incredibly complex memory bank constituted by both personal and collective experiences which serve as a navigation system for our very existence. The judgement of a “good” or “bad” smell can be formed from these and this programming runs in the background of our present day to day life. As we establish scent memory in association to what is really a chemical stimuli combined with emotional context, we add to this database. As Kentuckians, for example, the smell of bourbon with all of its warm, sweet nuances can fire neurological pathways rooted in a wide spectrum of emotional responses. While these may not always be positive, they connect with a sense of “home” in a way, a normalized element of our surroundings here in the bluegrass state. For example, with my fragrance brand, ODUOAK, bourbon plays a key role in story telling with each composition. We experience the phenomenon of memory excitation with any scent we have encountered before, and this month I would like to share a simple, straightforward way of capturing those elements in a natural and pure form. I remember the lilacs growing in the backyard of my childhood home. I remember the viburnum blooms in spring in Louisville. I remember my grandmother every time I smell gardenia. And I have no doubt there are flowers whose aromas brought you to places where you felt safe, loved, and inspired.

THE PROCESS Flowers are tricky to work with when it comes to capturing fragrance. They’re delicate, fleeting, and can require substantial methodology to extract. This practice is a simplified form of a traditional enfleurage process used for ages in France. The main difference is I have adapted the steps to yield a solid perfume, saving you the process of alcohol washing and dehydration. With all simple techniques, the devil is in the details, as they say. So pay close attention to the suggestions following the recipe.

Solid Perfume • 3g cocoa butter • 7g shea butter • 10g beeswax • 10g jojoba or sweet almond oil • Fresh flowers Directions: Begin by combining the three solid fats in a wide heat safe glass container. Melt the components using intermittent microwave sessions, or in a shallow pan of simmering water. Be careful to not get any water in the dish! Once the solids have turned completely liquid, tilt the dish to coat the sides to your best ability as the mixture cools. Once completely cooled and resolidified, you’re ready to place your desired blooms. Pay close attention to the recommendations following this recipe regarding best practices for harvesting. Allow the blooms to sit in contact with the solid fats for 24 hours, covering the dish with a towel and storing in a cool place without risk of strong smells (such as a kitchen). Discard the blooms, and repeat the process multiple times until the intensity you desire is reached. Be sure to remove all plant material from the solid fats each time. Add the portion of liquid oil and very slowly and gently heat the entire dish to melt all ingredients together. This can be done on a heating pad, in a shallow water bath, or slowly in the microwave. Pour the liquid mixture into your desired containers, and allow to cool to resolidify.

SIMPLE METHODS LEAVE ROOM FOR MORE ERRORS It’s incredibly important to take care to follow the recommendations for this process to achieve the best result. For your chosen base ingredients, make sure to use clean, aromatically neutral elements. For example, if you use coconut oil, your perfume will smell starkly of coconut. I have found this composition to be most ideal, however shea butter and cocoa butter still have a slight signature scent to them. Keep in mind any aromas which come in contact with your setup will be captured in the final mix, so take care not to cook intensely aromatic foods around your container. When placing blooms, make sure the fats are completely solid in the dish. You are trying to create an environment wherein the scent of the flower is sticking to the solid fat. This is not an infusion of blooms in melted fatty compounds, which can spoil quickly. When harvesting, pay attention to the appropriate time of day to maximize scent for your chosen flower. For flowers which are pollinated during the day and primarily by bees etc., collect your blooms after the morning dew has fully dried but before the peak heat of the day. For night time pollinated blooms (jasmine, nicotiana, etc.), collect flowers after the sun has set and the aroma becomes noticeable.

Do not use wet or even damp blooms. They will cause your project to mold. Be mindful of which flowers you use, and double check their toxicity before proceeding. Do not use commercially grown flowers, such as roses from a florist, as they may carry toxic compounds used for pesticide and transport preservation. Of course, you are not limited to flowers with this process, and any aromatic plant can suffice.

Just be sure to avoid moisture getting to your container. If you choose to work with herbs, for example, harvest them as you would day time pollinated blooms - in the mid morning after the dew has dried. Lastly, do not place an airtight lid on your container, instead utilize a dish towel to allow some airflow.

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By: Alison Cardoza • Photo By Matt Johnson • Sponsored Bones are the framework of our bodies. The right kind of stress placed on our bones stimulates them to become denser and stronger. Weightbearing activities, resistance training, and appropriate impact exercises encourage bone building and help preserve bone mass, ultimately improving bone density.

Osteopenia and osteoporosis are related conditions characterized by decreased bone mineral density (BMD), which is diagnosed through a DEXA scan. Osteopenia serves as an early warning sign of declining bone density, whereas osteoporosis represents a more advanced condition in which bones have become weaker and more susceptible to fracture.

Because weakened bones increase the risk of fractures, it is important to understand your current bone health and take steps to slow or prevent further bone loss.

Knowing which exercises to incorporate into your routine can play an important role in improving bone health. Muscles and bones work together; as muscles pull against bones during movement, they create forces that stimulate bones to adapt and become stronger. Strength training and impact activities place beneficial stress on the skeletal system, helping to maintain or increase bone strength and reduce the progression of osteopenia and osteoporosis.

