PIRJO BERG
BIO
Pirjo Berg is a Finnish-born artist based in Socorro, NM, known for her diverse styles and mediums. Her work is inspired by nature, memory, and emotion, and often explores themes of identity, connection, and transformation. Through her art, she seeks to communicate the beauty and complexity of the world, inviting viewers to engage with their own experiences and perspectives. Berg's work has been exhibited in solo and group shows across the United States and internationally, and she has received numerous grants and residencies in support of her artistic practice.
Pirjo Berg was born in Helsinki, Finland. She received her BFA from the School of Art and Media, Tampere, Finland in 2000. The same year she established her studio practice in Seattle, WA. In 2005 she graduated from the Artists Trust EDGE program. She lived and had her studio in Grand Forks, North Dakota 2008 - 2024. She now lives and works in Socorro, NM.
Berg's career highlights include solo exhibitions: Mayor's Award Show in Grand Forks, ND; Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle, WA; Third Street Gallery, Grand Forks, ND; Gallery 63Eleven, Seattle, WA; Gallery Jangva, Helsinki, Finland; Mercer Gallery, Rochester, NY; and a 3 person show at the Nordic Heritage Museum, Seattle, WA. Juried shows include Main Street Gallery, Clifton Springs, NY; Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH; Paint Local, North Dakota Museum of Art; Art on the Plains XI, Plains Art Museum, and many more. She has been invited to be part of the Midwestern Fine Art Show, at Rourke Art Museum, Moorhead, MN.
Notable residencies include Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT; North Dakota Museum Of Art/Rural Arts Initiative, McCanna House, Grand Forks, ND; Willapa Bay AIR, Oysterville, WA; Tampere Artists Association, Berlin, Germany; The Finnish Artist’s Studio Foundation, Marbella, Spain; and Serlachius Museums, Mänttä, Finland. Grants include the CARES Act Fund Individual Artist Fellowship, Professional Development Grant, North Dakota Council on Arts; and a Travel Grant, from the Artists’ Association of Finland.
Between 2021 to 2024 Pirjo was as a Gallery Manager and Curator at ArtWise Gallery and Creation Space, Grand Forks, ND. She was also part of a team to establish ArtWise Gallery. Berg has been in the curatorial teams of the Nordic Heritage Museum, Seattle, WA; UpFront Gallery, Issaquah, WA; and Willapa Bay AiR, WA. 2021 she was an award judge at Pekin Day Art Show, Pekin, ND.
RESUME
EDUCATION
2000 BFA in painting, School of Art and Media, Tampere, Finland
1991 MA in regional planning, University of Tampere, Finland
2005 EDGE – Program, Artist Trust, Seattle, Washington
GRANTS & RESIDENCIES
2021 - Grant: American Rescue Plan (ARP) Fund, North Dakota Council on the Arts, ND
2020 - Grant: NDCA CARES Act Fund, North Dakota Council on the Arts, ND
2018 - Individual Artist Fellowship Grant: North Dakota Council on the Art, ND
2015 - Residency: Mänttä, Finland, Serlachius Museums and Mänttä Art Festival
- Travel Grant: Finnish Artists’ Association, Finland
- Residency: Marbella, Spain organized by The Finnish Artists' Studio Foundation
2014 - Residency: Berlin, Germany organized by Tampere Artists’ Association, Finland
