Heidi Loewen Porcelain Gallery & School Santa Fe

Heidi Loewen Ceramics Porcelain Workshops Classes Santa Fe

ABOUT HEIDI LOEWEN PORCELAIN

Santa Fe ARTsmart Artist of the Year for 2019

Porcelain is my sculptural canvas. My work is smoked with a variety of pine needles and organic combustibles yielding strong earth tones, punctuated with the vibrancy of gold leaf. As the famous chefs Julia Child and Nigella Lawson famously prepare their delicious food, I sprinkle my “spices” of combustibles to smoke, add a dash of oil paint and place finishing touches with pigmented waxes or varnish to my platters and sculptures.

Often my new techniques are direct results of crazy mistakes.

These mistakes usually become my most successful techniques. As an example, the carved chattering came as a result of my tool bumping along the clay, as it was too hard to trim in a smooth fashion. I’ve been making this great “mistake” with carving my clay for years now! My creations vary from playful miniatures, to large-scale vessels, to multiple installations. I’m drawn to refined, elegant forms with curls, swirls and exceedingly thin rims. I try to capture elegance and humor simultaneously in my porcelain. I take my work seriously, but throw in a dash of humor at every turn.

HEIDI LOEWEN ARTIST STATEMENT

Clay is ancient. Clay is interactive. Clay is my joy. Porcelain is my sculptural canvas.

I played in the mud from age 2. Porcelain is simply my new mud. I create at the wheel with its mesmerizing, non-stop possibilities. I squish, fold, slice, curl, swirl, toss, curve and carve. My creations vary from playful miniatures to large-scale vessels and multiple installations. I love refined, elegant forms and exceedingly thin rims. I capture elegance and humor simultaneously. I take my work seriously, but my live my life with humor.

People often ask if I’m at a loss to create. How funny. I’m always creating new forms, applying wild finishing techniques with smoke firing, gold leafing, gemstones and oil painting. Having achieved high technical proficiency with porcelain, creativity flows easily, with enormous amounts of clay. Its fluidity fascinates me. New techniques happen by happy accident. I treasure every inventive, beautiful mistake.

Our world chastises mistakes.

I’m fortunate to live in an artistic world ~ Santa Fe, New Mexico where mistakes are golden, unpredictability a celebration. Having grown up with a famous optical engineer father and artist mother, I was encouraged to make discoveries in every field.

Such a discovery came with a departure from the wheel to sculpt a tiny stiletto in clay. I went to Thailand in 2014. While there, an artist friend invited me to visit her foundry where she cast her work. I was mesmerized. The foundry owner saw my sculptured stiletto photo, offered to cast my work 6′ long, for the 2015 Miami Basel Exhibition. My large stiletto was cast, auto painted red, decorated with opalized crystals and fur in my Santa Fe gallery/studio. Upon winning First Prize at Spectrum, Miami Basel for this sculpture, I realized clay can translate into monumental success.

When I worked at Sotheby’s Art Auction House, in NYC in the early 1980’s, I was invited for private tea with my favorite sculptor, Henry Moore in England. Henry Moore shared one of his favorite observations: “If a sculpture is beautiful in small form, it will be just as spectacular when cast large should the proportions be correct.” How right he was. I live by his motto always.

I wish people could do what brought them joy as a child. I am a most fortunate artist.

HEIDI LOEWEN BIO

Heidi Loewen (b. 1956 Providence, RI)

My father was a world renowned precision optical engineer and scientist, my mother, a trained nurse from London who preferred to paint and cook, were great influences. My parents were avid gardeners in upstate New York ~ hence the availability of great mud. We listened to classical music at home, and in concert halls. Having studied at the Eastman School of Music for years, I assumed I’d be a concert pianist. Then at age 10, a pottery class beckoned at the University of Rochester in New York. Art won out.

After a great arts education at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, an internship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, and a fabulous year of art history at the Sorbonne, in Paris, France, I wished to go back to Europe to hike and ski instruct in Switzerland.

New York City called in 1979. After French translation work at the United Nations, an offer came to work at Sotheby’s Art Auction House, a perfect job. It combined fabulous works of art, business, law, graphic design, and working closely with clients the world over.

