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Louisville AD Josh Heird, along with coaches Jeff Brohm, Pat Kelsey, and Jeff Walz were on the backside at Churchill Downs on Wednesday

It was University of Louisville day on the backside at Churchill Downs.

As the horses get in their final preparations for this weekend's Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks races, U of L athletic director Josh Heird had a contingent of coaches with him to spend some time chatting with fans and media and watching the horses train.

It was the first trip to the backside for new U of L men's basketball coach Pat Kelsey, while U of L football coach Jeff Brohm and U of L women's basketball coach Jeff Walz were also along for the visit. They were also joined by Brohm's brother, Greg, the U of L football Chief of Staff, and Brohm's son, Brady.

"You always want to come to the backside during Derby week," Jeff Brohm said. "It's special to see the horses and watch them train, the Derby contenders and the Oaks contender, and see the trainers. That's always special, so I enjoy that and of course, the track now is so spectacular and there's not a bad seat.

"Any day you go out, whether it's Oaks or Derby or even Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday they are a lot of fun."

Kelsey, who was hired in late March to take over the Cardinals' program, said he was blown away by what he experienced at the Downs. He had never been to Churchill Downs prior to a tour of the frontside earlier this month.

"Absolutely incredible," Kelsey said. "It's almost like its own ecosystem, it's like a city within a city. I showed up when it was still dark out and as the sun was coming up, just the feel, the vibe, and the energy back here was incredible."

The U of L contingent walked around the barns and spent time with 88-year-old Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who has won the Kentucky Derby four times. Lukas was on horseback outside his barn but talked with the group for about 15 minutes, telling Kelsey he would come to talk to the team next season.

Heird introduced Kelsey to Lukas and the trainer quipped, "I see you hired a guard this time," drawing laughter from Kelsey.

"He's telling stories about Bobby Knight and Pete Newell stories and where he actually spoke to the Indiana team," Kelsey said. "I asked him if he would speak to the Louisville Cardinals and he said, absolutely. He told me he was a heck of a recruiter for them, so I told him I have some room on my staff if he has any free time.

"But that was an honor talking to that guy."

Brohm would always come back to Louisville on Derby week even when he was the coach at Western Kentucky and Purdue.

"You do always try to come back at least once during Derby week to the backside and then to the track," he said. "But living here, we get to experience a lot more. Sometimes you may not come over for the full day, because you have to pace yourself. But it's exciting to be here."

And Brohm said it was also really neat to see Kelsey take it all in for the first time.

"Anytime you bring a newcomer here, especially our new basketball coach, to experience Churchill Downs and what it's all about, I think they are in awe," Brohm said. "All of the history and tradition and people that have so much respect for this area and what Churchill Downs brings to this community.

"I think he's loved his morning so far and is looking forward to having a good week."

Brohm said he would be at the track this weekend, while Kelsey said he would be there Saturday. He said his wife is coming in town and the two are "going to try and find a house" on Friday, noting his kids are still finishing up school in Charleston.

"The vibe and the energy in this town right now is incredible," he said. "(The backside) is not what I expected. It was cooler than I could ever imagine.

"It's just amazing the pride this city has for this event. It's one of the greatest spectacles in American sports."

“Grief is love with no place to go.” An art exhibition opening this month hopes to capture the unique and unifying experience of grieving.

The “Echoes of Endings” exhibition, which opens at the Aurora Gallery and Boutique May 11, explores grief in various forms. The idea started when artist Bearykah Shaw was processing their own grief over the death of their dad and another lost relationship.

“I feel like people don't have the tools or the verbiage, or they don't really have the urge to reach out to other people and want to experience their grief or let their grief out and how it manifests,” Shaw said.

Aurora Gallery co-owner and artist Alexandra Rumsey was immediately sold on the idea.

“I gave up my solo show to do this group show because when they came to me, it felt like it needed to happen, that it was such an important subject matter and such an important thing for artists to come together over that that needed to take precedence,” Rumsey said.

Aurora Gallery put out an open call for submissions for the exhibition. Both Rumsey and Shaw wanted to capture as many perspectives on grief as possible.

“I've gotten submissions from people that have come in and said, ‘I've never been in an art show before, but my grief led me to make this art,’” Rumsey said. “I think that the power of an open submission show is that it removes the class system that happens in fine art. And it becomes more accessible to everybody on a subject matter that everyone experiences.”

Shaw’s piece focuses on the stages of grief using different photographs to depict what those feelings might look like.

Rumsey will have three pieces in the show.

“One of them's a traditional kind of acrylic painting that's in dedication to my grandmother who raised me,” she said. “It's called ‘The Visit,’ and there's essentially a bird, and my hands reaching out to touch through the window, but obviously, you can't.”

