The Wellington Art Society will begin its 42nd year with a meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at the Wellington Community Center, (12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd, Wellington). The meeting will open with a meet and greet at 5:30 p.m., followed by a member spotlight and brief meeting. The event will conclude with a presentation by local artist Heather Bergstrom on “How to Turn Your Passion into a Side Hustle or Career.” The public is invited. COVID-19 protocols will be observed. For more information, contact Laura Jaffe at presidentofwas@gmail.com.
Bergstrom has spent a lifetime pursuing her passion and skill as an artist. Her favorite mediums are graphite, charcoal and acrylic paint. She loves to tell stories with her art, painting poignant scenes that translate into universal feelings of contentment, nostalgia or joie de vivre.
Bergstrom is originally from New Haven, Connecticut, where she worked in the public school system. Several years ago, she and her family moved to Florida, where she got a job at a local private school. Throughout her career, she never lost her enthusiasm for art. When she wasn’t working, she was creating. In fact, during her lunch breaks, Bergstrom was often found drawing in the teachers’ lounge. As more and more people started asking to buy her art, it dawned on her that this might be a nice way to make extra cash. In her free time, she began slowly building a portfolio, a web site and a social media presence.
Then the pandemic forced schools to shut down, leaving many people, including Bergstrom, without a job. Though this was a difficult time, she saw it as an opportunity to grow her art side hustle into a full-time career — a dream that she previously thought would have to wait until retirement.
Around this time, Bergstrom met master artist Laurie Snow Hein through the Wellington Art Society. Hein appreciated Bergstrom’s passion and business sense and hired her as her assistant. “Meeting Laurie was providential,” Bergstrom said. “I have learned so much from her experience as a professional artist and have applied that knowledge to my own art business.”
Bergstrom enjoys sharing her art marketing expertise with other creatives. She is an active board member of the Wellington Art Society and serves on the marketing team. In 2020, she received the People’s Choice Award at the South Florida Fair, and in 2021 she received the People’s Choice Award for the “Wonders of Art” Exhibition at the Wellington Community Center. To learn more about her, visit www.heatherbergstrom.art.
To learn more about the Wellington Art Society, visit www.wellingtonartsociety.org.
