Heather Heffernan

"As an agender, queer, and neurodivergent artist born and raised in San Diego, I use art as therapy and to engage with my community. Frequently, I use reclaimed materials and focus on abstract acrylic and mixed media pieces, allowing my personal experience and a global perspective to influence my work. As a youth, I attended public art-focused schools, which allowed me to experiment with various mediums and techniques. Along the way, I witnessed the incredible impact of the arts on the San Diego community, and realized that creative expression was saving my life. At the age of 12, when funding for the arts in public schools was likely to be voted against, I spoke as the only youth in front of the Board of Education to save funding, stressing its importance to the development of our children and myself, which resulted in the arts being saved. Currently, I host a weekly art space for creative expression and collective healing with other members of my community. Someday, I would like to open a space for the broader San Diego community that allows people the tools for healing, creative expression, and connection, which is desperately needed in this age of social, economic, and environmental instability." - Heather Heffernan