Mary Bergs

 

Mentor Statement

I participated in the WARM Mentor Program as a protégé in 1993 –1994.  My involvement in the program launched me as an artist.  Since that time, I have completed formal education, established a studio, organized a women’s critique group, made work, exhibited work, obtained grants/residencies.  I have been an art and design consultant and provided creativity training to non-art professional in a variety of settings.

I am primarily an installation artist. I work with materials from nature and culture to explore relationships between parts wholes. I am interested in presenting work in a way that engages the space it is in.  I am also a mark maker and currently I am exploring ways to merge my drawings and large-scale installations.

I believe a mentor’s role is to support the work of the protégé.  All work is important and not all artist work is done in studio.  As a mentor I am prepared to offer dialogue, support, technical skills and consultation.  I can share information about my own experience while acknowledging that everyone follows her own path.  I can assist a protégé in finding and developing her artistic voice, in the medium that is most comfortable for her.   I am interested in working with a protégé who is committed to doing the work.

Skills that I can share:

• Critique of work
• Drawing
• Monotype
• Assemblage
• Installation
• Book Arts
• Fiber Arts
• Problem Solving
• Grant writing
• Professional Development and promotion
• Public Art Project Development

Artist Statement

I am an installation artist. I work with found objects and incorporate them into wall compositions.  There is a drawn quality to this work, I sometimes think of  them as drawings that are created with three-dimensional marks.  I am considering the same formal issues in these arrangements that I would consider in making a drawing.  My work is often made up of small parts that come together to create a larger piece or a room size environment.  I typically create large gallery installations by “collaging” together a series of smaller related pieces. I install the pieces in a way that creates open spaces, and stopping points.  I think that my work has been successful if I can make the viewer slow down and look closely at one object, and see this one thing in a completely new way.  Recently, I have been using objects to create drawings.  I am interested in creating traces or remnants of the actual object by making rubbings, tracings, or perforations with the objects.  My intent is to combine elements of the drawings into the three dimensional compositions as a further exploration of the relationships between object and mark making.

I have been exploring non-traditional venues and opportunities for exhibiting art and using art as a means of promoting community conversation and engagement.  Over the past few years, I have exhibited work in storefronts, construction sites, hospitals, schools and  manufacturing plants.  I believe artists have an amazing skill set  that is frequently unrecognized and under utilized.  I  am interested in developing opportunities for artists to share their knowledge and expand their roles and contributions to culture and society.