made with radical love, hope, & praxis
heather is an angry gemini earth dragon, multiracial, asian, queer, cisgender, disabled, survivor/surviving, anxious, and depressed womxn of color artist and educator based in st. paul, Mni-sota, which is the hxstorical occupied land of the Dakota and Anishinaabe peoples.
heather is from the torrance/gardena, california area, the home of the Kizh (keech) peoples. she spent her childhood with her Taishanese grandmother eating persimmons and learning about community through food, storytelling, and a good game of mahjong with the aunties.
as a post-structuralist and futurist scholar-practitioner, she has focused on arts-based research and assessment, critical mixed raced studies, womxn of color feminism, first amendment rights, and dismantling white supremacy within institutional practices. she has worked at a multitude of institutions and in a variety of functional areas- with the goal to center and empower the people with the most marginalized and minoritized experiences.
her more recent work focuses on Asian and Black solidarity and coalition building movements, dismantling anti-Blackness within Asian communities, addressing hxstorical trauma and continued violence against Asian womxn/femmes/elders/youth throughout the COVID pandemic and beyond, and utilizing art as a method of continued intergenerational healing for queer and trans Black, Indigienous, People of Color.
in her spare time, heather loves birdwatching, snuggling sprout and loon (her pups), hiking for self-care, playing her ukulele, and spending time with her loving partner.
hcl also helps co-organize support local hustle, a black, indigenous, people of color makers collective in the twin cities. for more information about this group, go to instagram and follow @supportlocalhustle!
updates & information
what hclou ART has been up to...
2020 has been a whirlwind and COVID-19 has changed the art community drastically. arts events have been cancelled, postponed, or streamed online. as a visual artist who thrives on community building, that is quite challenging! i've created block prints addressing covid, digital art about resilience, distributed coloring books, and am in the process of illustrating a book.
i've been named as a springboard 20/20 fellow, CAAL spark leadership fund recipient, springboard combatting isolation grant recipient, hennepin theatre trust billboard art curator, twin cities zine fest lead artist, northern spark artist council member, st. paul east side solidarity street gallery participant, and much more. this year has proven that despite being 6+ feet or more apart, my community and connection is stronger than ever- and that art, advocacy, and expression are needed more than ever to help us all navigate and alchemize the trauma of the immediate past, present, and future.
in the midst of a terribly difficult year, i feel so honored to be able to be in community and contribute through creativity, dog portraits (haha), and by facilitating remote/online art lessons to youth.
upcoming events
visit hclou art near you!
farewell pop-up
sunday, june 27 | 10am-1pm | dulce's jardin | 41st street e & nokomis in MPLS
🤩 Ecstatic to see you all soon at our Farewell Pop Up for @dulce.monterrubio!
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⬅️ Swipe to meet our featured artists (@picklewitch @spinningwylde @karileeart @lasranasjewelry @la.floris.art @dulceriabakery @hclou)
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Join us at this love filled event where you’ll find:
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💚 Rad prints and zines
💎 Magical jewelry
🍬 Fresh spun cotton candy clouds
🥒 Mouthwatering pickles
🍓 The cutest food-inspired art
✊🏽 A gathering where our diverse experiences and identities make this community stronger!
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#farewell #hastapronto #popup #sale #supportsmallbusiness #bipoc #lgbtqia #immigrants #disabled #minneapolis
workshops and facilitations
hcl is available for workshops and facilitations for organizations, colleges, universities, groups, etc.
all workshops are a minimum of 2 hours and focus on identity, inclusion, and intergenerational healing techniques. custom workshops are also available as they pertain to equity, assessment, creating healthy workplaces, communication styles, leadership, and more.
your organization can also request custom art for events or giveaways, or as a way to decorate the workplace!
email hclouart@gmail.com for more information.
block print and activism workshop
participants will learn how to carve a block and create their own 5.5x7.5" activist prints.
zine making workshop
participants will learn about the hxstory of zines and create their own pieces to share in community.
watercolor affirmation postcard workshop
participants will develop their own watercolor affirmation postcards and dialogue about healing in community.