Nutrition is also essential for healthy bones. Protein and calcium are both critical for bone health. Protein helps build and maintain bone tissue and supports muscle strength, while calcium provides structural strength to the skeleton. Choosing high-protein, calcium-rich foods can help support healthy bone density. Greek yogurt, milk, cottage cheese, beans, and lean meats are excellent examples of foods that provide these important nutrients.

GET EXPERT ADVICE Brenna Tomlinson, AFAA Certified Personal Trainer, NASM Nutrition Specialist, and Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation(BHOF) BoneFit Trainer at Baptist Health Milestone, developed a comprehensive one-day workshop for women who have been diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis.

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The workshop is based on a clinical study known as the Liftmor Trial. The study was conducted on postmenopausal women and included four different exercises that participants performed twice a week for 30 minutes over an eight-month period. The study was also duplicated on men.

Brenna expanded upon the research by including a 30- to 40-minute discussion on the six minerals and supplements recommended for women with osteoporosis and osteopenia. She provides participants with the recommended amounts of each supplement, identifies food sources that contain these nutrients, and includes a seven-day meal plan.

In addition, Brenna discusses other treatment modalities and strategies that have been suggested for individuals with osteopenia and osteoporosis.

GET MOVING! Brenna introduces and demonstrates the four exercises from the study, and participants perform them in the weight-training area at Milestone.

These exercises include deadlifts, squats, overhead presses, and jumping pull-ups.

She also leads two training sessions each week exclusively for participants who have completed the workshop. The results of the study are significant, showing improvements in both the lumbar spine and the femoral neck, which is the area where many hip fractures occur.

Workshops are held twice a month at Baptist Milestone.

The cost is $80 for Milestone members and $92 for non-members.

Contact Brenna today for more information or to reserve your spot: (502) 418-8664.

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

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REMOVES BARRIERS, REBUILDS CONFIDENCE

By Kelsey Knott • Photos By Kathryn Harrington In June, 107 graduates walked across the Southern High stage, achieving a dream that may have once seemed out of reach. The Goodwill Kentucky Excel Center® awarded high school diplomas to adults of various ages and lifestyles–some parents, many working, and all setting out to unlock new doors to their futures.

The Goodwill Kentucky Excel Center, a tuition-free adult high school, is in the business of rebuilding confidence as it removes barriers and dreams bigger alongside those who thought their chance of receiving their diploma was behind them. Those enrolling often have work and family responsibilities to consider; the average student’s age is 31. With certified teachers and life coaches available for questions, tutoring, and makeup work, the center provides accelerated courses on a flexible, personalized schedule for high school credit, as well as daycare for pre-school aged children. Dr. Marsha Berry, director of the Goodwill Kentucky Excel Center, celebrated 40 years with Goodwill this year. After retiring as vice president of Career Services, she returned to open up the first Excel Center in Kentucky. “Life coaches are part of our secret sauce. I would say anybody that left school as a young person probably had some barriers. Our whole approach is to dream bigger.” Students choose the teacher or life coach who will present their diploma to them at graduation, honoring the impact that person made on their educational journey.

While receiving their diploma is certainly a milestone, it’s often not the final goal for Excel Center graduates, as their viewpoint on their futures has shifted to account for more education. The school has many partners, such as JCTC, Hands2Heart, the Salvation Army, and Knight Welding, creating connections for certifications and considering the preparation for the days and months after graduation night. For example, students hoping to attend college may receive help filing FAFSA paperwork at the Goodwill Kentucky Excel Center, or students needing certifications or credentials for their prospective career may receive access to those resources through a myriad of Goodwill Kentucky programs and partnerships.

Recent graduate Dakota Moore shared her journey of finding the Excel Center after being homeschooled. “I never saw myself getting any kind of degree. I never got the school experience or the social interaction, and I feel like this place has helped me grow and blossom, even socially.” After testing at a third-grade level at orientation, Moore graduated with a 3.8 GPA as well as a phlebotomy certification, and she attributes her success to the family-like atmosphere the Excel Center fosters. “The teachers, life coaches, and students always want to see each other succeed, and we formed a bond we’ll always have. Eventually, you do the work you need to do to walk across that stage… You come in here lost, and when you leave, you’re a whole new person, and you know who you are.” Moore found family in ways she never thought she would and saw worlds start to open up, freeing her from the “stuck” feeling she had before.

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Romie Cooper, another recent graduate, describes the Goodwill Kentucky Excel Center as “a safe haven for everyone.” Known to show up early and stay late, Cooper recounts the love he was shown when he fearfully took the first step to show up to orientation at almost 40 years old. “It was always like coming home. I love this place, I love the people here. Everybody plays a part inside of this building.” Sixteen months after starting, Cooper proudly holds not only a high school diploma, but also certifications in CPR, ServSafe, and first aid. He has dreams of becoming a chef. Winding up in Louisville after a sober living program, Cooper understood the challenge he faced in balancing work and education after being out of school for over 20 years. “I knew the world progressed without me. My mother and baby sister were murdered when I was 14. Dropping out wasn’t because I wasn’t brought up right; it was the fact that I didn’t have time to grieve my loved ones and cope.” He found hope and motivation from experiencing the passion and care provided by those working at the Excel Center. On graduation night, his family made the trip from Chicago, immensely proud of what he overcame to achieve this success. “To see the smiles on their faces was phenomenal. It was an outburst of happiness and sadness, looking around that room, seeing all the support and supporting those with no support because you’re not here alone. I don’t think I’ll experience anything in my life as great as that moment.” Cooper started Chefs for Success culinary classes through Sullivan, on track to receive culinary and managerial certifications. “I’ve got so many opportunities coming at me.”

