Group Pop-Up Art Exhibit in Whitefish, Montana - August 7th!

What’s more fun than doing projects with friends? ….and inviting people to get together IRL - in person? 

We’re throwing together a fun summertime pop-up art exhibit, and we’d love to see you there! 

When👉 Thursday, Aug. 7th • 5-8pm

Where👉 Stark Gallery, 244 Spokane Avenue Suite 3, Whitefish, MT (above Bookworks) 

Refreshments, light snacks, good conversation, great company, and uplifting artwork. What’s not to love?💗 

Please join us! 

Upcoming solo exhibit at the Emerson in Bozeman, Montana

I’m excited to share that I’ve been invited to show a new body of work this summer at the Emerson Center for Arts & Culture in Bozeman, Montana.

“Whitefish-based artist Heidi Marie Faessel, presents a new body of work -one rich in color- that calls to awaken our senses. The exhibit features gestural abstract paintings, alongside playful textile works, and sculptures made from salvaged and everyday materials. It celebrates ideas of optimism, the creative process, and the human drive to express ourselves across time and place.”

Opening July 11th during Art Walk, 5-8 pm. I’ll be there!!

The exhibit will run July 11-August 29, 2025.

Video interview about "inside the pause" art exhibit

Interview where I talk about “Inside the Pause” art exhibit at the Holter Museum of Art in Helena, Montana

"Inside the Pause" digital catalog

If you are not able to get to the Holter Museum of Art to experience my solo exhibit “Inside the Pause” in person, this digital catalog is now available.

Announcing "Inside the Pause" solo exhibition at the Holter Museum of Art

I’m excited to share my upcoming solo exhibit at the Holter Museum of Art, which will be on display from November 8, 2024, to December 31, 2024.

Two and half years ago I submitted my proposal for this work and was delighted when it was accepted. Now it’s finally here, and I’m excited.

“INSIDE THE PAUSE” features monochromatic sculpture and textile works by Heidi Marie Faessel. Made from salvaged and everyday materials, during the COVID -19 pandemic, this immersive exhibit explores themes of impermanence, interconnection, and transformation.

Art Mobile of Montana 2024-25 art exhibition "Connectivity"

I’m happy to share that I was invited to participate in the 2024-25 Art Mobile of Montana traveling exhibition. This year they partnered with Open Air and it’s a fiber art exhibition, titled “Connectivity.”

The Art Mobile of Montana brings curated exhibits, hands-on art lessons, and teacher education to schools across Montana. I’m excited to participate in this year’s exhibition.

I have a video on YouTube documenting the process of making these wall hangings. I used handmade brushes using natural materials. It was great fun for me, and I hope the kids get to try it.

Click image to take you to the YouTube video

Intertwined Exhibit video and catalog

I made a video documenting the Intertwined: fiber, process, dialog exhibit that I participated in this summer.

Intertwined exhibit video featuring the artwork of Jennifer Reifsneider and Heidi Marie Faessel

There’s so much work that goes into creating an exhibit, and then it’s over so quickly. Making this video helps to preserve the experience, our effort and our intent.

In addition, Refuge Gallery was kind enough to put together a catalog for the exhibit, that included an essay by Jenny Bevill, discussing the history of fiber art in Basin, Montana.

My first public speaking event!

I did something fun and scary! Thank you to Kalispell Pecha Kucha for inviting me to participate in their recent Volume 8 Art + Design speaker series. It was exciting to see the amazing community turnout (250 people, I’m guessing), to be included with a wonderful group of local creatives, and especially to be pushed outside my comfort zone! My 6 minute talk focused my background in design, into the artwork I’m making today. The recording can be found here.

Exciting news! 2024 solo exhibit at The Holter Museum of Art

I’m very excited to share with you that I just signed a contract with the Holter Museum of Art in Helena Montana for a solo exhibit in the Autumn of 2024! I submitted a proposal featuring my sculpture and textile works made from salvaged and everyday materials.

I really enjoy visiting the Holter when I’m in Helena because I find the variety of programming quite interesting and thought-provoking, and I leave inspired! I’m really looking forward to working with them!

Intertwined: fiber, process, dialog ~ Refuge Gallery, Basin, MT May 4 - June 25, 2022

This summer I had the wonderful opportunity to have a 2-person exhibit with Missoula-based, contemporary fiber artist Jennifer Reifsneider. It was a very rewarding experience to exhibit with such an established artist, as well as to foster friendships with the amazing group of women behind the exhibit and the gallery.  (Refuge Gallery is located at the Montana Artists Refuge)

Intertwined - west wall

Intertwined - facing north

Intertwined- back wall

textile piece chosen for traveling group exhibit

One of my textile works will be included in a traveling exhibit titled “Co-Flourish.” The exhibit was spearheaded by Open Air, a Montana-based residency program that I participated in during the Pandemic.

front

detail - front

back detail

artist modeling the piece

The piece will be traveling to 4 different locations over the next 2 years.

• Schoolhouse History & Art Center, Colstrip MT
  August 1 – September 16, 2022.

