The Regional Artist Program was established to encourage artists, educators and students within the surrounding region to use Bernheim’s resources and facilities to create nature-based works of art that help fulfill the mission of connecting people with nature. The program incentivizes creative partnerships between Bernheim, regional artists and local arts organizations with the intent of increasing the region’s cultural vitality.
Launching in 2017, Bernheim offers a yearly artist residency to a Kentucky or Southern Indiana based artist through our Artist-in-Residence program. This exciting opportunity invites a regional artist to reside at Bernheim and utilize our studio space to create artwork that contributes to Bernheim’s mission of connecting people with nature. This program contributes to the creative development of professional artists in the region and increased regional arts activities. Norman Spencer, 2021 regional Artist-in-Residence, created an evocative print series while in residence celebrating Black joy in nature. These images contributed to Spencer’s 2021 solo exhibition of his larger series entitled Black in Bluegrass. Since his residency, he has moved to St. Louis, MO and continues to show work at galleries, markets, and online under his handle CloudHotel Prints.
2020 Regional Artist-in-Residence, Lucy Azubuike, created an installation entitled Me in Me Tree-Arts Sanctuary@Bernheim. Since her installation she has been back to engage the community with her installation, such as a tree art presentation to Beautiful As You Are (B.A.Y.A.), a nonprofit organization focusing on girls’ empowerment and positive self-esteem. This involvement with regional artists allows us to continue engaging the community with Arts in Nature past the individual residences.
In addition to our Artist-in-Residence program, the Art in Nature Department at Bernheim strives to connect with local art communities and art educators in the region. Bernheim is proud to have partnered with the Governor’s Students for the Arts program to give visual arts students a hands-on experience at Bernheim creating art for our annual CONNECT event. Students are given a tour of the public art on Bernheim’s grounds for inspiration and then invited to collaboratively create sculptures out of repurposed and reclaimed materials. This partnership helps Bernheim inspire young artists to see how art can help connect people with nature and the environment as well as expose them to the work of regional and international artists.
Regional Artists-in-Residence:
2022 – Mike Elsherif
2021 – Norman Spencer
2020 – Lucy Azubuike
2019 – Kathleen Lolley
2019 – Justin Roberts
2018 – Rachel Singel
2017 – Jenny Zeller