ARTIST INFO

HEATHER HIETALA
Asheville, NC

MIXED MEDIA | Sculpture and 2-d

Penland Affiliation | Penland instructor 1997, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2014

Artist Information | Studio artist; education: MFA University of Massachusetts, BFA University of New Hampshire; teaching: Adjunct Faculty, University of North Carolina Asheville (NC), Adjunct Faculty, Warren Wilson College (NC), Penland School of Craft (NC), Haywood Community College (NC), Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts (TN); exhibitions: Oeno Gallery (Canada), Blue Spiral Gallery (NC), Folk Art Center (NC)

Artist Bio | Heather studied painting and sculpture at the University of New Hampshire and textiles at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. She furthered her studies at Penland School of Crafts, Haystack, and Arrowmont. Her work had been exhibited in numerous venues including the Asheville Art Museum, Racine Art Museum, Mint Museum of Craft and Design, Atlanta International Museum of Art, Wesserling Textile Museum, France, and Singapore Art Museum. Heather’s work is in various private and public collections including the Asheville Art Museum, Racine Art Museum, Gregg Museum of Art & Design, North Carolina Arts Commission, Windgate University, The Biltmore Estate, and Fidelity Investments. She has received a National Endowment for the Arts Regional Fellowship, a TN Arts Commission Fellowship, and two residencies at Centrum Center for the Arts (WA).

Artist Statement | My art distills and expresses my journey through life. With a singular voice, I explore form, purpose, and design thru experimentation with a diverse range of materials. I have a unique way of using intuition and experience to guide me, engaging in a dialogue that explores relationships and the cyclical nature of life. I am an innovator across many mediums; including wood and salt-fired ceramics, cloth, wire, paper, gut, and natural materials from my orchard garden.