Learn more and enroll at goodwillkyexcelcenter.org, or get in touch with your local Goodwill Kentucky Opportunity Center for more extensive services and resources.

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This Sponsor an Artist program gives businesses and individuals the opportunity to directly support local artists by sponsoring in-depth features that highlight their work, stories, and impact on the community. These features have always been a cornerstone of our publication, showcasing the creatives who bring color, culture, and soul to Louisville. Through sponsorship, you can help elevate these voices while aligning your brand with the heart of the city’s arts scene.

Each sponsored piece offers thoughtful storytelling, beautiful visuals, and shared recognition, both in print and online. It’s a powerful way to invest in local talent and be part of something that truly matters.

Contact julie@voice-tribune.com for more details on how you can get involved!

Stil

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COREY FELDMAN SAYS “STAND BY ME” FINDS EVERY GENERATION EXACTLY WHERE IT HURTS.

By Lauren Taylor Carr & Kevin Murphy Wilson | Photos Provided In an age of algorithm-fed attention spans and fifteen-second dopamine hits, “Stand By Me” shouldn’t work.

It’s a quiet, deliberate film about four boys walking railroad tracks through the Oregon woods in search of a dead body. No superheroes.

No explosions. No special effects. Yet forty years after its release, Rob Reiner’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novella [“The Body”] remains one of the most emotionally devastating coming-of-age films ever made.

Even Corey Feldman is surprised by its staying power.

“I think the fact that it resonates with today’s kids is kind of a mindblower,” Feldman says. “You’d think a movie set in the 1950s wouldn’t connect anymore. But somehow every generation sits through it, feels it, and sees themselves in it. That’s the hallmark of a truly great film.”

Feldman will reunite with fellow cast members Wil Wheaton and Jerry O’Connell on November 13 for a special anniversary screening at Louisville’s Palace Theatre—a celebration of a film whose reputation has only grown with time.

Ironically, much of what makes “Stand By Me” so profound wasn’t fully apparent to the young actors making it.

“There were lots of references we simply didn’t get,” Feldman recalls. “We’d have to keep asking Rob, ‘What does this mean?’ He helped us understand the emotions behind everything.”

Ask Feldman what made Reiner exceptional with young actors, and his answer comes without hesitation.

“Sensitivity.”

That instinct extended beyond directing performances. Feldman believes Reiner recognized something deeply personal in each member of the cast. For Feldman, who played the explosive Teddy Duchamp, that authenticity came from a painful experience.

“Each of us had something real that reflected the character we were playing,” he says. “For me, it was the abused child and the pain that I carried. Rob saw that immediately.”

Off camera, the chemistry audiences delight in wasn’t manufactured. Feldman already knew River Phoenix before production, while Wheaton and O’Connell quickly became lifelong friends.

“Jerry was exactly who he still is today,” Feldman insists. “Funny, outspoken, and constantly making everybody laugh. Wil was much quieter. Just like Gordie, we had to pull him out of his shell.”

For an actor whose career includes “The Goonies,” “The Lost Boys,” and more than a hundred other screen credits, Feldman still views “Stand By Me” as the moment everything changed.

“It was the first movie I made that I knew was important,” Feldman remembers. “It wasn’t just entertaining. It had something to say.”

He believes that’s precisely why audiences continue discovering it.

“I’ve tried to live my life believing that love really is the answer,” Feldman says. “For kids who don’t have the family they need, ‘Stand By Me’ reminds them that friends can become family. You build your own family through those relationships. That’s one of the most beautiful things the film has to offer.”

Forty years later, the body at the end of the tracks is no longer the point.

The walk still is.

For more information visit LouisvillePalace.com.

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Whether it’s through volunteering, donating, or spreading awareness, supporting local organizations plays a vital role in building a stronger, more connected Louisville. From food banks and shelters to mentorship programs and environmental initiatives, there are countless ways to get involved and make a positive impact. By supporting these organizations, you’re not just contributing to a cause—you’re helping to shape the future of your community, one small act at a time. Here are a few incredible local groups you can support to make a real difference.

Historic Locust Grove serves as a cultural generator that connects authentic experiences across time and place. We preserve and interpret the historic landscape and buildings of Locust Grove, the final home of Louisville’s founder George Rogers Clark, and tell the stories of all the individuals who lived and worked here, both free and enslaved, cultivating a deeper understanding of the present through a richer understanding of the past.

At Locust Grove, we are more than a house — we are a place where community gathers, where stories unfold, and where action meets purpose. Guided by our four pillars — History, Arts, Civics, and Land — we engage with our community via our educational programs, preservation efforts, and cultural experiences which create meaningful connections across generations.

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Valaterra: A Living Sanctuary for Healing and Renewal Nestled on 101 peaceful acres near La Grange, Kentucky, just 30 minutes from Louisville, Valaterra is a living sanctuary where nature, intentional design, and holistic well-being come together. Created by Valerie Young through The Young Family Foundation, Valaterra reflects the belief that nature can nurture healing of the body, mind, and spirit.