After six years at Sotheby’s, I was asked to help curate the Spring Creek Art Foundation in Boston. This was a job of a lifetime, along with managing and growing William I. Koch’s private art collection. Many years later Koch moved his businesses to Florida.

I continued my ceramic work at the Harvard Ceramics department. With one of the best studios and endowments in the country, Harvard invited the best ceramic artists from the world over to lecture and demonstrate their art.

Ironically, the day I moved my family from Boston to New Mexico in 1992, there was a fabulous snow storm. That was all I needed to be inspired back to porcelain. My son Hans was 2, and ready for me to be in the clay part time.

I taught at both St. John’s College and Santa Fe Clay. One suggestion was all it took to open my own studio, gallery and ceramic school.

In 1996, I founded Heidi Loewen Fine Art & Porcelain School in Santa Fe. Porcelain and now metals are my canvases. My mistakes become my treasured new techniques. I create miniatures, large-scale vessels, and multiple piece installations. I’m drawn to refined elegant forms in porcelain.

Twenty odd years ago, my kiln broke days before a big show. Somebody suggested I smoke fire my work rather than glaze. Most ceramic artists glaze.

My passion is creating in a more non-traditional format. I combine wheel thrown porcelain with innovative design and subtle Asian influences.

My work is smoked with a variety of pine needles, banana peels and organic combustibles yielding strong earth tones, punctuated with the vibrancy of gold leaf. As famous chefs Julia Child and Nigella Lawson would prepare their delicious food, I sprinkle my “spices” of combustibles for smoke, add a dash of oil paint and lay finishing touches with pigmented waxes and 22 Karat gold leaf to my platters and sculptures.

In 2012, I was selected by the United Nations Educational Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to travel to Icheon, South Korea. This was a trip of a lifetime, working with professional ceramic artists, lecturing at the South Korean Technical University, and teaching children at the famous Seolbong Ceramic Park, outside Seoul. I was asked to create with a living treasure in ceramics, Mr. Han Do Hyun, of South Korea. When Mr. Han Do Hyun comes to Santa Fe, he creates in my gallery and studio. Icheon and Santa Fe are now Sister Cities.

In 2012 I was invited to exhibit and sell one of my tiny porcelain stiletto sculptures with 22-karat gold leaf and gemstones at Carlos Slim Helu’s Museo Soumaya in Mexico City, Mexico. This shoe, along with artists from many countries were sold to benefit children throughout Mexico who have no shoes.

I also have the honor to collaborate with great artists, to work with visionaries. One of my favorite collaborators is Braldt Bralds. He is a world famous trompe l’oeil, Dutch master realist painter. We have collaborated together since 1997. I make large smooth porcelain platters, Bralds selects the subject to paint. Some of our collaborations have sold in 15 minutes. He has painted over 20 covers for Der Spiegel Magazine in Germany, Time, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, book covers, stamps for the United Nations and illustrations for Celestial Seasonings Tea.

In May, 2015, I was honored to exhibit in the “New Mexico Women in the Arts” show at the Matthews Gallery, Santa Fe. Included in this show were works by Janet Lippencott, Maria Martinez, and Dorothy Morang.

For many years, I have been asked to exhibit my works with prominent interior designers at the Annual Show House Santa Fe to benefit art in public schools.

I do something quite unusual in the art world: I invite my collectors to help create their sculptures. I encourage them to them slice, curl and furl their large commissioned sculptures with me at the gallery. How many clients ever have the opportunity to help create their commissions?

All my collectors are given a gift: I teach them pottery at the wheel, so they may have the sensation of creation, no matter their prior art experience.

I also love throwing big dinner parties for my clients and collectors at my home, not far from my gallery. We have a saying in the pottery world, “If you can pot, you can cook.” I have never met a ceramic artist who wasn’t an extremely inventive cook. The Santa Fean Magazine came up with the concept to have artists treat their favorite collectors with a marvelously cooked dinner by the artist, in their home. I have invited numerous clients for these dinners, including Rob Kret, the beloved Director of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, down the road from my gallery. When I host a dinner at my home, I have my guests chop and stir the pots. We share conversations on art, music, high tech and world travel.

What fashionable woman can resist the art of the high heeled shoe? Certainly not me! I have never-ending concepts for designs, color, fabrics, fur and gemstones. I adore collaborating with my collectors from many countries, including couture designers to create just the right unique sculptured stiletto for them. These small sculptures are completed with 22 karat gold leaf, gemstones, fur, pearls and lace.

