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).

Her work is represented by Momentum Gallery in Asheville, NC and Oeno Gallery in Ontario, Canada.

Contact: heatherhietala@gmail.com

Heather Hietala

26 Skylyn Court, Asheville, NC 28806 • heatherhietala.com • heatherhietala@gmail.com • 828-782-8307

Education

MFA Textiles, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA
BFA Painting and Sculpture, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
Certificate of Japanese Language Proficiency, Nanzan University, Nagoya, Japan

Gallery Affiliation

Momentum Gallery, 24 North Lexington, Asheville, NC 28801
Oeno Gallery, 2274 Prince Edward County Rd 1, Bloomfield, Ontario, Canada

Solo and Two Person Exhibitions

Momentum Gallery, Asheville, NC, “Heather Hietala”, 2024
Finlandia Art Gallery, Hancock, MI, “Heather Allen Hietala - Evolution,” 2024
Oeno Gallery, Bloomfield, ON Canada, Heather Hietala - Uncharted Waters, 2023
Oeno Gallery, Bloomfield, ON Canada, Two-Person Exhibition, 2010
Black Mountain Center for the Arts, Black Mountain, NC, “Heather Allen-Swarttouw,” 2010
Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC, “Heather Allen-Swarttouw,” 2009
Steeple of Light Gallery, Kansas City, MO, “Transition - Heather Allen-Swarttouw,” 2009
American Institute of Architects Gallery, Washington, DC, “Heather Allen: Architectural Textiles,” 2005
Sculpture Square Gallery, Singapore, “FORM-ING Materials & Processes, Works by Heather Allen,” 2004
Black Mountain Center for the Arts, Black Mountain, NC, “Heather Allen: Journey,” 2003
Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC, “Heather Allen - Gallery 3,” 2001

Selected Invitational Exhibitions

Oeno Gallery, Bloomfield, ON Canada, "Summer Array" 2019
Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC, "Art in Motion," 2019
Upstairs Artspace, Tryon, NC, " Show Me Your ID," 2019
Folk Art Center Main Gallery, Asheville, NC, "Searching for Balance," 2019
Folk Art Center Main Gallery, Asheville, NC, “Wabi Sabi,” 2018
Artist Small Edition Book Festival, Reggio, Italy, Barcelona, Spain, "Book Secrets," catalogue 2018
Oeno Gallery, Bloomfield, ON Canada, “Text Message,” 2017
Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC, “Outside Inspiration,”2017
Greg Museum of Art & Design, Raleigh, NC, Show and Tell: Celebrating the Collections of the Gregg Museum of Art & Design,” 2017
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN, “Instructor Exhibition,” 2016
Artist Small Edition Book Festival, Reggio, Italy, Barcelona, Spain, "Naturally a Book" catalogue 2016
Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC, “Natural Order,” 2015
Artist Small Edition Book Festival, Reggio, Italy, Barcelona, Spain, "Book Seeds" catalogue 2015
Asheville Bookworks, Asheville, NC, The Open Press, Chattanooga, TN, The Frank Gallery, Chapel Hill, NC, “Renaissance” 2015
Oeno Gallery, Bloomfield, ON Canada, “From the Ground,” 2014
Cedar Creek Gallery, Creedmore, NC, “National Teapot Show IX,” 2014
Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC, “Subconscious and Memory,” 2012
River Gallery, Chattanooga, TN, “Insight,” 2011
Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC, “Curiosities,” 2010
Gallery 51, North Adams, MA, “All Fired Up,” 2009
River Gallery, Chattanooga, TN, “Bound,” 2008
Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC, “Pursuing Excellence: Studio Craft Movement” (catalogue) 2007
Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC, “Back to the Garden,” 2006
Wustum Museum of Fine Arts, Racine, WI, “Magnificent Extravagance: Artists and Opulence,” 2005
Penland Gallery, Penland, NC, “Enclosed Within,”2005
New Bedford Art Museum, New Bedford, MA, “A Textile Legacy” (catalogue) 2004
Wesserling Textile Museum, Mulhouse, France, “Explorations” (traveled 2003 - 2004)
Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC, “The First Step: Drawings by Southeastern Artists,” 2003
Mint Museum of Craft + Design, Charlotte, NC, “Quilts from the Carolinas,” 2002
Atlanta International Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA, “Eclectic Expressions,” 2001
Singapore Art Museum, “Handmade: Shifting Paradigms” (catalogue)1999

Selected Juried Exhibitions

The Gallery at Penn College, Williamsport, PA, “Books Undone,” 2018
Periodicals Gallery, Decatur, GA, “The Book As Art: Boundless,” 2016
John Elder Gallery, Charlotte, NC, “Carolina’s Got Art,” 2015
John Elder Gallery, Charlotte, NC, “Carolina’s Got Art,” 2013
Dairy Barn Arts Center, Athens, OH, “Quilt National” (book), traveling 2011 - 2013
Center for Craft Creativity and Design, Hendersonville, NC, “Spotlight 2005”
Asheville Art Museum, Asheville, NC, “Endings and Beginnings” (catalogue)2000
Cornell Museum, Delray Beach, FL, “Fine Focus” (traveled 1999 – 2001)