The Living Sanctuary was thoughtfully designed with eco-conscious principles and offers a tranquil setting for retreats, workshops, meditation gatherings, transformative experiences, or simply a place to pause and reconnect. The land—with rolling fields, wooded pathways, a flowing creek, seasonal wildflowers, and wildlife—is an essential part of the sanctuary experience.

Through the Valerie’s Grace Program, Valaterra provides restorative space and support for practitioners of alternative, complementary, and integrative healing, expanding access to healing resources for underserved communities.

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives, dedicated to ensuring healthcare is accessible in communities throughout Kentucky and beyond. Through collaboration with numerous organizations and millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health, and share lifesaving resources. There are currently 37 active American Heart Association funded research grants in Kentucky totaling over $7.9 million. Additional investments support CPR and AED education, blood pressure control, and hypertension initiatives. We also work with hospitals, clinics, and community organizations to strengthen programs focused on blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes. At the state and local level, we continue to advocate to ensure that all Kentuckians, regardless of who they are or where they live, have access to quality healthcare. To support our mission, learn more, or get involved, visit www.heart.org/kentucky and follow us on social media (@heartkentucky).

The SNAP Foundation is a 501c3 organization that supports visual arts professionals in Kentucky through financial investment and exhibition opportunities at onsite galleries showcasing permanent and rotating collections.

Larry Shapin and Ladonna Nicolas have spent decades championing Kentucky artists, building one of the nation’s most significant private collections of contemporary Kentucky art. More than collectors, they are dedicated cultural philanthropists whose unwavering support has provided artists with visibility, encouragement, and sustained investment in their careers. As highlighted in Burnaway’s “Close to Home,” their home serves as both a living gallery and a testament to the power of collecting with purpose—demonstrating how thoughtful philanthropy can preserve a region’s creative legacy while strengthening its community for generations to come.

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For more than 130 years, Norton Children’s Hospital has served as Kentucky’s only full-service, free-standing hospital created “Just for Kids,” treating all families regardless of their ability to pay. Norton Children’s serves over 215,000 children each year from all over our region.

The Norton Children’s Hospital Foundation raises funds exclusively for Norton Children’s Hospital, Norton Children’s Medical Center, and pediatric services at Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital. Funds are raised to support programs, equipment, new technologies, clinical research, child advocacy, and health education for patients, families, medical staff and the community.

The generosity of our community and corporate support plays a vital role in helping Norton Children’s provide innovative care, enhanced facilities, and meaningful programs that benefit patients and families. Reimbursement from insurance may cover the cost of providing care, but it does not cover the purchase of new equipment; hospital upgrades; or services for families, such as art and music therapy and our facility dog program. With your help, we can continue to give everyone the lifesaving care they need and make all members of our community healthier.

For more information, or to make a donation, visit www.HelpNortonChildrens.com.

Mission Twisted Pink is dedicated to providing hope and connection to those impacted by breast cancer, funding bold breakthroughs in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) research, and raising awareness of stage IV disease.

Impact & Story While traditional pink ribbon campaigns celebrate awareness, Twisted Pink shifts the spotlight toward action and extending lives.

Founded in Louisville, Kentucky, by breast cancer survivor Caroline Johnson, the organization addresses a crucial gap: while thousands live with metastatic breast cancer—which currently has no cure—only a fraction of overall breast cancer funding historically goes to stage IV research.

Twisted Pink believes that the pink ribbon no longer fully reflects what all breast cancer patients endure and that meaningful change requires direct investment in life-saving science. To date, the non-profit has funneled over $2 million directly into cutting-edge metastatic breast cancer research initiatives across premier medical institutions. These grants empower top scientists to discover innovative treatments, slow disease progression, and ultimately work toward a cure.

In addition to funding scientific breakthroughs, Twisted Pink supports patients directly through community connections and programs like “Boxes of Hope,” which deliver comfort, encouragement, and trusted resources to individuals undergoing active cancer treatment. By uniting research funding with compassionate patient support, Twisted Pink ensures no one walks their diagnosis alone while actively building a future where stage IV breast cancer becomes a manageable condition rather than a terminal diagnosis.

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One in four people in the Greater Louisville region live in poverty. An additional 154,000 people live above the poverty level but still struggle to make ends meet. These are people we see every day: baristas, servers, cooks, delivery drivers, bank tellers, and more.

Imagine working full time and still not having enough. What would you do if you couldn’t afford rent and groceries?

That’s where Metro United Way’s Hardship to Hope effort comes in. We are asking our community to help us lift our neighbors from hardship to hope by raising $75 million by 2030 to ensure all kids and families have what they need.

Our efforts to help families focus on supporting thriving kids, strong households, and an equitable community. We provide academic supports including free school supplies and critical mentorship and scholarships, free childhood development screenings, training and resources for early childhood educators and those helping school-aged youth, free financial coaching and tax preparation services, emergency home repairs, help for first-time homebuyers, thousands of kits containing basic needs essentials like healthy food, cleaning supplies, school supplies, and diapers, and much more. We also tackle issues facing families by advocating for better policies at the local, state, and national levels.

From basic needs support to policy changes to equity-driven strategies, Metro United Way works to create a better community for every person in every neighborhood. Please consider a donation to aid us in these crucial efforts. Learn more about our work and donate today using the QR code.

