Heather Mekkelson
born 1975, Syracuse, NY, lives and works in Chicago, IL
Education
2008 MFA, University of Illinois at Chicago
1999 BFA, The School of The Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)
1998 Ox-Bow Summer Arts Program
1993-1995 Purdue University
Solo Exhibitions
2017 65GRAND, What It Is We’re Measuring, Chicago, IL
4th Ward Project Space, In Absentia Luci, Chicago, IL
2014 65GRAND, Now Slices, Chicago, IL
2013 Medicine Cabinet, Heather Mekkelson, Chicago, IL
2012 Roots and Culture, Invisible Apocalypse, (two person) Chicago, IL
2008 Old Gold, Limited Entry, Chicago, IL
Threewalls, Debris Field, Chicago, IL
2003 STANDARD, Out Land, Chicago, IL
Group Exhibitions
2016 Governors State University, Visual Arts Gallery, Pitchpoling, University Park, IL
2015 Terraformer, Keep Your Mind in Hell and Despair Not, Chicago, IL
2014 Whitaker Gallery, Hood College, Warmer, Frederick, MD
Heaven Gallery, Here Lies Space, Chicago, IL
A&D Gallery, Columbia College, Cargo Space, Chicago, IL
INOVA, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Cargo Space, Milwaukee, WI
Sector 2337, The New [New] Corpse, Chicago, IL (catalog)
Glass Curtain Gallery, Columbia College, Division of Labor, Chicago, IL (catalog)
2013 A&D Gallery, Columbia College, Wood Works, Chicago, IL
2012 Hyde Park Art Center, EPIC SOMETHING, Chicago, IL (catalog)
Glass Curtain Gallery, Columbia College, Embracing the Farb, Chicago, IL (catalog)
Hyde Park Art Center, Two Histories, Chicago, IL
Possible Projects, Concept Plus Object, online project, http://conceptplusobject.net/
Co-Prosperity Sphere, Field Static, Chicago, IL
Southside Hub of Production, This House Is Not a Home, Chicago, IL
2011 NADA Hudson, A Philip von Zweck Project hosted by Invisible Exports, Hudson, NY
Performa, A Philip von Zweck Project hosted by Invisible Exports, New York, NY
MDW Fair, Sculpture Garden, Chicago, IL
MDW Fair, A Philip von Zweck Project, Chicago, IL
2010 Possible Press, Artist Project, Vol. 1 Issue 3, Philadelphia, PA
Hungryman, landscape/portrait/still life, Chicago, IL
2009 O’Connor Art Gallery, Dominican University, Site Unspecific, River Forest, IL
The Poor Farm, The Great Poor Farm Experiment, Manawa, WI
Hyde Park Art Center, Artists Run Chicago, Chicago, IL
Museum of Contemporary Photography, PhotoDimensional, Chicago, IL (catalog)
2008 Alternator, Bellwether, Kelowna, BC, Canada (traveling)
Vox Populi, Bellwether, Philadelphia, PA
Gallery 400, MFA Thesis Exhibition, Chicago, IL (catalog)
NEXT Fair, 5 Artists, Old Gold at Art Chicago, Chicago, IL
Green Lantern, Useless Weaponry, Chicago, IL
2007 Hyde Park Art Center, Clothesline, Chicago, IL
Gallery 400, Benefit Exhibition, Chicago, IL
2006 40000, Vomitorium, Chicago, IL
artLedge @ i-cabin, To London from Chicago, with Great Love, London, UK
40000, Versus, a Mekkelson/Walters collaborative project, Chicago, IL
2005 The Figge Art Museum, 41/90: Contemporary Landscape at The Figge Art Museum,
inaugural exhibition, Davenport, IA (catalog)
Gallery 400, Temporary Allegiance, Chicago, IL
2004 Gardenfresh, Paring Down, Chicago, IL
Modest Contemporary Art Gallery, Small Victories, Chicago, IL
RAID Projects, Chicago in LA, Los Angeles, CA
2003 1/Quarterly, Fast Track 2003, Chicago, IL
Guenzel Gallery, Here and There, with SAIC’s 1926 Exhibition Studies Program, Fish Creek, WI
The Stray Show, Metabolism, Chicago, IL
Sioux City Art Center, …you sure about this place?, traveling exhibition, Sioux City, IA (catalog)
2002 The Pond, …you sure about this place?, Chicago, IL
Apt. 1R, Variations, Chicago, IL
2001 Gallery 2, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Installations 2001: Alumni Exhibition, Chicago, IL
Awards
2016 Recipient: Individual Artist Award, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs
and Special Events
2012 Recipient: Artadia: The Fund for Art and Dialogue, Chicago 2012 Award
2009 Recipient: Community Arts Assistance Program Grant, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and the Illinois Arts Council
Finalist: The Cartier Award 2009
2007 Recipient: Navona Research Fellowship, University of Illinois at Chicago
2006 Recipient: Navona Research Fellowship, University of Illinois at Chicago
2003 Recipient: Community Arts Assistance Program Grant, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and the Illinois Arts Council
Professional Activities
2017 Instructor: “Rewilding” Ox-Bow School of Art, The School of The Art Institute of Chicago,
Saugatuck, MI
Visiting Artist: “Lunchtime Lecture” University of Chicago
2015 Instructor: “Rewilding” Ox-Bow School of Art, The School of The Art Institute of Chicago,
Saugatuck, MI
Workshop Presenter: “Encrustation” Shop Talks Series, University of Chicago
Visiting Artist: “Exploratory Media” Instructor: Jason Lazarus, The School of the Art Institute of
Chicago, Chicago, IL
2014 Visiting Artist: “Professional Practices” Instructor: Jeff Carter, DePaul University, Chicago, IL