- Professional Development Grant: North Dakota Council on the Art - - Residency: Willapa Bay AiR, Oysterville, Washington
2013 - Residency: McCanna House, organized by North Dakota Museum of Art, ND
- Residency: Vermont Studio Centre, Johnson, Vermont
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2024 Mayor's Choice Award and Exhibition, Grand Forks City Hall, Grand Forks, ND (curator Vickie Arndt, curator for Public Art Commission, Grand Forks, ND)
2022 New Work Unless It Isn’t, ArtWise Gallery & Creation Space, Grand Forks, ND (Three-person exhibition)
2018 Blue Wind, Mercer Gallery, Monroe Community College, Rochester, New York
2014 Core, Third Street Gallery, Grand Forks, North Dakota
2013 New Paintings, HoDo, Hotel Donaldson, Fargo, North Dakota
2010 Siirtymiä Sielunmaisemassa, Vanhan Raatihuoneen Galleria, Turku, Finland (Two-person exhibition)
2010 Governor’s Office, Bismarck, North Dakota
2011 Blue Wind, Third Street Gallery, Grand Forks, North Dakota
2008 New Works, Gallery 63Eleven, Seattle, Washington
2007 You, I and Fairy Tale – Sä, Mä ja Satu, Nordic Heritage Museum, Seattle, Washington (Three-person exhibition)
2004 From Northern Climes: Contemporary Finnish American Art, Karpeles Museum, Tacoma, WA (Two person exhibition)
2003 One Broken Picture – Eräs Hajanainen Kuva, Nordic Heritage Museum, Seattle, Washington
2002 Maalia ja matonkuteita, Gallery Jangva, Helsinki, Finland
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2005-2024:
2024
- Small Works 2024, Main Street Gallery, Clifton Springs, NY. (Juror: Bradley Butler, executive director and curator of Main Street Gallery) (upcoming)
2023
- Inside the Lines, 64th Midwestern Invitational, Rourke Art Museum, Moorhead, MN
- Autumn Artistry, 79th Annual Fall Show, Bismarck Art $ Galleries Association, Bismarck, ND. (Clairmont Center Gallery Selection, Bismarck State College and Juror's Choice Awards. Juror: Walter Piehl.)
- Faces & Masks, 2023 Mayor's Choice Award, Grand Forks City Hall, ND (Curator: Vickie Arndt)
- Red, Arts for Vets Gallery, Grand Forks, ND (Juror: Kim Wilson)
2022
- Small Works 2022, Main Street Gallery, Clifton Springs, NY. (Juror: Bradley Butler, executive director and curator of Main Street Gallery)
- Stories for the Journey, 63rd Midwestern Invitational, Rourke Art Museum, Moorhead, MN
- MARK, Works Focused on Mark Making, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio
- 2022 Salina Biennial, Salina Art Center, Salina, KS. (Juror: Tayler Blackwell, the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Associate Curator at the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston)
- Autumn Artistry, 78th Annual Fall Show, Bismarck Art $ Galleries Association, Bismarck, ND. (Clairmont Center Gallery Selection, Bismarck State College and Honorable Mention Awards. Juror: Tom Marple.)
2021
- Small Works 2021, Main Street Gallery, Clifton Springs, NY. (Juror: Rick Muto, director of Axom Gallery in Rochester, NY)
- Autumn Artistry, 77th Annual Fall Show, Bismarck Art $ Galleries Association, Bismarck, ND. (Elsa Forde Gallery Selection, Bismarck State College and Honorable Mention Awards. Juror: Paul Noot.)
- Abstract Only! 11th Annual Multimedia National Juried Competition, Wailoa Center, Hilo, HI.