Awards And Residencies

Project Grant, Asheville Area Arts Council, Asheville, NC, 2017
Author's Library Award, Artist Small Edition Book Festival, Reggio, Italy, 2015
Honorable Mention, Carolina’s Got Art, John Elder Gallery, Charlotte, NC, 2015
Juror’s First Place Award, Carolina’s Got Art, John Elder Gallery, Charlotte, NC
Frances Goodrich Scholarship, Natural Materials Workshop, Southern Highland Craft Guild, Asheville, NC, 2013
Penland Instructors New Works Retreat, Penland, NC, 2011
Frances Goodrich Scholarship, Papermaking Workshop, Southern Highland Craft Guild, Asheville, NC, 2011
Centrum Artist Residency, Exploring Kelp and Printmaking, Port Townsend, WA, 2004
Penland Instructors New Works Retreat, Penland, NC, 2004
Centrum Artist Residency, Exploring Kelp and Printmaking, Port Townsend, WA, 2002
NICHE Award, Philadelphia Buyers Market, Baltimore, MD, 1996
National Endowment for the Arts - Regional Fellowship, Southern Arts Federation, Atlanta, GA, 1995
Artist Fellowship, Tennessee Arts Commission, Nashville, TN, 1995
Emerging Professional Artist Residency, Appalachian Center for Crafts, Smithville, TN

Publications - Features and Reviews

Naturally a Book, Elisa Pellacani, Nerocolore srl, Correggio, Italy, 2017
Book Seeds: Small but Powerful. Elisa Pellacani, Nerocolore srl, Correggio, Italy, 2015
500 Handmade Books Vol 2. Lark Books, Sterling Publishing, Co., NY, 2013
Book Play. Margaret Couch Cogswell, Lark Crafts, Sterling Publishing, Co., NY, 2013
Verve Magazine. "Rows Her Boat," Ursula Gullow, March 2011 (pp. 22-23)
Quilt National, Lark Books, Sterling Publishing, Co., NY, 2011
Surface Design Journal. "Heather Allen-Swarttouw, Blue Spiral 1" reviewed by Katey Schultz, Summer 2010, (pp. 60 – 61)
Real Life Journals. Gwen Diehn, Lark Crafts, Sterling Publishing, Co., NY, 2010
500 Quilts, Lark Books, Sterling Publishing, Co., NY, 2010
Senshoku Alpha. "The Work of Heather Allen," Emiko Nakano, Tokyo, Japan, Aug 2004 (pp. 4 – 7)
Fiberarts Magazine. "On Homes, Spaces, Harmony, Comfort, & Order," Sunita Patterson, Nov/Dec 2002 (cover and pp. 4 – 5)
Surface Design Journal. " New Tools and the Legacy of Risk," Chad Hagen, Summer 2002 (pp. 40 – 42)
Fiberarts Magazine. "Heather Allen: Meditative Images in Layers of Blue," Chad Hagen, Summer 2001 (p. 24)
“Modern Masters,” Directed / Produced by Katrina Sarson, HGTV. Episode 204; October 1999, April
Fiberarts Magazine. “Building Architectural Journals,” Lynda McDaniel, Jan/Feb 1997 (p. 14)
American Craft Magazine. “Heather Allen” Southern Arts Federation, Susan Knowles, Jan. / Feb. 1996
International Textile Design. Mary Schoeser, Mary Lawrence, King Publishers, London, 1995, 2013

Publication - Author

Surface Design Journal, "Journaling and My Creative Process," Summer 2003 (p. 6 – 9)
Shuttle, Spindle & Dyepot, “The Inspirational Muse,” Issue # 128, Fall 2001 (p. 42 – 45)
Weaving Contemporary Rag Rugs. Lark Books/Sterling Publishing, Co., NY, 1998
Surface Design Journal. "Architectural Textiles: Images of the Built Environment," Summer 1997 (p. 4-7)

Professional Studies

Polymer Photogravure with Clay Harmon, Asheville BookWorks, Asheville, NC, 2018
Unique Prints - Monotype with Georgia Deal, Asheville BookWorks, Asheville, NC, 2018
Thinking and Building in 3D with Gyongy Laky, Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, Gatlinburg TN, 2015
Now and Then with Dorothy Gill Barnes, Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, Gatlinburg TN, 2014

