By Jenny Zeller
FEMMEnomenal traveling exhibit first stop is downtown Louisville!
Artist in Residence program celebrates Kentucky women and native plants statewide
With the support of a 2020 Art Meets Activism grant from the Kentucky Foundation For Women, Gabriella Boros’ FEMMEnomenal Bluegrass Botanicals can be seen not only around the Lake Nevin Loop at Bernheim, but also through a traveling companion exhibition installed at various locations throughout the state in 2021!
We wanted to share the results of this powerful body of work with the region in the hopes of inspiring deep connections with nature while educating the viewer on extraordinary women who have shaped Kentucky’s history.
The first stop on the exhibition tour can be seen in the windows of the Harmony Complex Building at 425 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd in downtown Louisville. This location has great historical significance as it housed The Louisville Business Women’s Club from 1899 to 1911 and was founded at a time when women started entering the workplace, moving from rural areas to cities to find work and support themselves. The organization addressed the needs of independent working women and was a place where they could learn marketable skills, socialize with their peers and expand their worldview while giving back to the community.
As part of our Actions Beyond our Borders strategy, Bernheim recognizes that its mission of connecting people with nature extends outside the geographic boundaries of its vast forest and deliberately seeks out opportunities to bring the stories and lessons of nature to people throughout our region and far beyond.
See the exhibition at the Harmony Complex Building through the end of August 2021. Stay tuned to Bernheim’s social media and bernheim.org to learn where the exhibition will travel next!
2020 marked the 40th anniversary of Bernheim’s Artist in Residence Program and the value that art adds to the natural environment. Established in 1980, this internationally renowned program annually awards artists the opportunity to live and create site-specific work inspired by their total immersion experience at Bernheim. As we enter into our 41st year of the program, we will continue to celebrate the contributions of a program that has allowed our visitors to experience nature in a new way while enhancing awareness of Bernheim’s mission of connecting people with nature.