︎︎︎🏕.︎  ⌯  CURRENT   ⌯  WRITING  ⌯  CURATION  ⌯  CV/BIO ⌯  ︎HEIDENART  




























































BIO


Crystal Heiden (°1983, CT, USA  She/Her ) is an artist who works in a variety of media. By exploring the concept of landscape and location in a nostalgic way, Heiden investigates the dynamics of reality, including the manipulation of its effects and the limits of spectacle based on our assumptions of what landscape means to us. Rather than presenting a factual reality, an illusion is fabricated to conjure the realms of our imagination.

Her artworks establish a link between the landscape’s reality and that imagined by its conceiver. These works focus on concrete questions that determine our existence. By referencing romanticism, black humor and symbolism, she finds that movement reveals an inherent awkwardness, a humor that echoes our own vulnerabilities. She also considers movement as a metaphor for the ever-seeking person who experiences a continuous loss though the act of living in the 4th dimension.

Her works are often classified as part of the new romantic movement because of the desire for discovering and locating the self in the unfolding globalized world. However, this reference is not intentional, as this kind of art is part of the collective memory. By questioning the concept of movement, she creates work through labour-intensive processes which can be seen explicitly as a personal exorcism ritual. They are inspired by a nineteenth-century tradition of works, in which an ideal of ‘Fulfilled Absence’ was seen as the pinnacle.

Her works seek to isolate and understand the movements of humans and/or objects. By doing so, new sequences and landscapes are created which reveal an inseparable relationship between motion and the understanding of the self.


CV


Education


2011

MFA, Art Theory and Practice, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL


2006

BFA, Sculpture, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME


2003

Housatonic Community College. Bridgeport, CT



International Study


2008

Maine College of Art, Continuing Studies Program. Art History, China


2005

Studio Art Centers International. Florence, Italy.


Residencies


2019

Mary Sky, Hancock, VT


2016

AmFab weekend Residency 2016, Bridgeport CT


2012

White Rabbit, Upper Economy, NS, Canada
Baie St. Marie Artist residency, NS, Canada


2011

Ox-Bow Artist in Residence. Saugatuck, MI


2008

VCU Sumer Studio program. Richmond, VA



Exhibitions


2020

Space Gallery Gala and Auction (forthcoming), New Haven, CT


2019

AIR Showcase, Mary Sky Gallery, Burlington VT
Bad At Sports:Art Space New Acquisition,
M-Activity, New Haven, CT
Harmony, City Lights Gallery, Bridgeport CT
Perverse Furniture
, ArtSpace, New Haven CT
Tin Ceilings and Other Specifics, The Magenta Suite, Exeter, NH
Spaceness 2019,
Sou’Wester Lodge, Seaview, WA
Complicit-Erasure of the Body,
Yale Divinity School, New Haven, CT
AMFAB Rhythms,
Schelfhaudt Gallery at the University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport CT


2018

10 Women-10 Years, City Lights Gallery, Bridgeport CT
Boston Biennial 5, Atlantic Works Gallery, East Boston, MA


2017

Observation and Transformation, American Fabrics, single-channel video screening, Bridgeport CT
#InterPersonalRelationshipGoals, Video!Video!Zine, (June screening) Chicago, IL
Freshly Painted Beige Walls, Video!Video!Zine, LVL3 Gallery, Chicago, I
Salon des Independants XXVIII, Hygenic Arts, New London CT
Hygenic Screening Room, Crocker House Ball Room, New London CT


2016

Water, American Fabrics, single-channel video screening, Bridgeport CT
Small Works Show, Read’s ground Floor space, Bridgeport CT


2015

Landscape, Attrition, Space/Time, American Fabrics, single-channel video screening, Bridgeport CT
Small Works Show, Read’s ground Floor space, Bridgeport CT


2014

Crystal Heiden : Drawings,  EBK small works. Hartford, CT


2013

Emerging ARTist exhibition, Five Points Gallery, Torrington, CT
2013 MECA Residency Exhibition , Maine College of Art, Portland, ME.


2012

Once: An Exhibition of Artist Fellowship Recipients, The Gallery at Constitution Plaza, Hartford, CT
White Rabbit Experience Screening, Upper Economy, NS, Canada
Wet Paint 2012, Zhou B Art Center. Chicago, IL
Ox-Bow winter benefit, Architectural Artifacts, Chicago,


2011

MFA Thesis Show, Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art. Evanston, I
Frontiers of Photography Visarts Kaplan Gallery, Rockville, Maryland
Sketch Book Project: 2011, Brooklyn Art Library, Brooklyn NY (traveling to Portland, Chicago, Washington DC, Austin, etc.)


2010

Midnight Snacks: Chicago, 1366 Space, Chicago IL
The birds we have known, August House Studios, Chicago IL


2008

Treading water VCU Fine Arts Building. Richmond VA
Group show. 650 Moulton. Los Angeles CA


2007

By Endurance We Conquer, Solo show. Lisman Landing Marina, Milford CT
MFAC & Milford Artists Show, Milford Center for the Arts. Milford CT
The Open Doors of Downtown Milford, Public art auctioned off with proceeds to go to Hole in the Wall Gang Camps.


