Eco-Dyes Lecture and Demo with Michele Pollock, 2024 Artist in Residence

Meet Bernheim's 2024 Artist in Residence, Michele Pollock, and enjoy a lecture about her artwork and an eco-dye demonstration afterwards.

Michele’s hand-sewn cellular sculptures at Bernheim explore the nuances and minutiae of individual trees in the Arboretum, while also highlighting the healing power of forests as a whole. Her work is inspired by scientific studies on forest bathing, which show that time spent among trees boosts the human body’s natural killer (NK) cells, strengthening the immune system.

This research deeply resonated with Michele, who has an autoimmune disorder and found the natural environment at Bernheim healing while in residence. She carefully documented her eco-printing process, using fallen leaves from each tree; and her completed work will be installed under a shelter in the Sensory Garden by the Event Center.