Waterfront Botanical Gardens is built from a story of transformation. On land once used as a landfill, the Gardens have taken root as one of Louisville’s most inspiring examples of what vision, generosity, and community partnership can achieve. Today, this growing urban oasis invites visitors to wander, learn, gather, celebrate, and reconnect with the natural world, all in full view of the downtown Louisville skyline.

Every garden path, educational program, and new phase of development reflects a commitment to creating a world-class destination that enriches Louisville’s quality of life. Through botanical excellence, accessible programming, environmental stewardship, and meaningful visitor experiences, Waterfront Botanical Gardens welcomes all to discover beauty, inspiration, and connection.

As the Gardens continue to grow, philanthropy remains the catalyst that turns vision into reality. Generous supporters have helped transform an overlooked landscape into a thriving cultural and environmental asset, making possible new gardens, educational opportunities, community events, and spaces where future generations will create lasting memories. Each gift helps expand access to nature and ensure that this extraordinary place continues to flourish.

Waterfront Botanical Gardens is more than a beautiful destination. It is a living legacy shaped by those who believe in investing in Louisville’s future. Like the Gardens themselves, that legacy continues to grow season after season, inspiring wonder, fostering community, and demonstrating the impact that philanthropy can have when people unite around a shared vision.

Discover more and help the Gardens grow for generations to come at waterfrontgardens.org/support.

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Wellspring Provides Housing, Behavioral Health, and HOPE! Wellspring uniquely provides a powerful combination of housing and supportive services for adults with serious mental illness (SMI) along with offering a comprehensive array of behavioral health services based on clients’ needs.

Mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression, often emerge in late adolescence or early adulthood, disrupting lives and families. Without access to care, many individuals with SMI experience homelessness, incarceration, substance use, or repeated hospitalizations. Wellspring meets these challenges head-on, offering quality affordable housing and life-changing services that promote dignity, community integration, and long-term recovery for approximately 1,300 people each year.

With donor support, Wellspring can transform lives through: • Assistance with medication

• Peer Support services

• Intensive Support Mobile Teams

• Crisis Stabilization

• Life Skills coaching

• Individually tailored Employment Services

With help like yours, Wellspring improves the lives of people from every walk of life and every corner of our community who are living with no-fault, biological brain disorders. Your gift to Wellspring is a powerful investment.

Together we are building a community where adults with mental illness are respected and given the opportunity to thrive.

Just outside of Louisville in Crestwood, Kentucky, Yew Dell Botanical Gardens offers 60 acres of inspiration, education, and beauty. Once the private estate of legendary plantsman Theodore Klein and his wife Martha Lee, Yew Dell grew from family farm to nationally recognized public garden. Today, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and welcomes visitors year-round to explore curated display gardens, woodland trails, historic architecture and ongoing plant research.

As a nonprofit organization, Yew Dell’s mission is to spark a passion for plants and gardening through accessible science and inspiring beauty.

That passion comes to life in every corner of the gardens — from seasonal displays and family-friendly events, to hands-on workshops and educational programs designed for gardeners of all levels.

Community support makes all of this possible. Whether through annual fund gifts, honoring a loved one with a tribute bench, or leaving a bequest, every donation directly fuels Yew Dell’s ability to connect people with plants. Memberships, too, help sustain daily operations while offering free admission, discounts and reciprocal benefits at gardens nationwide.

For those who prefer to roll up their sleeves, volunteering at Yew Dell provides a chance to learn new skills and give back in a meaningful way.

With opportunities in the gardens, natural areas, events and even office work, there’s a place for every interest and talent.

Learn more, become a member, or support the mission at yewdellgardens.org.

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An evening of mystery and meaning benefiting Twisted Pink

F R I D AY, O C T O B E R 3 0 , 2 0 2 6 7:00 PM AT THE GALT HOUSE

Culinary and cocktail experiences

Entertainment by Burning Las Vegas

Help bring us closer to a cure. For tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please visit: W W W.T W I S T E D P I N K . O R G

Masquerade attire encouraged

UofL coach Jeff Brohm is expecting big things from quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, a transfer from Ohio State.

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WITH NEW QB, SOLID DEFENSE, BROHM THINKS BIG THINGS ARE IN STORE

By RUSS BROWN • Photo by Taris Smith, University of Louisville Athletics.

This will be our last issue before Louisville opens its 2026 football season against Ole Miss on Sunday, Sept. 6 in Nashville, Tenn. in the Music City Kickoff in Nissan Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans. So what can Cardinal fans expect from coach Jeff Brohm’s fourth year guiding the program?

Good question, and I’m here to help with a few answers. Brohm provided a few clues during his appearance at the ACC Football Media Days in Charlotte, N.C. in mid-July.

After a 10-win season in 2023 and back-to-back nine-victory campaigns but no league championships and a so-so 4-4 league record last fall Brohm -- who recently signed an eight-year deal worth $8.1 million per season -- obviously feels it’s time for his program to take the next step, including a conference title and UofL’s first appearance in the College Football Playoff.

“In today’s college football, anybody can win,” Brohm said. “I think we have great parity in the ACC. There are great coaches in our league, really great talent, and really good players. If our players realize every week that if you do all the small things, really put in the work, that you can find a way to win and just continue to do that every week, then great things can happen. At the same time, you have to be willing to handle the struggles, the obstacles, losses that can happen along the way, come back and be even stronger.”