Visiting Artist: “Contemporary Issues in Sculpture” Instructor: Philip von Zweck, Columbia
College, Chicago, IL
2013 Artist Lecture: “Much Much More Lecture Series” A Philip von Zweck project, Chicago Public
Library, Chicago, IL
Co-Instructor: “Stillness” Ox-Bow School of Art, The School of The Art Institute of Chicago,
Saugatuck, MI
Visiting Artist: “Photography Topic: Voice Lessons” Instructor: Jason Lazarus, The School of the
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
2012 Artist Lecture: “Two Histories of the World” Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL
2011 Visiting Artist: “Research Topics” Instructor: Kirsten Leenars, The School of
The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
2010 Co-Curator: Twelve Galleries Project: MinimumixaM, Pentagon Gallery, Chicago, IL
2009 Artist Lecture: “PhotoDimensional” Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, IL
Visiting Artist: “Graduate Photography Seminar” Instructor: Karen Irvine, Columbia College,
Chicago, IL
Visiting Artist: “Photo Series, Sequence and Structure” Instructor: Jason Lazarus, The School of
the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Visiting Artist: “Photography I” Instructor: Jose Velazco, University of Illinois at Chicago,
Chicago, IL
2008 Visiting Artist: “Art and Discourse” Instructor: Mirella Tanta, Columbia College, Chicago, IL
Artist Lecture: “Debris Field” Threewalls, Chicago, IL
2007 Graduate Representative: Gallery 400 Advisory Committee, University of Illinois at Chicago,
Chicago, IL
Visiting Artist: “Undergraduate Photography” Instructor: Jenny Walters, DePaul University,
Chicago, IL
2005 Artist Lecture: “41/90 Contemporary Landscape at The Figge” Figge Art Museum,
Davenport, IA
2003 Symposium Panelist: “Not Just Another Pretty Face” Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL
2002 Founder and Co-director: 1/Quarterly Exhibition Space (2002-2004), Chicago, IL
Bibliography
2017 Wasney, Michael. Gallery Review: 4th Ward Project Space; South Side Weekly, Arts Issue
2017, March 8th
2016 Picard, Caroline. How Does When: An Interview with Heather Mekkelson; Sector2337.com,
Sector Daily, November
2014 Dluzen, Robin. Editorial Feature: Heather Mekkelson; VisualArtSource.com, January 25th
Linneweh, David. Studio Break: Heather Mekkelson; Audio Interview, Episode 97,
February 1st
Roscoe Mayo, Amanda. SFAQ Review: “Here Lies Space”; SFAQonline.com, April 20th
2013 Foumberg, Jason. Eye Exam: Strategies Against History; Newcity, January 22nd
Picard, Caroline. Heather Mekkelson and the Flood That Never Came; Art21 Magazine,
May/June
2012 Hartigan, Philip A.. Reenacting History through Artistic Performance; Hyperallergic.com,
November
Karpova, Anastasia. Portrait of the Artist: Heather Mekkelson; Newcity,September 11th
Karpova Tinari, Anastasia. Review: Epic Something/ Hyde Park Art Center; Newcity,
December 11th
King, Devin and Caroline Picard. “Field Static.” Field Static: A Collection of Essays Dedicated to the
Object and its Various Interpretations. Eds. Devin King and Caroline Picard. Chicago, IL:
Holon Press, 2012.
Weinbeg, Lauren. Quarterly Site #12—Epic Something at Hyde Park Art Center;
Time Out Chicago, December 6th
2011 Abe, Stanley. “Locating World Art.” The Migrant’s Time: Rethinking Art History and
Diaspora. Ed. Saloni Mathur. Williamstown, MA: Sterling and Francine Clark Institute and
MIT Press, 2011.
2009 Kinkley, Jonathan. PhotoDimensional; Time Out Chicago, March 5th
2008 Gunn, Dan. Review: Heather Mekkelson/ Old Gold; Newcity, September 9th
Lowry, Sean. Monuments to Heroic Failure; Broadsheet: Contemporary Visual Art +
Culture (The Contemporary Art Center of South Australia), vol. 37, no. 3, October 2008
Lund, Karsten. Heather Mekkelson: Limited Entry; Flavorpill.com
Relyea, Lane. Debris and Immobility; Introduction to featured artist portfolio: Heather
Mekkelson, “Debris Field” Art Journal, vol. 67, no. 1, Spring 2008. Pgs. 6-23
Stratton, Shannon. Heather Mekkelson’s Debris Field at ThreeWallsSOLO: The
Persistence of Ruin; “Debris Field” limited edition catalog
Stratton, Shannon. In No Particular Order; MFA Catalog, University of Illinois at Chicago,
Ward, Jeff M.. Brave and Crazy: The Disaster-Model Construction of Meaning in the
Work of Heather Mekkelson; “Debris Field” limited edition catalog
Waxman, Lori. Critics Picks; Artforum.com
2005 Ignatius, Jeff. The Lay of The Land; River Cities’ Reader, October 12th
Yau, John, Pete Schulte, Leslie Bell and Linda Downs. 41/90 Contemporary Landscape at The
Figge (catalog)
2003 Cole, Kevin. Artboat; Dialogue, Summer 2003
Cook, Christopher. …you sure about this place?; Sioux City Art Center museum exhibition catalog
2002 Hixson, Kathryn. …you sure about this place?; The Pond exhibition catalog
Robinson, Walter. Chicago Diary; Artnet.com, May 2002
Speh, Scott. Sex in Chicago; Artnet.com, October 2002