Today we’d like to introduce you to Adrienne Trego.
Hi Adrienne, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been an artist for as long as I can remember and an arts administrator for my entire adult life. My personal artistic practice and my career have always informed each other, but they long felt separate – one is how I live, the other is how I survive. However, after over two decades in nonprofit arts administration and arts education it’s become clear that my administrative work and my artistic practice have never been separate paths.
That united path is very present in my current role at Capitol Encore Academy, where I work as the Director of Community Engagement and as an Arts Integration Specialist. There, I focus on building sustainable partnerships with community arts organizations, designing arts-integrated programming, and supporting educators in meaningfully embedding the arts into their classrooms. The work allows me to operate at the intersection of practice, pedagogy, and infrastructure—thinking not just about individual artistic experiences, but about how systems can be designed to support creativity, access, and equity over time.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest ongoing struggles for me – and for many artists – has been navigating imposter syndrome, especially early on. I spent years working in arts administration, supporting artists and building programs, while quietly doubting whether I had earned the right to center my own creative practice. That tension—between competence and confidence—slowed me down as an artist, even as it strengthened my understanding of the systems artists have to navigate.
Another challenge has been the reality of sustainability. Arts administration paid the bills, and I was deeply committed to the organizations and communities I worked with, but that often meant putting my own artistic goals on hold. Over time, I realized how easy it is—especially in nonprofit and service-oriented work—for care, responsibility, and survival to crowd out personal creative risk. Learning to value my own work enough to protect time and space for it has been an ongoing lesson. I am very fortunate to have a incredibly supportive villiage of friends, family and my spouse who allow me to prioritize my creative practice while still being present as a mother, partner, friend, sister, daughter. My villiage is such a gift.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My artwork is a mixed media fiber practice rooted in feminism, anatomy, ecology, and sociocultural theory, centering embroidery as both material and method of resistance. Most of my work is embroidery – a labor-intensive process historically dismissed as “women’s work”. I challenge artistic and cultural hierarchies that devalue care, domestic labor, and slowness. Through detailed anatomical and botanical forms—cells, tissues, roots, and fractal systems—I explore the relationship between the micro and the macro, that individuals are inseparable from the biological, social, and ecological systems they shape. My work understands growth and transformation as collective, incremental, and relational. Community and interdependence is a foundational structure for survival.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Most of the mentorship and networking in my life has grown out of collaboration rather than formal mentorship structures. Working alongside other artists—on exhibitions, community projects, or shared administrative and educational efforts—has been the most meaningful way for me to learn and build relationships. I’ve found that being genuinely curious about others’ practices naturally opens space for exchange and guidance. Many of the artists I now consider mentors began as collaborators, where learning happened laterally.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.adriennetregoart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adrienne.trego.art