There are high expectations among Cardinal Nation (aren’t there always in August), but the Cardinals are mostly flying under the radar in the ACC behind title favorite Miami, Clemson, and SMU. However, U of L gets a break from the schedule because it doesn’t play either the Hurricane or Tigers and gets the Mustangs at home.

One thing is certain: there will be no easing into the season. We’ll know more, much more, about U of L’s potential and future prospects after the collision with the Rebels, a CFP semifinalist last season and a Consensus Top 15 preseason pick this time around. After Ole Miss and what should be a breather against Villanova, the Cards will get another stiff, an early challenge from SMU in an L&N Stadium showdown. They’ve lost to the Mustangs the past two years by an average of 19 points.

“I think naturally having a game like we do Game 1 gets their ears perked up and they understand what’s ahead,” Brohm said of Ole Miss.

“That can be a game that tests us for sure and shows us how far we need to come -- which can happen --or it can be a game that we find a way to win and really jump start this thing and gets us going at a high level and puts the pressure on us even more.”

Both from an entertainment and effectiveness standpoint, Brohm is promising an upgraded, more explosive offensive attack than in the past, thanks to the addition of dual-threat quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, a transfer from Ohio State.

“We’re really excited about Lincoln,” the coach said. “We have not had a guy who is this type of athlete,” the coach said. “He’s played multiple sports and he’s comfortable running. He’s fast, like legitimately fast. So that gives you an extra element that we’ll have to make sure we utilize. But he can throw it as well. . .good passer.

“I think we’ve got to make sure we can throw the ball consistently and throw it vertically (deep) and get some quick scores. Driving the ball 10 plays with defenses now, you make a mistake or two and it doesn’t work. You’ve got to get some quick scores. But we’re still going to use those runners. Those are the guys that you can create big plays with. You’re not going to throw an interception or take a sack. There’s less chance of a negative play.”

From all indications, Kienholz, who will be in his fourth season on the collegiate level but has never started a game and has thrown only 36 passes, has settled into his team and new role comfortably.

“You keep your head down and grind,” he said of his time with the Buckeyes. “I feel like those past couple of years really prepared me for this moment. And you know, from the winter to now I’ve gained so much knowledge on (UofL’s) offense and how they do things, to the point where I’m almost ready to go out there and just play fast.”

As a high school senior in Pierre, S.D. Kienholz threw for 3,422 yards and 46 touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 1,435 yards and 24 TDs. And despite his lack of college experience, he certainly doesn’t lack ambition or confidence.

“I have a lot of goals,” he said. “I feel like I could be one of the best quarterbacks in the country. A goal of being a Heisman candidate. A goal of bringing the team to the College Football Playoff. Winning a national championship.”

When he’s not throwing the ball, Kienholz can hand off to a proven running back -- sophomore star Isaac Brown or his capable backup Keyjuan Brown. Brohm said he and his staff will be careful during preseason practice with Isaac, who endured an injury-plagued campaign in 2025.

“We’re going to protect him well in camp,” Brohm said. “He is a great talent, a dynamic player. He can score at any time, take it the distance.

When we’ve had him we won a lot of games. When we lost him, we did lose a few. We have to make sure we manage him throughout camp, get him his reps and hope he continues to improve.”

Although he missed four games, Brown finished with 884 yards rushing and seven touchdowns while averaging 8.8 yards per carry.

While Kienholz, Brown, and the rest of the offense will get the most attention, especially early in the season, Brohm also thinks his defense, led by All-ACC preseason rush end Clive Lubin, can play winning football.

“I like our defense,” Brohm said. “We always try to over-recruit that side of the ball, and I think defense and quarterback play are vital in order to win. We’ve got legitimate guys at every position on defense that can play. Now, you’ve got to go produce and play and get together and all that, but I would anticipate us playing well.”

We’ll find out soon enough if Brohm’s appraisal is accurate on both sides of the ball.

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By Kelsey Knott • Photos By Matt Johnson Known as the frontman, songwriter, and guitarist of Bendigo Fletcher, Ryan Anderson’s work instills connection as he captures the familiar in a fresh way and collaborates with both old friends and new.

Since the eighth grade, Anderson has been in bands, following his natural gravitation to performing fostered by his grade school music teachers, who helped him practice piano chords through Beatles songs and cast him to star in the third-grade play.

Bendigo Fletcher has released several critically acclaimed albums, and with each release, Anderson hopes to inspire peers and friends through sharing art. He refers to his latest project, Moose Loon, as a collaborative solo effort. “If a certain musician’s talents came to mind when writing or after I had completed the initial guitar and vocal track, I reached out for their help.

I’m fortunate to know people who are interested in experimentation. I’d be like, ‘Hey, how’s it going? Can we record in your kitchen?’ I felt a sense of trust and adventure in making it.” In featuring a crew of Kentucky-based artists, his debut album, Out on the Edge of Everything, weaves a musical web of connection throughout the region.

This sense of community reflects his stance on music’s power to spiritually connect us. “ It feels like an extremely important time to exercise creativity and to share art. It’s a way to find deeper understanding between one another. It always feels like a good use of time and energy, because making or witnessing music always serves to connect us. I’m always encouraged to keep going when I see anyone doing their thing and sharing a heartfelt effort.

