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

Hi Jill, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
Artists who create work professionally don’t wait for inspiration to strike. They work hard every day just like people in other professions. Sitting down with our materials is both a job and a joy. Creativity is the result of a consistent practice and attention to detail.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a printmaker and create linocuts by carving a sheet of artist linoleum until it looks like a big rubber stamp. Then I roll ink over the raised surface, lay paper over it, and apply pressure using an etching press. I love to work in black and white, but also use colored ink, or paint the prints with watercolor.

Wildlife, the Colorado landscape, and decorative illustration are common themes in my artwork. Over the last few years I have emphasized working with environmental organizations, sharing climate concerns, and learning how to integrate art and science. This is challenging, but so important to me! I am working on a project to share stories of people who work around Rocky Mountain wildlife. I am hoping that it will be easier to empathize and connect to wild animals and the issues they face through the adventurous stories of people who work around these animals. I am interviewing scientists and wildlife photographers, writing, and creating visual art. My show, Rocky Mountain Wildlife: Animals and Advocates at Pine Moon Fine Art in Steamboat Springs in March 2022 will feature many of these stories. I am also supported by the University of Colorado, Boulder, Art and Science Action Program.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Steamboat Springs is a small town with a really big ski resort, and a lot of great outdoor activities. I suggest anyone new to the area goes to visit Fish Creek Falls, a dramatic waterfall just outside of town. Steamboat also has a core trail that follows the Yampa River through town. From the trail, you can see the landscape, and also stop in to downtown businesses. The core trail crosses the river at the Ambulance Building, 911 Yampa Street. From that bridge, you can see the Yampa Is Wild mural, an 850 square foot mural that I painted with the help of 120 community volunteers. The mural was commissioned by Friends of the Yampa and shows the length of the river from the Flat Tops mountain range all the way to the deserts of Dinosaur National Monument.

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?
I so appreciate the group of artists, all women, that own and run Pine Moon Fine Art with me in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. We have diverse backgrounds and different art styles but we come together to support each other personally and as artists. https://www.pinemoonfineart.com
I’d especially like to mention my friend, Paulina M. Johnson. She creates fantastic, unique artwork using strips of paper standing on edge. They have a dimensional quality that changes depending on your angle of viewing. https://paulinamjohnson.com

Website: http://www.jillbergman.com

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

Image Credits
JoAnn Baker Paul, Brooke Welch, and Jill Bergman

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.