Teaching Appointments - Adjunct Semester Courses

University of North Carolina Asheville, Asheville, NC; Two-Dimensional Design, Spring and Fall, 2019
University of North Carolina Asheville, Asheville, NC; Three-Dimensional Design, Spring, 2019
Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC; Drawing 1, Fall, 2014
Haywood Community College, Clyde, NC; Three-Dimensional Design - Advanced Craft Design Spring, (two sections), 2014
Haywood Community College, Clyde, NC; Rendering for Woodworkers, Spring, 2014
Haywood Community College, Clyde, NC; Two-Dimesional Design - Introduction to Craft Design Fall (two sections), 2013
Haywood Community College, Clyde, NC; Rendering for Woodworkers, Fall, 2013
Haywood Community College, Clyde, NC; Three-DImensional Design - Advanced Craft Design Spring (two sections) 2013
Haywood Community College, Clyde, NC; Drafting for Woodworkers, 2013
Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC; Drawing 1, Spring, 2010
Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC; Book Forms I and II, Fall, 2009
Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC; Alternative Sculpture Techniques, Spring, 2009

Teaching Experience - Workshops


Heather Hietala Studio, Asheville, NC; Wire Sculpture with Cold Connections, Stitching as Mark Making, Contemporary Embroidery/Stitching, Surface Design Techniques on Paper and Cloth, Journaling and Your Subconscious, Keeping Creative Visual Journals, Paste Paper and Coptic Bound Journals, Exploring Color, 2007 - ongoing
Cloth Fiber Workshop, Asheville, NC; Screen Printing and Surface Design Workshops, 2015 -
Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, NY; The Art of Letting Go - Awakening One’s Creative Spirit, 2016
Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, NY; Drawing and Sculpting with Wire, 2015
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN; Creative Practice - The Artist Journal as Studio Companion, 2016
Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, NY; Drawing and Sculpting with Wire, 2015
Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC; Gut Containers: From the Inside Out, 2014
Asheville Bookworks, NC; Keeping Creative Visual Journals, 2006 - 14
Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts, Asheville, NC; Developing a Body of Work, Hand Building with Clay, , 2011-14
Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC; Magnificent Textured Cloth, 2012
Split Rock Arts Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN; Creative Upcycling: Reinvigorating Textiles, 2011
Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC; Rag Weaving and Beyond, 2008
Arrowmont School Of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN; The Interior Palette, 2007
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, ME; The Interior Palette, 2004
Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC; Rag Rugs Rediscovered, 2004
National Institute of Education, Singapore; Printing Workshop and Lecture on Personal Work, 2004
Khon Kaen University, khon Kaen, Thailand; Printing Workshop and Lecture on Personal Work, 2003
Zokei University, Tokyo, Japan; Journaling Workshop and Lecture on Personal Work, 2003
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN; Creative Play - Adding Another Layer, 2003
Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC; Rag Rugs Rediscovered, 2000

Conferences and Lectures

Surface Design Conference, Kansas City, MO; Workshop - Keeping Creative Journals, 2009
Intermountain Weavers Conference, Durango, CO; Creative Play - Adding Another Layer, Workshop,2009
Third National Saki-ori Conference and Exhibition, Tokyo, Japan; Invited Keynote Speaker, 2005
Kawashima Textile School, Kyoto, Japan; Lecture and Demonstration 2005
Kyoto University of Art and Design; Kyoto, Japan; Lecture and Demonstration 2005
Study Center of Hirosaki City, Hirosaki, Japan; Lecture and Demonstration 2005
Civic Center Gallery, Tokushima, Japan; Lecture and Demonstration 2005
Matsumoto Kinrosha Fukushi Center, Matsumoto, Japan; Lecture and Demonstration 2005
Sapporo Art Park, Sapporo, Japan; Lecture and Demonstration 2005
Women's Development Center, Janakpur, Nepal; Heather Allen - Lecture on Personal Work, 2004
Indigo Gallery, Kathmandu, Nepal; Heather Allen - Lecture on Personal Work, 2004
Second National Saki-ori Conference, Tokyo, Japan; Invited Keynote Speaker, 2003

Textile Commissions

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC; Textile Replication; 4 Pelmets, Second Floor Living Hall, 2007 - 09
Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC; Textile Replication: Bed Canopy and Drapes, Morland Room, 1998 - 99

Public Collections

Agnico Eagle Gold Corporation, Toronto, ON
Asheville Art Museum, Asheville, NC Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC
BF Goodrich Company, Charlotte, NC
Crete Public Library, Crete, IL
Fidelity Investments Corporate Art Collection, Boston, MA
First Union Bank, Charlotte, NC
Frangipani Resort, Anguilla, British West Indies
Gregg Museum of Art & Design, Raleigh, NC
Ilde Association, Reggio, Italy
Mountain Air Resort, Burnsville, NC
North Carolina Arts Commission, Raleigh, NC
Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Racine Art Museum, Racine, WI
The Horn Collection of Contemporary Craft, Little Rock, AR
Wingate University, Wingate, NC

Juried Craft Shows

Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show: 1997, 2006, 2012
Crafts Boston: 2002, 2005, 2011
Smithsonian Craft Show: 2000, 2001, 2010, 2011
American Craft Council Baltimore: 1997, 2001
American Craft Council San Francisco: 1997