BergerCollection.org
Title
Berger Collection (BCET) | About
Description
The Berger Collection Educational Trust (BCET) was established to sponsor educational activities related to the Berger Collection, British art in general, and the people, culture, and history the works portray. Dedicated to making the collection of British art assembled by Bill and Bernadette Berger an educational resource accessible to all, the BCET intends to develop programs that will connect people with art.
William Merriam Bart Berger was born in Denver, a fourth-generation Coloradoan who passed away there in 1999. Following the Berger family tradition of caring for other people's money, Bill led a pioneering career managing mutual funds, for which he was nationally recognized. Bernadette Joan Johnson Berger was raised in western Colorado, owns farms in Kansas, and has worked as a securities trader and stockbroker, as well as being a supportive mother. Long-time collectors and patrons of the arts, Bill and Bernadette have said, "We have always believed that art, as well as music, poetry, and literature, refreshes and enriches our lives."
Though natives of the American West, the Bergers chose to assemble an impressive collection of British Art. Their love of British culture was due, in part, to ancestral connections and business partners, and may have been sparked by Bill's experience working as an ambulance driver for the British army in World War II. When asked, "Why British art?" the Bergers remind us that it is drawn from a heritage shared by every American, no matter their personal genealogy. They note that the achievements of British people in the arts, science, economics, and politics have contributed significantly to our material well-being and position in the world. The collection the Bergers have assembled is remarkable for its great span of British art history - 600 years. Through their collection, the Bergers hope that people will explore their understanding of the past, sense new emotions, and gain new insights into the world and themselves.