The Monarch further values these natural connections that occur when artists share ideas in the same place. “What stands out to me is their willingness to experiment. The possibilities from that kind of space are infinite.” Fueled by the excitement of making unconventional gatherings happen, they may offer help or provide sound even without direct involvement in the event.

Music pulls Anderson into caring more about his surroundings and being aware of the world around him. “I love to exist in the mindset of songwriting. It’s a grounding exercise for me.” Whether writing to process, express, realize, or escape, he waits for the feeling of personal truth. “The good part is how it feels while you’re doing it. You want to be proud of the end result, but the process of taking time to do it is the most valuable part of doing anything artistic. It’s a form of meditation and creativity, and can be collaborative. The intangible things about art can have the most lasting effect on us.”

Moose Loon is a perfect example, in its blended solo and collaborative nature. “Of course I’m proud of how it turned out, but the most special thing is who I was with or where I was when I recorded or when the idea for the song came to be. Those connect me back to moments that are just as important as the end result, if not more.”

Listen to Out on the Edge of Everything on August 7th, or better yet, see his live pop-up show August 6th!

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RIP KENNY KLEIN

All who knew UofL’s Kenny Klein agree he was special

By RUSS BROWN

Between the time when the Voice-Tribune publishing deadline for July passed and now, Louisville and the national sports world lost a beloved and respected icon when former University of Louisville Sports Information and Senior Associate Athletic Director Kenny Klein passed away. But it’s never too late to pay tribute to a special person.

Klein, 66, died on June 25 after a choking episode at a downtown Louisville restaurant. In the two ensuing weeks prior to his death he never regained consciousness.

Condolences and tributes poured in from throughout college athletics and the sports world at large -- from Hall of Fame coaches and national broadcasters to former players, news media and fellow SIDs. All with the same message: that Kenny Klein was among the best they had ever known on every level.

“In this profession, there are moments that test people -- moments filled with pressure, heartbreak, controversy, and change,” UofL athletics director Josh Heird said. “Time and time again, I watched Kenny navigate those moments with a steadiness and grace that I have never seen replicated. He treated people with respect, never made anyone feel small, and had a remarkable ability to bring calm to even the most difficult situations. Then when the storm ended, Kenny remained trusted, respected, and beloved from all sides.”

“I’ve tried to learn from it because it is much harder than it looks,” Heird continued. “Kenny made it seem effortless. What Kenny built at Louisville over four decades was far more than a career; it was a standard for how to treat people, how to represent an institution with integrity, and how to love this work without ever losing sight of what matters most. We will miss him dearly. We’ll miss his voice, his laugh, and especially his signature grin. We are forever grateful for the example he set for all of us.”

Kenny was particularly special to me. We arrived at the University of Louisville at the same time for different reasons in 1983. Klein, 23, a graduate of Murray State, had just been hired as Sports Information Director for U of L after spending two years in the same role at Morehead State. I was new to the Louisville beat for The Courier-Journal after 15 years covering Indiana and the Big Ten as Indiana Sports Editor for the C-J. 78 AUG 2026 VOICE-TRIBUNE

Thus began a professional and personal relationship that I have cherished for nearly four decades. I was heartbroken by his passing, as are hundreds of the people who have been privileged to know him and work with him.

Former UofL basketball coach and Hall of Famer Rick Pitino, now the head coach at St. John’s University in New York City, delivered the eulogy for Kenny. The two had become extremely close during Pitino’s 17 years with the Cardinals, and the coach showed his gratitude and friendship by gifting Klein a red Lexus IS 350 sports car for his 50th birthday.

One year after Kenny retired from UofL, Pitino convinced him to join the St. John’s program as his personal assistant. He was only supposed to be there for a month or so. He wound up staying for the entire 2024-25 season, then returned for the 2025-26 campaign.

Pitino said they were “inseparable,” to the point that he even once delayed tipoff of a game because Klein didn’t have his usual seat next to him on the bench.

“There was nobody better in life than Kenny,” Pitino said during his eulogy. “He is the most special person I’ve met in my 73 years. If anyone deserves celebration in life, and true honor, that’s Kenny Klein. There’s no better dad. There’s no better husband. There’s no better friend. There’s no better SID to the media. There’s no better meeting a person on the street, with that smile.

“Kenny, I’m never going to say goodbye to you. I’m going to look over at that empty seat to the left. And for everybody in this room, we won’t say goodbye. We’ll just keep him in our hearts forever.”

Kenny was hired by then athletic director Bill Olsen, despite objections from some that Klein was too young and inexperienced. But Olsen’s willingness to take that risk turned out much better than even he could have expected. When Klein retired he was considered the gold standard in his field.

“Successful people have three traits,” Olsen told me. “They are bright, organized, and hard workers. Kenny had all of those qualities, plus he was respectful, loyal, and he lived by the Golden Rule. He was a genuinely nice person. I don’t remember Kenny Klein complaining about anything. He deserves to be put into the same category of respect as any player or coach ever at U of L.” “He’s one of one,” said former U of L AD Tom Jurich, also a close friend. “There’s nobody that’s ever been like him and no one that will ever be like him again.”

In his nearly four decades at UofL, Klein, a native of Southside, Tennessee, helped navigate Louisville through both crises and victories.