2006

BFA Index, Institute of Contemporary Art. Portland ME
How the West was won, Solo show. Friedman Student Gallery. Portland ME
Beyond the Object, The Clown Gallery, Portland ME
Biennial Juried Exhibition, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockport ME
The Beauty of Buildings, Firehouse Art Gallery, Milford CT


2005

Long overdue: Book renewal, Portland public library Lewis Gallery. Portland ME
Merit Exhibition, Maine College of Art, Portland ME
The Human Figure, Firehouse Art Gallery, Milford CT
BFA Exhibition, Maine College of Art, Portland ME


2004

Merit Exhibition, Maine College of Art. Portland ME
BFA Exhibition, Maine College of Art, Portland ME


Collaborative / Performance/ Curation


2019

Layers, single channel video screening curated by Macrina Newhouse (director Mary Sky) Presented at American Fabrics, Bridgeport CT


2018

Hands on **** Hands off, American Fabrics, curated single-channel video screening, Bridgeport CT
Mer-sluts:2018 festival and performance art event, Mermaid cove, Tobermorey, Ontario, CA. Founding member
Seymour: Osprey Medallion Commissioned public art project designed and fabricated collaboratively with Tori Marsh. Seymour, CT


2017

Observation and Transformation, American Fabrics, curated single-channel video screening, Bridgeport CT
BE A BODY. or its doppelgänger. [There is power in numbers.] , single-channel video screening, co-curated with Christine Negus, Bijou Theater, Bridgeport CT
Water, SCIN Gallery, Architect at Work, Olympia London, curated single-channel video  screening 6 international videos artist, London, UK
Mer-sluts:2017 festival and performance art event, Mermaid cove, Tobermorey, Ontario, CA.  Founding member


2016

Water, American Fabrics, curated single-channel video screening 17 international videos artist, Bridgeport CT
Fragments, Housatonic Museum of Art, Burt Chernow Gallery, curated single-channel video screening 12 international videos artist, Bridgeport CT
Mer-sluts:2016 festival and performance art event, Mermaid cove, Tobermorey, Ontario, CA. Founding member


2015

Landscape, Attrition, Space/Time, American Fabrics, curated single-channel video, screening 15 international videos artist, Bridgeport CT
Mer-sluts:2015 festival and performance art event, Mermaid cove, Tobermorey, Ontario, CA. Founding member
Seymour: Obelisk Commissioned public art project designed and fabricated collaboratively with Tori Marsh. Seymour, CT


2014

Mer-sluts:2014 festival and performance art event, Mermaid cove, Tobermorey, Ontario, CA. Founding member


2012

The Fundy performance in Upper Economy, NS, CA performed in the waters of the Bay of Fundy at the point where the worlds highest tides were recorded.


2010

Landscape Annihilates Consciousness, Block Cinema, Northwestern University,  Evanston IL. Artist Film screening programed in collaboration with Christine Negus


2004

InfraSculpture: Chisels and chainsaws 2005, at the Museum of Fine Arts. Boston, MA
Ebune: Procession of the Ram, Procession in celebration of spring in collaboration with Superior Concept Monsters and the Museum of African Tribal Art. Portland, ME
Oroborus project: An exploration of the modern day sewing circle, Friedman Student Gallery at Maine college of Art. Participant/consultant. Portland, ME


Fellowships/Grants


2012

Artist Fellowship Grant,Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD)/CT Office of the Arts (COA).
Baie St. Marie Jenny Family Artist Travel Stipend, Maine College of Art


2011

Ox-Bow Residency Scholarship, School of the Art Institute of Chicago



2009-11

  Northwestern University Fellowship, Northwestern University


2002-06

  Merritt Scholarship, Maine College of Art


Publications/Presentations


2019

“AmFab Artist Crystal Heiden observes all the earth’s angles” CT POst, April 7th 2019, Joel Lang
“Ambitious exhibit ‘Perverse Furniture’ on view at Artspace in New Haven”,Shoreline Times, June 7th 2019 Judy Birke Perverse Furniture, Show catalogue, Art Space Publication, New Haven CT


2018

“Seymour: Artists’ Sculpture Placed at the Tingue Dam”,VoicesNews.com, July 18th 2018, Gillian Russo
Hands on **** Hands off catalogue, American Fabrics, Bridgeport CT


2017

Observation and Transformation catalogue, American Fabrics, Bridgeport CT


2016

Water catalogue, American Fabrics, Bridgeport CT


2015

I am NOT Tino Seghal exhibition catalogue, Nahmad Projects, London, UK
Landscape, Attrition, Space/Time catalogue, American Fabrics, Bridgeport CT


2014

The Insomniac Propagandist: volume 1, contributed images 2014, TIP Contributor Spotlight: Crystal Heiden, Web Interview
“Whimsical work of Crystal Heiden at new Hartford gallery.”CTNOW, February 26 2014, Susan Dunne.


2013

“Once: An exhibition of Artist fellowship recipients.” Artscope, Jan/Feb 2013 ed. J. Fatima Martins
"Process & Place: The Transformative Potential of Artist Residencies"Panelist,  Maine College of Art, Portland, ME. January


2012

Baie St. Marie Artist Residency Artist Talk, Weymouth Waterfront Library, Weymouth, NS, Canada September 2012
National Wet Paint Exhibition 2012 Catalogue, Zhou B. Art Center, Chicago IL


2011

Oxbow School of Arts and Craft Artist Talk, in conjunction with residency. August  2011    
2011 MFA Thesis Exhibition Catalogue, Department of Art Theory & Practice, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL


2010

AT&P Grad Caucus Northwestern University Art Theory and Practice Graduate Caucus. Presenter.


2007

"Art show is actually in the water."Milford Mirror, 4 Jan. 2007. Jill Dion
"Artist exhibiting a harsher winter."Connecticut Post, 6 Jan. 2007. Frank Juliano


2005

"Maine's College of Art."PortCity Life, March/April 2005 ed. Abby Zimet