BULLITT COUNTY, Ky. — Even a blanket of snow doesn’t cover the 16,000 acres of natural beauty at the Bernheim Forest and Arboretum.

"This installation is called within the 'Forest Without the Forest,'" said Jenny Zeller, Bernheim Forest and Arboretum Arts in Nature curator. 

"What's interesting about this installation was finding three trees that really worked with their specifications." 

The piece of giant art and several others are part of a new large-scale, site-specific public arts program called "L+A+N+D (Landscape + Art + Nature + Design): An Experience of Discovery." 

"'L+A+N+D' is important because it really touches upon the issues that are really critical to our time right now: climate change, sustainability, biodiversity," Zeller said. "Bernheim is not a sculpture park, but we have art that connects people to nature, and we do believe in the power of art to inspire change."

The forest received a $30,000 grant from the National Endowment of the Arts in mid-January to help support the project, said president and CEO Mark Wourms. 

"'L+A+N+D' is that the fact that we got this just a few months after our soft opening really means that we're on a path with 'L+A+N+D' where it continues to develop over the years and people realize how beautiful and wonderful it is and how to experience it in every season," Wourms said. "Our educators use it more and more in programming, and the NEA is helping us take that trajectory up greatly."

The pieces have purpose, Zeller said. 

"The pieces in this exhibit land are not just pieces to look at; however, they are pleasant to enjoy," Zeller said. "They are pieces that you can learn so much about the planet and the environment from."

Thirteen Kentucky arts and culture organizations received grants totaling $365,000, the NEA said.