Bergquist, Kate

Kate Bergquist is an Austin resident who promoted literacy and performance art through her career as an artist and illustrator in Central Texas. Her husband Carl Bergquist, also an artist and graphic designer, taught visual communication at the university level in the Austin area.

Carl O. Bergquist was born in 1919 in Pasadena, California, the son of the Reverend Carl Waldemar Bergquist and Elva Marie Carlson Bergquist. The family moved to Georgetown, Texas in 1927. Carl graduated from Southwestern University in Georgetown before joining the U.S. Navy and served as a Navel Aviator in World War II. After the war, Carl earned a master's degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago while teaching at Southwestern. During this time, while taking some additional classes at the Chicago Art Institute, Carl met his future wife Kate Nindos.

Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, Kate Bergquist, the former Kate Nindos, was born to Greek immigrant parents. She attended art school in Chicago where she met her future husband, Carl. After their marriage in 1955, Kate moved to Carl's hometown of Georgetown, Texas.

After six years at Southwestern Carl joined the faculty of the School of Architecture at the University of Texas in 1959. While at the University Texas Carl taught basic design, drawing and watercolor painting; was involved in a variety of committees; and was an advisor for student publications, including Image during the years 1963 to 1968. He retired in 1984, and was named Professor Emeritus. Along with his teaching duties Carl practiced professionally as a photographer and graphic designer and was responsible for photos, posters, logos, letterheads for a variety of commercial, religious and individual clients.

The couple moved to Austin in 1960. Kate and Carl Bergquist had a daughter, Jone, and two sons, Bill and John.

Kate's artistic career was launched in 1963 when her artwork was discovered and purchased by Go Magazine editor, Sue McBee. Kate's daughter Jone became a ballerina with the Austin Ballet Theatre in her teens which led to Kate's involvement with local ballet companies. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s Kate produced artwork for three civic ballet companies in Austin: The Texas Ballet Concerto, Austin Ballet Society (now Ballet Austin), and the Austin Ballet Theatre. From 1972-1976, Kate produced promotional art for the Austin Ballet Theatre on a nearly monthly basis. In addition to producing art, she served as a board member for the Austin Ballet Society.

Beyond her work for the ballet, Kate Bergquist served as a staff artist in the public relations department of Austin Public Library. Most of her work for the Austin Public library dates from 1968-1975 and ranges from advertisements for library programs such as StoryTime to banners and buttons promoting the library. She was also a children's books illustrator and graphic designer.

After leaving her position with the Austin Public Library, she produced much of her artwork on a freelance and contract basis. As a freelance illustrator, Kate worked on magazine and newspaper advertisement campaigns for companies such as Neiman Marcus, Leon's, Buttrey's, and Marie Antoinette. Kate was the owner of a stationery store called Good Ideas from 1979 to 1982, where she designed and produced a national line of greeting cards, gift boxes, and wrapping paper. She also created programs for United Campus Ministries and designed the artwork and illustrations for the Central Texas Gardener, a textbook produced by Texas AM University Press.

Carl was killed in a car accident in 1994. Kate still lives in the Austin area.

From the guide to the Kate and Carl Bergquist Papers AR. 1998. 002., 1952-1996, 1959-1979, (Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, )