• MonDak Heritage Center, Sidney MT
  February 1 – April 1, 2023.

• Hockaday Art Museum, Kalispell MT
  September 27 – December 16, 2023

• Holter Museum of Art, Helena MT
  January 5 - March 24, 2024

New work available at Walking Man Frame Shop and Gallery

I have new paintings available at The Walking Man Frame Shop and Gallery in Whitefish, Montana.

If you’re around July 1st, Thursday, 6-9 PM, come down for the downtown Whitefish Gallery Nights Art Walk, I’ll be there.

Remote Artist Residency during the Covid-19 Pandemic

This summer I had the opportunity to participate in a collaborative, but remote, artist residency with Open Air, a Montana-based artist residency program. During the most intense period of social isolation, I worked together, but apart from, the other artists in the program.

I spent the summer in nearby forests foraging natural materials, collecting discarded natural fiber cloth, and learning how to dye the material with dyestuff that I made from natural items I collected. Culminating in a wearable art garment from the dyed textiles.

The residency concluded with an online group exhibition, which you can view here.

Come join me at Kalico Art Center's first Saturday Session

I’m excited to share that I will be the guest artist at Kalico Art Centers Saturday Sessions November 14th, 2020 11-1 pm.

I will be doing a short talk on the making of my Downtown Stories sculpture project. In addition, I will invite each participant to make a tabletop version of their own to take home. It’s open to all ages, and it’s FREE.

Saturday Sessions are education-based opportunities inviting the community to meet and make with local contemporary artists.

I hope you’ll join us.

"Downtown Stories" Community Art Collaboration

This Autumn I participated in Kalico Art Center’s “Downtown Stories” community art project. The premise was to match up local artists with local businesses. The artist would create an art installation that visually tells the story of the business and the art would be placed in the windows of the businesses. Kalico created a map for the community to come out and see the art installations and learn more about the downtown businesses in their community.

It was a wonderful experience for me. I loved getting to know the folks at Montana Modern Fine Art Gallery, (whom I was matched up with), meeting the other artists who participated, and learning more about the back story of the businesses that took part in the project.

My artist journey profiled in 406 Woman Magazine

Thank you, thank you 406 Woman Magazine for sharing my creative journey and featuring my work in the summer issue. What an honor to be profiled!

"Deep Time" painting included in online exhibit

I’m excited and delighted that my painting “Deep Time” has been included in the Summer online exhibit Congruence, brought to you by I Like Your Work Podcast. This exhibit was juried and curated by Bridgette Mayer of Bridgette Mayer Gallery. I’m so happy to have my work included among so many talented and visionary artists.

©Heidi Marie Faessel “Deep Time” 2020 48 x 60” acrylic, graphite, pastel, colored pencil on canvas

Quarantine Dreams - Thank You for joining us opening night!

Just wanted to take a moment to honor the collective efforts of everyone involved in our Quarantine Dreams exhibit.

I’m feeling so proud of my fellow artist friends and the incredible work they created for this show!

Also, I’m feeling so grateful to curator Jenny Bevill for leading and shaping this year-long collaboration.

Thank you to everyone who reserved a time slot and joined us in person opening night, and to the really lovely support of the community overall.

And my gratitude runs deep to Kalico Art Center, Alisha and Miche, for going above and beyond, to ensure the success of this, their inaugural exhibit. Their support and professionalism has made this such a wonderful experience!

Thank you Andrea Catherine for the wonderful group photo.

Visit the exhibit (it will be up all summer), or go to Kalicoartcenter.com to view the work, watch video interviews, and to purchase the art online.

Quarantine Dreams - five artists respond to a pandemic

I’m really excited to be participating in Kalico community art center inaugural exhibit this summer. If you're in Kalispell this summer, please visit this brand new community arts center on Main Street. We are very excited to welcome this new organization to the Flathead Valley!

photo credit: Andrea Catherine

Intensive Winter Art Residency

This winter I had the exciting opportunity to occupy a fantastic industrial style studio space, minutes from my home! I treated it like an artist residency, working 6 days a week, not wanting to waste a minute of this wonderful studio space.

My intention was to explore some new materials and techniques, as well as scale up my work. I figured that if everything went really well, upon departure I might have a new body of work. At the very least, I would have expanded my knowledge base, my artistic toolbox, and my studio practice.

Working in a large space, turned out to be a game-changer. One benefit was that I could investigate multiple ideas, materials, and techniques simultaneously. I rotated through many canvases and continued to develop my ideas with soft fiber sculpture that I began last year. In addition, I took a few detours, playing with encaustic monotypes for the first time and working on paper.

Without question, the number one benefit was the ability to see how all the work related to each other as I moved along. For me, this was very informative and helped me to make decisions that I felt strengthened the direction of the work as I moved forward.

Upon departure, I had a solid group of about 12 paintings that held together as a new series, as well as, couple of fiber pieces that I was happy with.

Next, I will be photographing the work, naming each piece, and updating my website. I’m grateful for the opportunities lined up to show my work this summer. More on that later....