They included national basketball championships in 1986 and 2013, the ‘strippergate’ scandal involving the alleged use of prostitutes for hoops recruits, an FBI investigation of college basketball programs and Pitino’s personal Karen Sypher sex episode. No matter what, Kenny was a beacon of unruffled professionalism.

“You just try to be truthful and try to work your way through it,” Klein said in 2022. “It’s not something that anybody necessarily would enjoy, I would think, but you understand that’s part of it. We’ve had some tough times, but we’ve managed to come out well on the other side of it.”

When I began covering Louisville athletics, it didn’t take me long to realize that I was in the company of an exceptional person. It’s rare when an SID is trusted and respected by both media members and administrators while also being revered by his peers, but Kenny consistently pulled off that hat trick while working for four ADs -- Olsen, Jurich, Vince Tyra and Josh Heird -- and as U of L’s basketball representative during the regimes of Denny Crum, Pitino, Chris Mack and David Padgett. Everything Kenny did was first class.

“I can’t even express how heartbroken I am,” Crum’s widow, Susan Sweeney Crum said. “Denny and I thought the absolute world of Kenny, not only because he was the best at what he did, but because he was such a good, kind, genuine, loyal person.”

Kenny’s impact was felt not only by UofL, but many others. A list of his accomplishments could fill a locker room. He coordinated the computerized statistics operation at the Final Four for more than 40 years. He assisted with media relations annually for the Kentucky Derby. He served as media coordinator for the 1987 USA Pan American Games men’s basketball team and was the local media center committee chairman for the 1996, 2000 and 2014 PGA Championships in Louisville. He also served in a similar capacity for the 2008 Ryder Cup and 2004 and 2011 Senior PGA Championships, and assisted in the media operations at the 1999 Ryder Cup in Boston.

Klein was inducted into the College Sports Information Directors of America (COSIDA) Hall of Fame in 2015 and into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017. In 2012, he received the Katha Quinn Award from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association for providing outstanding service to media members covering college basketball.

Klein is survived by his wife, Donna; sons Alex and Brady; and three grandchildren.

Russ Brown is a former sportswriter for The Courier Journal and USA Today. He is a member of the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame. He may be contacted via email at 0926.russ.brown@gmail.com.

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AT THE INTERSECTION OF ART, EMOTIONS, AND PRAYER By: Jennifer Kramer Have you ever looked at a painting and wondered, “How did the artist do that?”

You may see a completed picture and imagine the artist confidently filling the canvas like a coloring book, painting one section at a time until the picture is finished.

But this isn’t how most paintings are created at all. Even in a photorealistic piece, with brush strokes nearly undetectable to the eye, there are multitudes of hidden layers. The artist has likely covered the entire canvas with paint several times, using different colors and textures, and even when the evidence is invisible the layers are there — building the illusion of light and shadow, deepening colors, creating perspective, and more — until the finished piece takes your breath away.

In my work as a visual artist and art therapist, I’ve learned to dissect each step of the creative process, appreciating each stage for the metaphor it provides. The concept of layers is a metaphor I find to be one of the most powerful and relatable for many people.

Our lives exist in layers. Every adult has a history of childhood memories, teenage drama, job experiences, and social interactions as a part of their story. For many of us, we’ve added romantic relationship trials and errors, marriage, parenthood, and perhaps divorces, deaths, or other forms of loss.

Each layer of experience comes with its own set of emotions, too – joy, anger, fear, loneliness. And there are lots of highs and lows related to so many wounds and triumphs. It can be quite overwhelming to look at everything at once, especially the painful parts.

But what happens when we learn to accept the layers of our lives and flow with them, appreciating what each experience contributes to our final painting, our completed picture? How can our present reality shift when we are provided with a safe space to process what each layer contains?

If you find yourself in the middle of a life transition, hoping and praying for the next step, or needing to process an experience you’ve just emerged from, I would be privileged to partner with you to find that safe space.

In my personal artwork, I use the creative process to identify and express my emotions in prayer. The process involves many layers of painting and drawing, prayers written and spoken, and answers and insight received, creating a physical reminder of my journey that acts as comfort and inspiration for the future.

Through my newest creative offering to the public, Home Without Walls, I collaborate with you to turn your deepest hopes, blessings, and spiritual journeys into a vibrant, visual prayer in the form of a custom painting for you to keep.

We’ll sit down first for me to learn about your experiences and prayers. Then I take what we’ve discussed and bring it to the canvas. I may write your prayers on the initial layer of the painting, and continue as I transform emotion into a visual form or prayer. Our prayers don’t need to be perfectly curated, they just need to be ours. I would love the opportunity to bring your prayer to God as I create a unique painting just for you.

My hope is that your prayer painting serves as a visual cue, prompting you to appreciate how far you’ve come, and to return to God’s presence again and again. Let it be your personal reminder of the layers you’ve survived and of prayers prayed and answered. “...the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” -Romans 8:26 Explore ways to work with Jennifer through partnering on a custom prayer painting, joining her monthly art print mailing club, buying an existing painting, or becoming an art therapy client: linktr.ee/jenniferakramer Jennifer Kramer is a Board-Certified Registered Art Therapist (ATR-BC) and Licensed Professional Art Therapist (LPAT). She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree (BFA) from Murray State University and a Master of Education in Counseling and Art Therapy (M.Ed.) from the University of Louisville.

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Back Cover Makeup and clothes styled by Danielle Mullins

AUGUST 2026

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