First Prize. On a trip to Thailand to visit a friend, she took me to her bronze foundry, where she casts her sculptures. With one look at my tiny clay sculpted stiletto, the foundry owner suggested to model my shoe into a 6 foot sculpture, in time for the famous Art Basel Miami in 2015. I said yes, immediately. I applied bright red automotive paint to my sculptured stiletto, added opalized crystals and fur. My sculpture was the most photographed piece at Miami Basel, Spectrum. It also won First Prize.

ARTSmart, a marvelous arts educational organization in Santa Fe, New Mexico awarded me Artist of the Year for 2019. This is a tremendous honor. I will be exhibiting my art work for them, teaching many children in the public schools and donating a big sculpture for this wonderful organization.

HEIDI LOEWEN RESUME

Exhibitions

2019 Artist of the Year, ARTSmart Organization, Santa Fe, NM

2016-18 Four Seasons Hotel, Santa Fe, NM

2015-18 Drury Hotel, Santa Fe, NM

2015 Miami Basel, Spectrum Art Venue, Miami, FL

First Prize – Sculpture Award

2014 Addison Rowe Gallery, Palm Desert, CA

2012 Icheon Ceramics Center, Icheon, South Korea

2012 UNESCO Delegate to South Korea

2012 Soumaya Museum, Mexico City, Mexico

2010 Evoke Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

2009 American Embassy, Paris, France

2008 Meyer Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

2007 Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, AR

2007 Contemporary Crafts Museum, Portland, OR

2007-08 Mingei International Museum, San Diego, CA

2007 Edmund Craig Gallery, Fort Worth, TX

2006 NCECA, National Council for the Education of Ceramic Arts

Fort Worth, Dallas, TX

2006-07 Costello Childs Contemporary, Art Phoenix, AZ

2002-07 C. Anthony Gallery, Beaver Creek, CO

2002 Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe, NM

2003-05 Seven-O-Seven Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM

2003-05 Lyon & Lyon Fine Art, New Orleans, LA

2002-03 Hennington Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM

2002 Philinda Gallery Vail, CO

2001-2003 Chiaroscuro Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ

1998-2005 Lumina Gallery, Taos, NM

1994-2005 Rochester Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, NY

1998-2004 Katie Gingrass Gallery, Milwaukee, WI

1998-2004 Fenton Fine Arts Fort, Worth, TX

1998-2000 Carole Laroche Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

1995-2000 Infinity Gallery Boston, MA

1996-1997 Waxlander Khadoure Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM

1994-1998 Schneider Gallery, Chicago, IL

1994-1996 Mariposa Gallery Albuquerque, NM

1992-1996 Santa Fe Clay, Santa Fe, NM

1993 The Alder Gallery Eugene, OR

1993 New Mexico Museum of Fine Arts Santa Fe, NM

1989-1992 Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Television & Film

2018 Santa Fe TV. Filmed by DPH Productions, Carlo Zanella, Venice, Italy

2017 Heidi Loewen Artist Profile. Filmed by DPH Productions, Carlo Zanella of Venice, Italy

2017 “Clay is Love” Heidi Loewen & Adam Joaquin featured in film rendition of clay scene from the movie “Ghost,” starring Demi Moore & Patrick Swayze. Filmed by DPH Productions, Carlo Zanella, Venice, Italy

2016 “Hotel Throwdown” Filmed by the Travel Channel. Featured Heidi Loewen Porcelain Sculptures & Platters at Hotel Luxx, Santa Fe, NM.

Hotel won First Prize in television competition.

2012 “Home Makeover” Filmed by the Travel Channel. Featured Heidi Loewen teaching winners of the Home Makeover television competition.

2009 Korean Airlines promotional film. Filmed by South Korea Television at Heidi Loewen Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM. Heidi teaching pottery to top South Korean actors & actresses at the pottery wheel.

2008 Samantha Brown’s “Passport to the Weekend” Filmed by the Travel Channel at Heidi Loewen Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM. Taught Samantha Brown to throw porcelain on the pottery wheel.

2007 “Giada’s Weekend Getaways” Santa Fe episode featuring Heidi Loewen. Taught Giada De Laurentiis to throw porcelain on the wheel & toss pots in the air. Filmed at Heidi Loewen Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM by the Food Network Channel.

