Meet Catena Bergevin | Artist, Arts Administrator, Arts Advocate

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

Hi Catena, why did you pursue a creative career?
Growing up, I was the youngest of four children. My older brothers were all creative and inspired me at a young age. Each one had a different artistic passion. My oldest brother Gerald loves books and writing, my brother Dennis was a hair and makeup designer and painter, and my youngest brother Paul is a music enthusiast. Together, we put on plays and musical numbers; Dennis was always our costume designer.

I can’t remember a time I wasn’t making or creating something. My mother was also an artist and sewist, and I had lots of ideas for creating new outfits. I was a loner and loved spending time in our backyard starting a new art project. Art was my solace and my companion. I majored in fine arts at the University of San Diego (my hometown) and pursued a career working in museums to be around art and creative people. My first art job was working for a commercial art gallery and, eventually, the San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am the Executive Director of a creative reuse nonprofit called Reconsidered Goods. Its mission is to promote environmental sustainability, community engagement, and creative expression through reuse, education, and arts. The organization has a resale store where we sell “preloved” arts and craft supplies, fabric, leather, yarn, ephemera, and all kinds of unique items to create with. We also have an education program where we teach classes and workshops, conduct field trips, and do community outreach. Creative reuse centers are growing throughout the country, and Reconsidered Goods hosted a summit last summer for centers in the Southeast region. The newly formed Southeast Creative Reuse Collective will meet again this summer in Atlanta. We share resources and ideas.

One of the biggest challenges of leadership is managing people. As an artist in your studio, you only have yourself to inspire. As an organizational leader, you must keep an eye on the finances, fundraising, strategic planning, marketing and promotion, facility management, board relations, and the distinct personalities, motivations, and responsibilities of others. Not everyone on your team will be as committed as you are, not everyone will understand how difficult it is to run a nonprofit arts organization, and not everyone will come to work with the same work ethic. It is a reality that many of my colleagues struggle with daily.

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 am new to Greensboro, NC, and as some folks have said, “You’re not from here, are you?” However, my daughter works in Winston-Salem, and I am so glad to be closer to her. Some of my favorite places are a/perture cinema, an independent movie house. We love to eat at The Porch and Sage and Salt Bistro. I’m learning about the incredible mountains and towns surrounding us. My daughter took me to a goat farm for Mother’s Day, which was wonderful. I love all the small coffee places in Greensboro, such as Vignette Coffee and small bars like Freeman’s. I am the chair of the Greensboro Cultural Arts Commission, which supports the City of Greensboro’s Office for Arts and Culture. Greensboro has an incredible art scene, and there is always a lot to experience. We also have great downtown parks. In Winston I love Art Crush, which is the Winston Salem Arts District monthly art block party from April through December. Reconsidered Goods is usually there with our tent and some fun art activity to play with.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
1990, I moved to the East Coast to work for my brother Dennis’s theatrical hair and makeup design company, Elsen Associates. Being closer to him was incredible. I loved watching him work in the theaters, designing wigs for opera companies nationwide and abroad. I worked there as the Company Manager for 13 years. Unfortunately, we lost quite a few of our amazing designers due to AIDS, and when my brother got sick, the business started to close. From there, I was hired at a contemporary art museum in Pittsburgh called The Mattress Factory. I call those my “formative” years. My experience there ruined me for any other, more traditional work setting. The rule there was “there are no rules.” It was founded by artists for artists. I still keep in touch with some of the most wonderfully creative people I met there.

Website: https://www.reconsideredgoods.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reconsideredgoods