Bernheim is gearing up for this year’s CONNECT on August 26, 2023 from 4:21 p.m. – 10:21 p.m. There will be lots happening around the Lake Nevin loop, but we want to make sure you don’t miss these key partners and their exciting activities!
This year, we have cultivated partnerships with companies and community organizations that align with our mission of connecting people with nature – through the lens of art.
Forest Lounge Title Sponsor – James B. Beam Distilling Co.
In 2018, Bernheim worked with Beam Suntory to establish the James B. Beam Natural Water Sanctuary Alliance at Bernheim as an effort to protect ground and surface water, preserve wildlife habitat and increase our water and environmental education activities. In addition to supporting water conservation, James B. Beam Distilling Co. is also the Forest Lounge Title Sponsor of CONNECT.
This year, we want to make a big splash for CONNECT’s Forest Lounge Title Sponsor by telling the story of The Natural Water Sanctuary Alliance. This year is special because we are renewing our commitment and finding news ways to inspire water conservation. This Alliance has supported many facets of Bernheim’s conservation efforts, particularly within the Long-Lick and Wilson Creek watersheds. These habitats support a wide array of wildlife, clean air and water for surrounding communities as well as the water used to produce Jim Beam Bourbon.
Deckel & Moneypenny – WordFall
Deckel & Moneypenny is an award-winning exhibit and experience design firm, headquartered in Louisville’s Shelby Park neighborhood. Their expertise in designing creative, immersive experiences makes them a perfect partner for CONNECT! This year, D&M is bringing an interactive digital water printer called Wordfall. Wordfall creates falling images using water droplets. The art piece will feature images that tell the story of water conservation made possible by the James B. Beam Distilling Co. Natural Water Sanctuary Alliance. Bernheim has worked closely with D&M’s summer design intern, Wan Ting Lin, on the execution of Wordfall. Ting is a graduate student at Fashion Institute of Technology’s Exhibition & Experience Design program, located in Manhattan.
VIA Studio and dreaMachine transmissions
VIA Studio is a Branding, Marketing, and Digital Agency. They are masters at storytelling through strategy and visuals. For the past several months, Bernheim Forest has been working with VIA Studio on a rebranding project that will be unveiled next year for our 95th anniversary. For CONNECT, VIA Studio has donated their design skills to help tell the story of the James B. Beam Distilling Co. Natural Water Sanctuary Alliance at Bernheim. VIA Studio designed swag bags that will be handed out to the first 100 attendees in the VIP Forest Lounge at CONNECT. They also designed “conservation starter” banners that will further illustrate the important work made possible by the generosity of Bernheim’s donors and corporate partners.
Jason Clark, CMO of VIA Studio and an expert in curating music festivals and events, attended CONNECT in 2022 and knew he wanted to help us kick it up a notch! Jason connected Bernheim with a local artistic duo called dreaMachine transmissions. They produce wildly awesome, abstract projections, motion picture productions and light installations. dreaMachine transmissions is providing two key experiences at CONNECT: a light projection on the wall of pines surrounding Lake Nevin, and reactive light installation called “Mycelium Network” that will hang in a tree canopy near the VIP Forest Lounge.
Gallant Fox
Gallant Fox Brewing and Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest have partnered to bring a craft beer with a connection to Kentucky’s rich landscape, using plants, fruits and herbs harvested from Bernheim’s Arboretum and Edible Garden. Gallant Fox and Bernheim are working to highlight sustainability, conservation, and a deep connection to the plants and wildlife that give Kentucky its overwhelming beauty. Our first collaborative brew with Gallant Fox will be debuted in the Forest Lounge! For our first collaboration, Bernheim provided mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum) and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) to help create Wonderland Wit. Using sustainably foraged regenerative ingredients simply means that we forage for enjoyable beer while leaving enough plant material in the ground to support pollinators and wildlife. Mountain mint is a powerhouse pollinator plant with an aromatic light minty scent that makes pollinators and people swoon!
Kentucky Waterways Alliance and Albertus Gorman
Albertus Gorman, Artist at Exit 0 and representative of the Kentucky Waterways Alliance will be exhibiting an original site-specific artwork, titled Plastic by Definition. Created with colorful plastic bottles and trash collected from the Ohio River, his installation raises awareness of the plastic pollution in our Kentucky waterways and the obligation we have to protect them from further harm. Kentucky Waterways Alliance will also have a booth at the event, to share their mission of water conservation with event attendees.
Albertus has shown his work extensively in the region, including an outdoor installation at Mount St. Francis in Indiana in 2021 (pictured right).
Other exciting partnerships to look out for!
Beargrass Thunder is donating 100 “Bernheim Blend” native seed packets to include in our Forest Lounge swag bags. The blend includes Illinois Bundleflower, Sneezeweed and Milkweed Mix (Common, Swamp, Butterfly). They’ll have a booth at the event, so make sure to stop by and say hi!
WaterStep will have a booth promoting their mission and telling the story of their signature water filtration system designed by engineers at GE Appliances. GE Appliances is also a sponsor of CONNECT and a proud partner of Bernheim Forest.
For the past 13 years, Bernheim’s education team has partnered with Bullitt County high schools’ accelerated math and science program, BAMS, to provide a STEAM learning laboratory. Students in the program carry out individual scientific research projects at Bernheim. Students will showcase their projects to the public at CONNECT! GE Appliances is another important partner for BAMS.
Modica is the world’s first cocktail and mocktail mixer made with naturally sourced superfoods. They are headquartered in Louisville, and we found them through Civitas, our region’s LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce! Modica will be in the Forest Lounge, crafting cocktails with Jim Beam and mocktail alternatives.
Learn about our newest “Beyond Bernheim Benefits” partner – Yak City Kayaks – at CONNECT! Yak City Kayaks provides Bernheim members with 10% off kayak rentals. They’ll have a booth at CONNECT, promoting their business with a fun kayak photo op (on land) in front of Lake Nevin!
Thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible!
Wilson & Muir Bank & Trust Co.
