Heather Hietala is a studio artist and teacher. The vessel in all its many forms is her muse. Seedpods, canoes, paddles, sailboats, dinghy's, weaving shuttles, and kayaks are part of Heather's personal history. They symbolize a journey and they symbolize the self. The vessel is a metaphor of interior and exterior, of protection and containment, of transport and journey. Heather received her BFA from the University of New Hampshire and her MFA from the University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth. She has lectured and conducted workshops across North America and internationally. Her work is exhibited in galleries and museums and included in many private and public collections including the Racine Art Museum, WI, Asheville Art Museum, NC, Gregg Museum of Art and Design, Raleigh, NC, Wingate University, Wingate, NC, Agnico Eagle Gold Corporation, Toronto, ON, and the Horn Collection of Contemporary Craft, Little Rock, AK.    

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