By Bernheim
CONNECT is our fun and funky annual festival of music, arts, science, and nature around Lake Nevin. This year, in addition to expanding with a second stage and 6 featured bands, guests enjoyed a diverse mix of artwork, science activities, and nature education before and after the sun set. We even had a short but powerful thunderstorm that truly brought us closer to nature.
The verdict is in—CONNECT 2024 was Bernheim’s BEST yet! With the help of our regional arts community, over 20 art experiences sparked wonder and curiosity about the natural world, including improvisational dance, projection-mapped imagery, a forest laser light show, and more. Keep reading to discover the incredible talent our regional artists brought to this year’s event.
Ambo Dance Theatre
Under the direction of Jade Frost, Ambo Dance Theatre enlivened the path around Lake Nevin with spontaneous, improvised dance performances. The ensemble interacted with both the art and landscape of Bernheim, observing patterns of nature and beauty, and weaving them into their movement.
Sprite Lights by Adam and Elizabeth Haigh
Louisville glass artists Adam and Elizabeth Haigh presented Sprite Lights, solar-powered frosted glass cubes that pulsed and glowed at night, guiding visitors along a magical pathway around Lake Nevin.
Lightning Buds by Susan Brooks
Susan Brooks, a multimedia artist from Louisville, uses recycled materials fused with hand-built polymer clay figures to create her Lightning Buds. Through these bedazzled lightning bug figures, she aims to evoke “empathy through familiarity,” bringing human faces to the delicate creatures. Susan’s work also raises awareness about the decline of lightning bug populations and offers tips on how visitors can help. These charming Lightning Buds hung from the large, beautiful sycamore tree, adding an enchanting touch to the landscape.
Evil Eye by Simone Renae
Simone Renae, a multimedia artist from Louisville, used projection mapping on a large inflatable ball to invite visitors into a dialogue with the protagonist of her video. Aoyo, meaning “Evil Eye” in Spanish, follows the character through a wild, exhilarating maze of obstacles, symbolizing the chaos sparked by a single envious glance. The immersive, surreal world created by Simone captivated the audience, drawing them deeper into the narrative.
Mother Nature by Dawn Bunch
Dawn Bunch, a mixed media artist from Louisville, presented her lighted figurative sculpture Mother Nature, located near the spillway on the west bank of Lake Nevin. Dawn’s striking Mother Nature figure is made from clay, recycled materials, and solar lights — a glowing, towering bust that stood sentinel to the entry point of water flowing in and out of the lake.
For Realists by Field Guide For Dreamers
Field Guide For Dreamers, the multimedia collaborative artist duo of Daniel Duncan and Brian Leuken from Louisville, presented For Realists, an immersive experience inviting visitors to reflect on how “humans strive to replicate nature, forgetting they are themselves a part of it.”
Guests walked through a mist-filled tunnel along a forest path, leading to a mesmerizing transparent chamber filled with fog and nature projections. This ambient sound, light, and art installation offered a refreshing sensory experience on a hot summer night.
Hierarchy by Gerard and Dan Kauffmann
Louisville artist brothers Gerard and Dan Kauffmann presented Hierarchy, an illuminated, multi-colored pyramidal sculpture made from stained glass, acrylics, acetate, wood, discarded plastic soda bottles, and other repurposed materials. According to the Kauffmanns, “Ribbons of transparent colors represent the earth, water, grasses, mountains, and sky.” The artwork symbolizes humanity’s need to unite with nature.
Rooted Treescape by Lizzie Hill
Artist Lizzie Hill, from Elizabeth, Indiana, creates large installations that mirror nature’s architecture using natural materials. Rooted Treescape, comprised of loosened coils of heavy twine, guided visitors through a whimsical, overhanging structure that echoed the underground connections of trees.
Glow in the Dark Leaf Rubbing Mural by Morgan McGill
Louisville artist Morgan McGill led a glow-in-the-dark leaf and tree rubbing activity for all ages by the Sunset Pavilion throughout the evening. A painter and muralist who travels extensively in her practice, Morgan enjoys involving communities in the art process to inspire positive change.
Nature on My Mind by Dr Mark K Wourms and Marty Wourms Niederman
Bernheim President and CEO, Dr. Mark K. Wourms, and his sister, artist and Bernheim volunteer Marty Wourms Niederman, presented a crowd favorite, Nature on My Mind, a series of illuminated whimsical paper mâché figures with plants for hair.
Toti Jellies and Lumen Wall by Francisco Cardona
Louisville light artist Francisco Cardona returned to CONNECT with his mesmerizing illuminated multimedia installation Lumen Wall and magical creatures, Toti Jellies. These captivating pieces drew visitors into a world of wonder, beautifully set in the green space in front of the Garden Pavilion and beneath the stunning Katsuratree near the Lakeside Studio.
Openings, NatureFreak, and Mediation Metabolism by Nathaniel Hendrickson
Nathaniel Hendrickson, an interdisciplinary artist, painter, curator, documentary filmmaker, and freelance producer based in Casey County, KY, explores the intersection of performance and visual art, with a focus on the ecological crisis, human perception, and the metamorphic sublime. For CONNECT, Hendrickson presented three short films that examine the fragile relationship between human civilization and the more-than-human worlds. The films were reverse-projected behind a screen on a floating dock, creating a striking inverse reflection on the water below.
Laser Forest by Lapis Laser Display
One of the most captivating experiences of the evening, the Laser Forest light show was projected onto the trees from a bridge leading to the Sunset Amphitheater. Lapis Laser‘s projectors cast colorful beams of light that formed images of animals and plants, celebrating the natural world. This immersive and dynamic display drew many guests back throughout the evening, eager to experience the mesmerizing visuals again.
ACRE by Anne Peabody (Illuminated for CONNECT)
In the weeks leading up to CONNECT, the Arts in Nature team, alongside dedicated art volunteers, worked tirelessly to professionally wrap every Merlot redbud tree in Anne Peabody’s ACRE installation. This illuminated piece told the conservation story of the land before Isaac W. Bernheim purchased it, when an acre of trees was cut down daily to fuel the iron ore industries. Led by the expertise of Arts Installation Coordinator Philip Rodriguez, the installation was a powerful tribute to the land’s transformation. Photos don’t fully capture the magic of this experience, which left a lasting impression on all who witnessed it.
By Arts in Nature Curator Jenny Zeller and Arts Program Coordinator Teresa Koester
