Craig Bergsgaard: One man’s artistic journey from construction worker to award-winning sculptor
After being in the Air Force for seven years, young Craig Bergsgaard started a roofing business with his brother in Minnesota.
When his brother wanted to move on, Craig considered making a change in his career too. But after relocating to Colorado in the 1980s, Craig opted for stability and remained in the familiar world of residential construction for the next nearly 20 years.
On his days off, however, Craig found himself working rather than relaxing on the couch.
“I was always had this drive to work with my hands and make something that was tangible,” Craig says. “Creativity was not in my vocabulary, but I always felt the most fulfilled after I had created something. Once you realize that this phenomenon is called the creative drive, it’s a whole new perspective.”
Craig started delving further into his hobbies to find a way to make his passion his livelihood.
After weaving a wayward path into the art world from sewing three-dimensional objects to furniture making to wood carving, Craig finally found his niche in sculpting.
“Everything I did had a tactile, textural feel to it, so I just kind of slid into sculpture naturally,” Craig says. “You get one shot at this, you might as well try to do what makes you happy.”
Craig took the leap to become a full-time artist when he was invited to participate in the 2005 Arizona Fine Art Expo, and art tour through Italy with his wife sealed the deal.
“Once you decide you’re an artist, the ceiling is shattered,” Craig says. “Once you realize you can evoke emotion in a viewer, all bets are off. It’s a new day.”
What’s better than a license to freely create AND succeed?
Craig is inspired by the grand views of the West – “How can you not be inspired by the desire to kind of commune with wide-open, free-spirited nature that you feel the need to be part of?” – and sculpts figurative works in bronze.
“People have said, if you’re going to be successful in the art world it’s 10 percent creativity and 90 percent marketing,” Craig says. “What you’re called to do as an artist is create, not market.”
Bringing ThreeDames on board to manage his marketing, Craig says, was like a weight lifted off his shoulders.
“It puts the creativity back in the studio and eliminates the marketing part; it’s quite an emancipation, actually,” Craig says. “Marketing and publicity all takes time, and if you’re not doing what you want to do, you’re not being fair to yourself, and if your work has merit, you’re not being fair to the art world.”
Craig credits his freedom to create and still be a successful artist to having a marketing team in his corner. When Craig had a burning desire to make an artistic comment on the Sand Creek Massacre but didn’t want his statement to be obscured by a commercial interest, he turned to us for support.
“It was kind of a leap of faith,” Craig says of creating his piece Memorare, Sand Creek 1864 with the intention of having Amy get the piece in front of larger audiences.
“The Booth Western Art Museum added it to their collection, and we did a discussion panel when we unveiled it about the story and raised awareness of how that relates to today,” Craig says. “There’s a lot of ugly stories to be told, and If I can change a couple people’s attitudes and if I can exercise my emotions, then I’m doing my job.”
Craig says the unveiling at the Booth is one of his proudest moments as an artist thus far, as well as installing two public works in his hometown.
The artist will also host a panel discussing the Sand Creek Massacre at Denver Public Library in Spring of 2011.
What’s the best thing about having a marketing team as an artist?
Craig says he wants to be able to continue expressing himself through his art and discussing the conflicted nature of America’s Western expansion without sacrificing his career.
“It’s hard to be avant-garde in the Western Art world,” Craig says. “If you want to go the museum route or do noncommercial work, you need to have someone working for you. You’re here just a very short period of time, and studio time is very precious.”
Working with the ThreeDames was a new mindset for Craig
“There was a learning curve: you’re turning over part of your life and giving up control. Once you realize that everybody is on the same page and has the same goal, then it’s easy sledding and that’s when the magic starts to happen.”
Craig says ThreeDames has been instrumental in his co-founding of the Wopila Artist Guild with painter James Ayers to support Native American youth art education.
“The best thing about having the ThreeDames is the studio time and the emancipation you feel by being able to be in the studio and not be governed by the effort of having to sell something or worrying about your next step,” Craig says. “It’s also a sounding board for the what if’s and what’s next’s.”