Rumsey's other pieces include a mixed media work centering a miscarriage experience and a book of poetry.

Other pieces look at manifestations of grief that might not be as obvious.

Jesse Kerrison created a piece that visualizes the loss of childhood.

“It involves taking toys from my childhood that my father used to throw at us,” Kerrison explained. “I have arranged these toys as if they were pinned insects in this piece.”

Kerrison likes to add whimsy to their work, especially when dealing with heavy topics.

“It's a little easier to digest, I guess. And I mean, at the same time, when it comes to life, like if you don't have any whimsy, what's the point,” Kerrison said.

Their other piece reflects on what it feels like to lose a relationship when someone ghosts you, and how that grief manifests in the body.

Creating work for the show has helped them process their grief.

“When it comes to the piece about my father, it's definitely helped me process some of that a little bit more,” Kerrison said. “It's something that I've kind of come to terms to for the most part, but …it's always kind of there.”

Brittney McCormick was diagnosed with rare spinal cancer and is currently in remission. Her diagnosis and treatment changed her life.

“I was a screen printer, and I can no longer screen print because the repetition of printing is too painful on my spine,” McCormick said. “So I'm grieving the loss of a career.”

She also grieves relationships that faded when people didn’t know how to support her through cancer, and the changes the disease has made in her body.

Cancer impacted every part of McCormick's life, including her relationship with her husband, Justin Kamerer.

“My husband and I created our own insect, it's called Luna Bee,” McCormick said of a work they collaborated on for the exhibition. “A Luna Bee was our symbol for hope, love and perseverance.”

The design for the Luna Bee was inspired by luna moths and is the symbol for their project La Luna Hive.

“They gravitate towards the light, which I think is really important because it's so easy to sink down into the dark of depression and fear, and sometimes it's harder to find that light and gravitate towards it,” McCormick said.

They combined the symbolism of the luna moth with that of honey bees. Their pet names for each other are Bee and Bug.

“Bees spend their days pollinating flowers and producing honey and protecting the queen, and they represent community, while the honey is the sweetness of life,” McCormick said.

Grief can be an isolating experience, but the exhibition organizers and participants how they can create a space where people realize they are alone.

“There are some aspects of grief that are personal to just you as an individual to just you, but as a whole, someone, somewhere is experiencing something parallel to you,” McCormick said.

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Breya Jones

Breya Jones is the Arts & Culture Reporter for LPM. Email Breya at bjones@lpm.org.

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The Puebla, Mexico holiday Cinco De Mayo isn’t a widespread holiday in the traditional sense though across the United States the holiday has become synonymous with street festivals, Mexican food and drinks. It has also been the locus of controversial (intentional and unintentional) cultural stereotypes a la misinterpretations of coffee grower Juan Valdez (who was Colombian), mariachi and other Latin-centric heritage.

The real holiday in Puebla celebrates a military victory over the French on May 5, 1862. It is not recognized as a public holiday in Mexico.

The fact is, in the U.S., some resent the commercialization of the holiday and Latin communities are stepping up to take control of how the day is celebrated since it has become widespread. Even as the Mexican community steps up to give the celebrations some structure, restaurants, cities, etc. find the holiday one that draws people in.

Here are some of the local celebrations (both of the Latin community and those in other venues):

May 3

Guaca Mole Modern Mexican Cinco De Mayo Street Festival (900 E. Market St.)

With Street Tacos, margaritas, 360° photo booth, a DJ and mariachi. This festival is free. Bring money for food, drinks and fun. 5:30 – 10:30 p.m.

May 5

4th Street Live! (411 S. 4th St.)

Beginning at 2 p.m. with a live mariachi band, the 4th Street live street festival will have performances, food, dancing and activities for the whole family. The festivities will end with a poetry reading by JCPS students. Free

The Depot at NoCo in Jeffersonville (701 Michigan Ave.)

With music, kids activities, food by Ramiro’s and drinks by The Alcove, Jeffersonville will celebrate the day in its downtown shipping container, arts and gathering spot. Event from 1 – 4 p.m. Free

Restaurants Celebrating

Chuys

Noche BBQ

Puerto Vallarta

CURED

Ernestos

The colorful silks spark quite the view walking in. No, this scene is not seen from down the stretch at Churchill Downs, but hanging from above at The B.A. Colonial.

Ahead of the 150th Kentucky Derby, the bar and restaurant at Colonial Gardens, 818 Kenwood Drive, held an inaugural jockey silk painting party. More than 100 people showed up to show their skills and the resulting wooden silks now hang from the ceiling to create fitting Derby-themed decorations.

