LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville Tourism has released the most recent edition of its annual visitor guide.
This year's guide features a cover illustrated by Louisville artist Jaylin Monet’ Stewart.
“Being selected by Louisville Tourism to create this magazine cover was a liberating experience,” Stewart said. “I'm a young, self-taught Black artist from West Louisville who is honored to highlight my ancestors for the world to see 150 years after the first Derby. Having an original Jaylin Monet' Stewart painting on the cover of a guide aligns with my mission of educating and enlightening people from all over the world to show what Louisville is about.”
Highlights of the 96-page guide include stories showcasing the city's bourbon experience, Muhammad Ali, mural selfie spots, architectural styles around the city, ways to enjoy the Old Fashioned, and a timeline of the Kentucky Derby over the past 150 years.
The cover depicts the inaugural Kentucky Derby winners, Jockey Oliver Lewis alongside Thoroughbred Aristides in a painting titled "Divine Timing."
According to a news release, Lewis was the winning jockey of the first-ever Kentucky Derby, and one of 11 Black jockeys to have won the race before they were sidelined during the Jim Crow era.
"Though there are very few photographs of the historic duo together, Lewis is pictured wearing the colors of the silks in which he rode to victory, as well as Aristides with his prominent markings and notable chestnut color," a spokesperson for Louisville Tourism said.
Known for shedding light on racial and status-based segregation in her work, officials said Stewart has become one of the city’s most prominent muralists in the city. Her portfolio includes paintings, mixed media, chalk, installation, and nearly 30 murals and public art pieces located across the U.S.
"Along with honoring Oliver Lewis on the cover, Stewart made sure to honor the other ten black Kentucky Derby-winning jockeys by incorporating the color of each of their jockey silks into the ten different rose-style flowers placed behind Lewis and Aristides," a spokesperson for Louisville Tourism said. "These eleven jockeys won 15 of the first 28 Kentucky Derbies between the years 1875 to 1903."
Over 150,000 copies of the guide will be distributed worldwide.
If you are interested in purchasing the guide, please click here.
Learn more about Stewart and her work here.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.