Meet Marie Bergstedt | Visual Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marie Bergstedt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marie, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I have always worked more hours than others seemed to spend on reaching the same goals. It started at least as long ago as grade school and maybe as soon as I was born. At the same time I was always dreaming about ways I could cut back and be more balanced. I think I had a few short times when I achieved that balance goal but it never lasted. I had to work in a challenging income-producing job to support myself until I was more than 60 years old so I always stretched myself to have treasured time for art.

When I finally had saved enough money to transition to a full-time visual art career I was sure I would find more peace and balance. At the very least I would be spending most of my time doing what I loved most. That worked out for about five years. Once a small degree of success was achieved, the train started roaring forward again. By now I need to spend far more time on art business than on producing art or taking a bit of time with family and friends. There is never a real vacation and I must work seven days a week. My new balance goal is to be able to do a couple of hours of actual studio art work every day to calm the pace.

I am grateful for the work experience I had when I was younger. That gives me the knowledge I need to address all the business aspects of an art career. I wish my life was more balanced, but at age 77 and still overdoing everything, the problem has to be me.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art tells stories about people. Almost every tale comes out in portraits, but even when the artwork is an object, it is about a person and their relationship to that object. I often use buttons in my artwork, intertwined with traditional hand fiber techniques that have been associated with women’s work. Crochet, knitting, embroidery, and sewing have been an everyday part of my living, beginning with sewing at age 4. Button construction came much later. For me the buttons are a symbol of revealing secret stories that have been tightly buttoned up before the artwork was made. There are not many artists who construct with buttons and also few who use all handwork. Every piece takes long hours to construct. I have often used that time to work through the troubles and concerns I have related to the subject of the piece. My process is better at healing than psychotherapy.

There were a number of obstacles to my becoming an artist. Although my interest was always high, art was looked down upon as less than intelligent work in my hometown. My family also held a low rank in the community, being poor and uneducated. As has been my pattern, I made a tremendous effort to excel in mathematics and science to prove my intelligence in high school. Art took a back seat then and in most of my adult life. However, I was encouraged by wonderful teachers as I took occasional art courses and workshops. I began living tight and saving money with a goal to become a full-time artist before I was so old that I would be set aside as a hobbyist. I entered my artist dream in my sixties and again worked long hours to try to catch up in the art world. I am still pushing hard but I can support myself on past savings to engage in this art life which costs more than it pays in monetary income. My business skills have carried me through places that many artists find confounding. As long as my health holds, I hope to charge on for many more good years. It is quite a ride.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in San Francisco. Visitors can find many books and web links about having a good time here. They can search for those places on their own. When they visit me, I take them on my favorite walks. These walks are often on high hills and narrow pathways. They overlook the city, the ocean, and the bay. I would also take them to the less-traveled neighborhoods and introduce them to both the glory and the sad grit of the people. San Francisco is real life, beautiful, ugly, and everything in between. I am fortunate to live here.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
During 2021 I decided to spend all of my art production time celebrating the amazing people who have reached out to help me succeed in an art career. Going through all of my records related to art, I found more than sixty people who had approached me to offer exhibits, publications, interviews, mentoring advice, and connections without any request from me. A few of those relationships had started with an application from me that later expanded, but the vast majority were people totally unknown to me before they were there with open hands of kindness. A few have given so much over a period of years that I decided to create individual portraits in their honor. For the others I embroidered names on sculptural elements that could be incorporated into an installation. I have included an installation titled “Hands Up” in this interview that features Maria Ortega (Spain), Professor Lin LeCheng (China), and Kelly Liang (China). I also did individual portraits of Jim Arendt and Zach Stewart, images of whom are not included here.

Website: www.mariebergstedtartist.com

Facebook: marie.bergstedt.79

Other: I can be found on Instagram but I am not very active there, @marie47bergstedt