And The B.A. Colonial has a Derby party scheduled to match on Saturday when many in the Louisville area will host events and food/drink specials.

On Saturday, patrons can vote on their favorite silk to enter the chance to win a bottle of 12-year-old Pappy Van Winkle. While there is no fee to enter the drawing, donations are encouraged to raise money for the Casting for Recovery charity.

The menu features several smashburgers topped with pimento cheese, mushrooms or house-made cheese sauce, along with chicken wings, sandwiches such as a Cubano and Philly cheesesteak, salads, seafood dishes and appetizers including deviled eggs, jalapeno cheddar hush puppies and buffalo cauliflower bites.

On the drinks side, a list of 11 signature cocktails covers a mix of classics (an old fashioned and a margarita) to unique (The Fleur De Lis is made with spiced rum and blueberry puree) concoctions. During the Kentucky Derby season, you can order a mint julep made with mint grown at the bar and on the patio. Some beers on tap, including the B.A. Brew from Falls City Brewing, are available as well as bottles and cans and a small selection of wine and nonalcoholic cocktails.

If you choose to celebrate at the historic and renovated property on Saturday, you’ll be partying at the same place where icons Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis once performed. Colonial Gardens is also home to restaurants such as Costa del Sol, Craft House Pizza, and Hokkaido Ramen & Sushi.

The B.A. Colonial is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday. Brunch is available from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday. We featured it in the latest installment of our video series, “Best Thing I Ate This Week,” which you can follow by visiting instagram.com/courierjournal.

A third Charleston men's basketball player is reportedly following head coach Pat Kelsey to Louisville.

It's Kobe Rodgers, a 6-foot-3, 180-pound junior guard from Cincinnati, according to a post Thursday evening on X, formerly Twitter, from The Field of 68's Jeff Goodman.

But there's a catch; Goodman's post says Rodgers plans to redshirt during the 2024-25 season. He suffered a leg injury during the No. 13-seeded Cougars' loss to No. 4 Alabama in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Rodgers had not confirmed the news at the time of publication. But the bio of his X profile is the Cardinals' handle, and his cover photo was a picture of a packed KFC Yum! Center.

The other former Charleston players joining U of L are Reyne Smith, a junior guard, and James Scott, a freshman forward.

Rodgers appeared in 31 of the Cougars' games during the 2023-24 season, making 18 starts. Across 21.7 minutes per contest, he averaged 9.7 points on 50% shooting (18 for 40 from 3-point range), 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals to go along with a 1.4 assist-turnover ratio.

His best game of the campaign scoring-wise was when he dropped a career-high 24 points during 23 minutes of a Jan. 18 loss to Towson. He also posted high-water marks of 10 rebounds (Dec. 18 vs. Coastal Carolina), eight assists (March 2 vs. Hofstra) and four steals (March 11 vs. Towson).

Charleston finished the season with a 27-8 (15-3 Coastal Athletic Association) record. The Cougars won the conference's tournament to earn back-to-back trips to March Madness for the first time since 1997-99.

Rodgers was named to the All-CAA Tournament team after he averaged 10.6 points across three games in Washington, D.C.

Rodgers signed with Charleston last May, after he helped Nova Southeastern cap an unbeaten season by winning its first DIII national title. He started every game of the 36-0 campaign, averaging 13.2 points per.

"Kobe is a true two-way player with phenomenal basketball instincts," said Kelsey, a fellow Cincinnati native, in a statement for Charleston Athletics upon signing Rodgers. "His athleticism and length combined with a diverse skill set allows him to play on or off the ball offensively and to guard multiple positions defensively.

"The coaching fraternity in Cincinnati which is one of the best in the country in my opinion raves about Kobe as a player, competitor and person."

At age 7, Rodgers lost his father to a bout with brain and lung cancer. Kelsey called his perseverance through the adversity "very inspiring.

"In meeting his mother, sister and others in his support circle it is easy to see why" he prevailed, the coach said. "Kobe has a chip on his shoulder that we covet here at Charleston."

Rodgers is Kelsey's ninth transfer addition of the offseason — and the second who plans to redshirt during the head coach's inaugural season.

Aly Khalifa, a junior center from BYU, pledged to Louisville in mid-April; but the 6-11, 270-pound Egyptian is sitting out to rehab a knee injury.

Joining Smith and Scott on the Cards' 2024-25 roster are:

As of Thursday, all of U of L's scholarship players from the 2023-24 season had entered the portal, which was open through May 1.

At the time of publication, nine had found new homes:

Kobe Rodgers highlights: Watch Louisville basketball transfer portal commit

Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kobe Rodgers commits to Louisville basketball, Pat Kelsey via portal