- Magnitude Seven, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio
- On the Biographical Impulse, 62nd Midwestern Invitational, Rourke Art Museum, Moorhead, MN
2020
- Small Works 2020, Main Street Gallery, Clifton Springs, NY. (Juror: Tiffany Gaines, Curatorial and Digital Content Associate at the Burchfield Penney Art Centre, Buffalo, NY)
- American All Media 2020, Northwest Art Centre, Minot State University, Minot, ND. (Juror: Guillermo Guardia, St. Paul, MN)
- Magnitude Seven, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio
- In Your Own Skin, 61st Midwestern Invitational, Rourke Art Museum, Moorhead, MN
2019
- Her Votes Count, UND Art Collections Gallery at the Empire, Grand Forks, ND (Juror: Nelda Schrupp)
- Autumn Artistry, 76th Annual Fall Show, Bismarck Art & Galleries Association, Bismarck, ND
- Americas All Media 2019, Northwest Art Center, Minot State University, Minot, ND (Juror: Sally Jeppson)
- Magnitude Seven, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Zeitgeist, the 60th Midwestern Invitational, Rourke Art Museum, Moorhead, MN
- One Shot, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio
2018
- Small Works 2018, Main Street Gallery, Clifton Springs, NY (Honorable Mention Award Juror: Rick Pirozzolo, executive director and curator at the ArnotArt Museum, Elmira, NY))
- Magnitude Seven, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Land and Sea, Main Street Gallery, Clifton Springs, NY (Juror’s Choice Award, Juror: Deirdre Aureden, director of programs and special projects, Schweinfurth Art Center, Auburn,NY)
- Camelot, the 59th Midwestern Invitational, Rourke Art Museum, Moorhead, MN (3rd Place Award)
- Look Both Ways, Ecce Gallery, Fargo, ND
2017
- Small Works 2017, Main Street Galley, Clifton Springs, NY. (Juror: Cory E, Card, the former Curator at View Arts Center in Old Forge, NY,)
- Fresh Paint 2017, 3rd Biennial Painting Exhibition, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Ecce- Gallery East, Park Rapids, Minnesota
- Magnitude Seven, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Red River Watercolor Society, Hjemkomst Center, Moorhead, Minnesota
2014
- It’s All about Light, Corridor Gallery, Seattle, Washington, (Curator: Dayton Knipher, Guest curators: Akiko Masker and Cathy Fields)
2012
- Art on the Plains XI, Plains Art Museum, Fargo, North Dakota (Juror: Hesse McGraw, Bemis Center for contemporary Arts, Omaha, Nebraska)
2010
- Annual Art Auction Third Street Gallery, Grand Forks, North Dakota (2011, 2012)
2009
- Paint Local, North Dakota Museum of Art, Grand Forks, North Dakota (Curator: Laurel Reuter, Director of North Dakota Museum of Art
2008
- Nordic Artists, North Seattle Community College, Seattle, Washington
-Over The Edge, Artists + one from the Artist Trust Program, UpFront[art], Issaquah, WA
2007
- East Meets West: Artists from Building C, BallardWorks, Seattle, Washington
- Convergence, UpFront[art], Issaquah, Washington
- Artists from Building C, Gallery 63Eleven, Seattle, Washington
2006
- North West Fine Arts Competition, Annual Juried Art Exhibition, Phinney Center Gallery Seattle, Washington
- Annual Juried Fine Art Competition, Kent, Washington (Juror: Mary Iverson)
2005
- 4th Annual Recycled Art Show, invitational, New York Fashion Academy’s Gallery, Seattle, Washington
- Nordic Artists Northwest, Nordic Heritage Museum, Seattle, Washington
- Finlandia Music and Art Festival, Northwest College of Art, Poulsbo, Washington
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
- MEAS17: Manifest Exhibition Annual Season 17, 2022 Manifest Press.
- MEAS13: Manifest Exhibition Annual Season 13, 2021 Manifest Press.
-Artists in ND: Experiences with the COVID-19 Pandemic by Kaylee Danks. Interviews, University of North Dakota
- INPA 8, Manifest International Painting Annual, Manifest Press, 2018
- Land & Sea, A National juried exhibition of landscapes and seascapes, Exhibition Catalog, Main Street Arts, 2018
-North Dakota Museum of Art Auction Catalogue 2010-14, 2016-19
-Plains Art Museum Spring Gala Catalogue 2012-15, 2018-19
- Under The Dakota Sky, an Exhibition Celebrating 125 Years of Statehood Catalogue, 2014
SELECTED ART IN PUBLIC COLLECTION
- Public Arts Commission, Grand Forks City Hall, North Dakota
- Jasper Hotel, Fargo, North Dakota
- North Dakota Council on the Arts, Bismarck, North Dakota
- Monroe Community College, Rochester, New York
- Sunshine Hospitality Home, Altru Health System, Grand Forks, North Dakota
- University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota
- North Dakota Museum of Art, Grand Forks, North Dakota
- Valley Medical Center, Renton, Washington
- Sacred Heart Medical Centre, Springfield, Oregon
- Max-Hotel, Seattle, Washington
- Labor Museum, Tampere, Finland