Emanuel Zarate, Bernheim’s 2025 Environmental Artist in Residence, brought wonder, magic, and creative energy to the forest this spring.
Emanuel gifted Bernheim his long-eared bat sculpture, Radar, now installed along the Lake Nevin Loop. Several Bernheim volunteer groups helped bring the piece to life, including members of Suntory Global Spirits’ LatinX/Hispanic Employee Impact Group, Salud, and artists Maria Fernanda Beltran and Diego Bucio.
During spring and summer, bats can often be seen feeding at Lake Nevin after dusk—darting and gliding over the water to catch insects. Emanuel was inspired by how Northern Long-eared Bats raise their pups beneath loose bark, especially on trees whose bark has begun to peel away. To echo this part of their life cycle, the sculpture’s base was created from a fallen oak tree trunk found on Bernheim’s forest floor.
Visitors exploring the area can also spot Bernheim’s human-made bat houses along the Nursery Loop Trail. Through his sculpture, Emanuel hopes to raise awareness about the critical habitat of bats in Kentucky.
In winter, the Northern Long-eared Bat hibernates in caves and mines, where it faces the threat of white-nose syndrome—a devastating fungal disease that has decimated some bat species across the region. The fungus can spread through human activity, attaching to equipment, shoes, and clothing used in affected caves or mines.
Covered in a checkerboard tapestry of UV-light-sensitive paint, Radar glows in the dark, creating a magical highlight during Bernheim’s CONNECT event and future night programs. The bat’s wings are engineered to move in the wind, giving the piece a kinetic quality that makes it come alive. With its vibrant color and graceful motion, Radar has quickly become a showstopper along Lake Nevin.
From the Artist
My recent experience at Bernheim has revived the spirit of my artistic beginnings—deeply connected to nature and my roots, immersed in the natural surroundings. I found myself in new ways, pushed to explore new challenges.
Working with materials like metal, wood, and paper alongside a passionate team of workers, volunteers, and visitors made the experience even more powerful. The space, the people, the animals—all became part of an inspiring environment that shaped my art into something vibrant and meaningful.
Thoughtful and patient, my bat Radar awaits the day when all species can live without the risk of being displaced or extinct. I created a monument for animals that have been underestimated and deserve protection simply for existing. These beings, like bats, pollinate our environment and give life to our ecosystems. They are guardians of balance and protectors of the dark.
We are all essential to life. What will happen when pollinators disappear? Mercilessly, white-nose syndrome and pesticides continue to take their toll on bats and other vital species. What are you doing to help protect them—and, in turn, yourself?
May art and culture continue to serve as symbols of resistance for all living beings.
— Emanuel Zarate, 2025 Environmental Artist in Residence
