Bernheim's Jenny Zeller Wins Aspiring Public Garden Leader Award

Bernheim has shared that Arts in Nature Curator, Jenny Zeller, was chosen to receive the 2023 Kittleman Scholarship for Aspiring Public Garden Leaders through the American Public Gardens Association (APGA).

Zeller has been leading Bernheim's Arts in Nature department for the past six years and is responsible for overseeing the massively successful Forest Giants in a Giant Forest exhibition and the continued success and expansion of the 43-year established Artist in Residence program. Bernheim recently announced the launch of Bernheim's next significant art experience, L+A+N+D: an experience of discovery. L+A+N+D (Landscape + Art + Nature + Design) will provide engaging experiences addressing the human connection to nature, beauty in the landscape, biodiversity, conservation, sustainability, climate change, and climate justice. L+A+N+D will be an essential cultural experience and tourism draw for the region, viewed by over 350,000 visitors annually. Bernheim is currently accepting proposals from creatives of all kinds through September 4, 2023. The application can be found at Bernheim.org/land-apply.

“I am honored and humbled to receive the Kittleman Scholarship,” stated Zeller. “I'm so fortunate to work at an organization that feeds my passion for arts in nature and supports the expansion of the arts for years to come.”

Jenny represented Bernheim at the APGA conference as a panel speaker for the session Rooted in Relevance: Serving Diverse Communities by Artfully Activating Collections, along with Director of Art in Public Places in Palm Beach County, Elayna Toby Singer and Lisa M.W. Eldred, Director of Exhibitions, Art & Learning Engagement and Head Curator of Art at Denver Botanic Gardens. In this session, Jenny shared examples highlighting how Bernheim collaborates with artists to cultivate artful experiences beyond the blockbuster model, connecting diverse communities with garden collections and the natural world through art offerings. The panel addressed ways to integrate the arts and artists into programming to address environmental and social issues and co-creating with partners as tied to garden collections, organizational initiatives, and site-specific opportunities in public garden spaces.



This prestigious scholarship is awarded to only one professional annually and made possible by Kittleman & Associates, LLC, the nation's first executive search firm dedicated exclusively to recruiting leaders for non-profit organizations.

Bernheim's mission is to connect people with nature. At 16,140 acres, it is the largest privately held contiguous forest block in the eastern United States dedicated to conservation and education. Bourbon maker Isaac Wolfe Bernheim established the arboretum and forest in 1929 as a gift to the people of Kentucky. Fun, educational programs, diverse tree collections, a renowned art collection, 40 miles of hiking trails, and varied landscapes are available every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. A $15 per car donation is suggested for non-members. For more information about Bernheim, visit https://bernheim.org/.