Scientist, poet, and artist—these are just a few ways to describe Indiana native and artist-in-residence Michele Pollock. With a BS in Chemical Engineering from Purdue, an MFA in poetry, and decades of experience in hand bookbinding and paper arts, Michele is truly a Renaissance woman.

Michele’s hand-sewn cellular sculptures at Bernheim explore the nuances and minutiae of individual trees in the Arboretum, while also highlighting the healing power of forests as a whole. Her work is inspired by scientific studies on forest bathing, which show that time spent among trees boosts the human body’s natural killer (NK) cells, strengthening the immune system. This research deeply resonated with Michele, who has an autoimmune disorder and works daily in Bernheim’s natural environment. She carefully documented her eco-printing process, using fallen leaves from each tree, and recorded her reflections in a journal.

She reflects, “Making art at Bernheim has been so good for my practice and spirit. Inspired by the Arboretum, I have met trees one-on-one as individuals and let what I observe about them guide my experimentation and art-making. Eco-printing with their leaves and following the printed marks with sewing have pushed the work in new directions, just as pursuing the concept of forest bathing as healing practice has done. Spending an extended period of time in the Arboretum, seeing it at all hours and in all types of light, getting to know small corners of it intimately, and interacting with so many people who love this place has been a real gift.”
