Publisher's Letter - December 2025

Amelia Frazier Theobald 

Dear Louisville Voices & Readers, 

December in Louisville has always carried a certain magic. The kind of magic that reminds you that, even when things don’t go according to plan, you can still have a little faith that everything will turn out the way it is meant to. Maybe you’re not supposed to lose your passport going through customs and border control. Perhaps you’re not supposed to run into a dear friend who also lost their phone while traveling halfway across the world. This recent trip I took overseas didn’t go according to plan, but it went the way it was supposed to go for me to face challenges and grow. 

This journey led to meeting an artist I have admired since 2008: the brilliant, world-renowned painter Josephine Wall. Her work has captivated me for nearly two decades, her fantasy world-within-worlds style, her devotion to detail, her ability to make color feel like a language itself. Two years ago, I noticed her work shifting and softening in a way that made me pause and think: If I don’t take the chance to meet her now, will I regret it forever? The answer was simple. Yes. 

What I wasn’t prepared for was the reality that the very day the devastating UPS Airlines Flight 2976 crash happened in Louisville was also the day I learned Josephine had been diagnosed with a rare disease, slowly taking her ability to move. 

When I finally met her, seated in a wheelchair, unable to even sign her own name, still she radiated one of the brightest, most remarkable spirits I have ever encountered. Sharp, witty, luminous, and still painting. Her hands move differently now, her brushstrokes have changed, but her story continues through every piece she creates. And long after her final brush stroke, her art will continue telling that story for generations. 

That same day, many Louisville families received news that changed their lives forever. The loss of loved ones who were taken abruptly and heartbreakingly on Flight 2976 will be a part of us forever. Their lives and their impact, their laughter, their stories continue. When the time feels right, I welcome you to share their obituaries and memories with us. It is our honor to make sure their legacies remain part of this community’s collective heart. 

This December, our publication reflects Louisville exactly as it is: strong, compassionate, artistic, inspired, and unshakably connected. 

“A Season of Light, Community, and Care”, is a reminder that the holidays are about showing up for one another. This season calls us to lead with empathy. Louisville’s greatest strength has always been its people. 

We celebrate the pillars who uplift and strengthen our community. 

This month marks the 25th anniversary of Baptist Health / Milestone Wellness Center. A place that has guided Louisville toward healthier, more connected living for a quarter century. 

Creativity shines throughout as we explore holiday magic at Rabbit Hole Distillery with founder Kaveh Zamanian, and we go behind the scenes at Actors Theatre for the biggest triumph in KY theater this year with the return of A Christmas Carol, one of Louisville’s most beloved traditions. I am beyond happy to be announcing this! LETS GO!

Award-winning neurosurgeon Dr. Ajmal Zemmar brings us a profound conversation and a documentary to look forward to about consciousness, memory, and what it means to be human. And the unexpected gift of what the dying brain teaches the living, to live a well-lived life. 

This issue also celebrates extraordinary Louisville talent and KCD 2013 graduate MLB superstar Will Smith, whose World Series win gave his hometown a moment to cheer, to jazz legend Dick Sisto, filmmaker Owsley Brown III, artist Richard Sullivan, and so many more who remind us that Louisville’s creative heartbeat is powerful and ever-evolving. 

We slow down, too. ODUOAK’s Survival Honey Syrup reflection invites us to consider how we stay connected to joy when life feels heavy—how detours shape us, small moments restore us, creativity helps us heal, and sometimes we just need a little faith that things will turn out. 

And of course, the holidays in Louisville would not be complete without honoring the small businesses that make our city feel like home. 

Our Last-Minute Buy Local Holiday Gift Guide highlights the makers, artists, and shops who breathe life into our neighborhoods. Places like DIGS at Home in the Garden, Mom’s Music, and countless boutiques and artisans remind us that buying local is one of the greatest gifts we can give. Helping each other locally helps strengthen our community. 

We are also excited to announce the winners of the YOUR VOICE Awards. 

The 2025 YOUR VOICE Awards. 

Chosen by you, our readers, these awards celebrate the people and places that make Louisville a city of aspirations and triumphs. They honor the café owners who know your order by heart, the nonprofits who never stop showing up, the entrepreneurs who take risks, the creatives who push us forward, and the small businesses that make Louisville vibrant, warm, and unmistakably home. 

Here’s to a bright and hopeful 2026. 

Stay updated and check out: www.louisvilleCalendar.com 

Amelia Frazier Theobald

Publisher & CEO, The VOICE-TRIBUNE