Colors of Christmas at Bernheim Forest


6″ x 8″ watercolor, $70 ($10 donated to Bernheim Forest)
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Snow is nowhere is sight at Bernheim Forest this Christmas. Nonetheless, the abundance of red berries is a telltale sign of Mother Nature’s festive spirit. With the largest North American collection of American hollies, it hard to overlook the dusting of red (as well as other unexpected colors) throughout the arboretum.

Maybe you don’t like hollies, or perhaps the color red. Don’t fret. Bernheim has much more to offer than a place to admire live holiday decorations. Those looking for recreational indulgences can hike the 25 miles of trails at your adventurous feet. For those wanting to dig deeper into environmental education, Bernheim can host an informative, hands-on day for a class of students, or advise an urbanite on what trees are best suited for their yard (or lack thereof).

Of most interest to yours truly is Bernheim’s involvement in the arts. Multiple opportunities are available to 2D artists, 3D artists, and writers to develop their skill while living at Bernheim funded by grants and fellowships. Artists from around the global have traveled to the hidden get-away to be inspired by what is unfortunately absent from many familiar landscapes, nature. The organization’s founder, Isaac Wolfe Bernheim, craved a collaboration of the arts and nature that is well represented in each building on the grounds (including the buildings themselves). Another effort indicative of the founder’s desire to embrace the arts is Bernheim’s offer to host the 2007 NCECA conference. That’s broken down to, the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (thank goodness for acronyms). I would certainly call that slightly more involved than your typical state park!