I make work that holds feeling…
somewhere between tenderness & wilderness.
About
Bergen Bock is a multidisciplinary artist based in Bend, Oregon, creating work that lives somewhere between tenderness and wildness.
Their practice centers on atmosphere, emotion, and the quiet things we carry. Through painting, drawing, and ceramics, they explore memory, grief, identity, and the ways the body mirrors the natural world. Figures slip into trees, animals appear and disappear, and landscapes become something internal—felt more than understood.
Their work moves between abstraction and representation, built through layered color, intuitive mark-making, and a deep trust in process. Each piece is less about telling a story and more about holding a feeling—something soft, something unresolved, something alive.
Outside of the studio, this same language extends into functional objects—mugs, prints, and small works meant to live in daily rituals. At its core, Bergen’s work is about connection: to self, to others, and to the parts of us that don’t always have words.
CV
Solo Exhibitions
2024
Memories in the Ground
Turtle Island Café
2023
Memories in the Ground
Scalehouse Annex
Group Exhibitions
2025
COCC Art & Design Program Showcase
Pinckney Gallery
2025
The Art That Heals Us
Linus Pauling Gallery
2023
The Future Is Genderless
Pinckney Gallery
2023
Contours: A Personal Geography
Ellipse Theatre Community
2014
Great Big Heart Annual Show
Middle Way Café
2013
Great Big Heart Annual Show
Middle Way Café
2012
Local Artist Group Show
Middle Way Café
2011
The Wild Things
Middle Way Café
Artist Residencies
2024
Fresco Painting Residency
Feltre
Focused study in traditional fresco painting techniques
2024
Artist Residency
Patricia Clark Studio
Affiliated with Scalehouse Gallery
Teaching, Mentorship & Professional Experience
Art Lab Coordinator / Technician
Central Oregon Community College
2020–Present
Provide technical support for painting, drawing, and design studios
Mentor students in studio practice, materials, and creative development
Assist faculty with classroom setup, demonstrations, critiques, and instruction
Maintain studio equipment, tools, and shared workspaces
Support department programming, exhibitions, and events
Teaching Assistant, Painting
Central Oregon Community College
2020–Present
Support instruction in painting courses through demonstrations and critiques
Provide one-on-one guidance in color theory, composition, and process
Assist with classroom facilitation and student assessment
Education
Associate of Arts – Transfer (AA-T)
Central Oregon Community College