Amazing Art at CONNECT 2022

Here at Bernheim, we’re still talking about how much fun was to bring back our annual CONNECT event after a two year hiatus. This funky, fun, annual summer celebration showcases all that is possible when art, science, and nature intersect. The night included live musical performances by Mighty Shades of Ebony, United Band, Elk Hound, and Zu Zu YaYa. Bernheim naturalists were positioned around the lake bringing nature to life through their engaging discovery stations and new experiences for adults and families featured a super fun silent disco, a giant bubble-making zone, concerts by Mr. Dan, and a good old fashioned sand pit!

But it’s the new art displays and interaction each year that makes this event unique and CONNECT and is a great showcase of the artistic talent of this region as well as our Artists in Residence. Scroll below to see all the amazing work featured at this years event including work made by Bernheim’s Executive Director Dr. Mark K Wourms! A GIANT thanks to all the participating artists who helped make this year’s event a huge success!

A Changing Landscape by Céline Browning

A lenticular mural where the view from one perspective shows a landscape full of native flora/fauna, and the view from the opposite perspective shows a landscape full of invasive flora/fauna.  

.         BUTORFLĒOGE by Jenny Bell 

A giant 15-ft butterfly mandala made from organic materials including foliage, flowers, mulch, and more! The audience got to be part of the art by laying inside the mandala for unique selfie experiences! Check out this awesome blog to learn more about the artist!

Hiding in Plain Sight by Carla Rhodes, 2022 Environmental Artist in Residence 

Through the powerful medium of photography, Carla Rhodes connects viewers emotionally to our natural world and the wildlife who inhabit it. Carla’s goal is to tell engaging and impactful stories through the photographic art form that inspires viewers to respect and protect all things wild, which directly combats climate change. Hiding in Plain Sight is a selection of conservation photos taken at Bernheim highlighting the biodiversity of the forest. It’s only a matter of time until national attention is brought to Bernheim through the amazing images she continually to capture while in residence with us.

InterPlanetary Motions: sun/moon – shadows/waves by Sonja Hinrichsen, 2022 Artist in Residence 

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Located along the backside of Lake Nevin, this experimental installation connects us to the greater universe – the sun, the moon, and our galactic movement.  

Hinrichsen and Bernheim volunteers painted the shadow lines of the wooded tree lot in 30-minute intervals as the sun moved throughout the day, creating jagged and undulating effects that indicate the earth’s rotation against the stationary sun. Shadow lines resemble waves in water, which move in accordance with the pull and push of the moon, honoring Lake Nevin and the full moon that took place at this year’s CONNECT event.  

During the daylight hours, the lines inspired curiosity as the image revealed itself in waves of reflection as one walked past. At night, the installation was activated by the audience with their movement and use of their flashlights, animating the wavy patterns that glow when illuminated. 

This ephemeral site-specific installation was made from water-soluble, non-toxic paint, and disappeared in weeks with rain, sun, and growth. 

Earth Meditation by 2019 Artist in Residence Kathleen Lolley 

Kathleen Lolley, is a painter, mixed-media and collage artist from Louisville, Kentucky. While in residence in 2019, Kathleen explored stop-motion animation as a medium through which she created a series of visual vignettes incorporating found objects from Bernheim that highlights the interconnection of nature, spirit and the human experience. Earth Meditation is a mesmerizing journey highlighting the beauty of Bernheim in a meditative approach that captivates anyone in its presence!

Giant Snails by Governor’s School for the Arts (GSA) Students

Giant Snails is a collaborative art project made from recycled materials found at Bernheim magnifying the importance of these small creatures to our ecosystem in a fun way.

This past June, Bernheim was excited to welcome GSA’s visual arts students for a day-long experience, led by instructors Matt Gaddie and Brian Somerville that started with a tour of the public art on the grounds, before embarking on this awesome collaborative art project for exhibiting specifically at this years CONNECT event! 

Lumen Wall by TotiLight 

An interactive light installation that reacts with the sun’s reflection by day and comes alive through the intersection of nature, art, and technology at night! 

RE-A by Marty Wourms 

Emerging from a recycle bin, Re-A shares the importance of reducing trash and creating new life from the old. 

Climate Change is Everywhere by Dr Mark K Wourms, Bernheim’s Executive Director 

Point in any direction on the map and you will see the devastating impacts of climate change.

Toti Jellies by TotiLight 

Free-swimming marine animals with umbrella-shaped bells and trailing tentacles dance and float along the shoreline of Lake Nevin, complete with bubble machine for extra fun!

Arrows of the World by Bernheim’s Executive Director Dr. Mark K. Wourms, Marty Wourms and Bob Niederman

Arrows of the World is a series of signs that employ humor and whimsy to highlight various destinations around the globe and the paths that often define the journey.

Scenic Design Projections by 2022 Artist in Residence Mike Elsherif and JonBen Lacy from Clovehitch Productions

A visceral experience of how early settlers saw and experienced Kentucky’s lush and vibrant landscape, along with the hardships and dangers they faced. 

Big Puppet Mingle by Squallis Puppeteers

No CONNECT festival is complete without the involvement of the region’s beloved Squallis Puppeteers! Not only did they bring their horse and coyote puppets, featured here are 2 masked axolotls and a nighttime glowing alien puppet. The wonderful photos above were captured by Bernheim Volunteer Lynn Medley.

Final thanks to C & H Audio Visuals Services for illuminating the Lake Nevin Loop and our Forest Giant family and to the Louisville Silent Disco for bringing a whole new level of fun to our 2022 CONNECT festival.