2002 Home & Garden TV. Featured Heidi Loewen Smoke Fired Porcelain Vessels. Filmed by HGTV in private Santa Fe, New Mexico residence.

Publications

2017 “The Santa Fean” Santa Fe, NM

2016 “The Santa Fean” Santa Fe, NM

2015 “Trend Magazine” Santa Fe, NM

2007 “Santa Fe New Mexican” Newspaper “Gallery Owner Doesn’t Mind if Clients Get Their Hands Dirty.” Cindy Bellinger, Santa Fe, NM

2007 “Craft in America, 150 Years of Artists and Objects”

Jo Lauria and Steve Fenton. Los Angeles, CA

Prologue by President Jimmy Carter

2006 “Southwest Biennale”

Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, Albuquerque, NM

Curator: Neal Benezra, Director, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

2004 “3-D Art Techné, The New Mexico Artist Series”

Aline Brandauer, Curator. Fresco Fine Art Publications, Albuquerque, NM

2003 “Metropolitan Home Magazine” Santa Fe, NM

2002 “National Geographic Travel Magazine”

1998 “The Food of Santa Fe, Authentic Recipes from the American Southwest” Periplus Publications, Santa Fe, NM

1994 “The Great Salsa Book”

Publication by Mark Miller & Mark Kiffin, Santa Fe, NM

1993 “Coyote Café’s Southwest Pantry”

Publication by Mark Miller & Mark Kiffin, Santa Fe, NM

Education

2006 ANDERSON RANCH SCHOOL OF THE ARTS, Snowmass, CO

1990 HAYSTACK MOUNTAIN SCHOOL OF CRAFTS, Deere Isle, ME

1988-1991 HARVARD UNIVERSITY, Cambridge, MA

1976-1977 UNIVERSITY OF PARIS, SORBONNE, Paris, FRANCE

1974-1978 SKIDMORE COLLEGE, Saratoga Springs, NY – Bachelor of Science, Studio Art Major. Honors

Employment

1996 – Present Heidi Loewen Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM

Gallery Founder, Director & Teacher of Ceramic Arts School

2002 Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe, NM. Ceramics professor for Girls in Leadership Program. Commendation from the White House

2000 – Present Heidi Loewen Teaching Corporate Team Building to numerous American high tech and numerous other corporations. On locations throughout the United States

1994 – 1996 Santa Fe Clay, Santa Fe, NM. Ceramics Instructor

1993 – 1994 St. John’s College, Santa Fe, NM. Ceramics Instructor

1984 – 1987 Spring Creek Art Foundation, Boston, MA

William I. Koch Collection. Assistant Curator to major art collector and private art foundation.

1979 – 1984 Sotheby’s Art Auction House, New York, NY

Chinese and Japanese Works of Art, Oriental Rugs & Ethnographic Works of Art. World’s largest art auction house.

1979 United Nations, Sudano-Sahalian Office. French Translator

1978-1979 American College of Switzerland, Leysin, Switzerland

Administrator, Admissions Office & French Translator

1978-1979 Swiss Ski School. Leysin, Switzerland. Bilingual Ski Instructor in English & French

1977 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY. Office of the Registrar, Intern

1974 – 1978 Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY Assistant Coordinator for performing arts center.

EXHIBITIONS, PUBLICATIONS, BACKGROUND

Exhibitions
2007 Arkansas Arts Center
April 13 – June 24
Little Rock, AR
2007 Contemporary Crafts Museum
July 22 – September 23
Portland, OR
2007 Mingei International Museum
October 20 – January 27 2008
San Diego, CA
2007 Edmund Craig Gallery Fort Worth, TX
2006-2007 Costello Childs Contemporary Art Phoenix, AZ
2002-2007 C. Anthony Gallery Beaver Creek, CO
2002 Georgia O’Keeffe Museum Santa Fe, NM
2003-2005 Seven-O-Seven Contemporary Santa Fe, NM
2003-2005 Lyon & Lyon Fine Art New Orleans, LA
2002-2003 Hennington Fine Arts Santa Fe, NM
2002 Philinda Gallery Vail, CO
2001-2003 Chiaroscuro Gallery Scottsdale, AZ
1998-2005 Lumina Gallery Taos, NM
1994-2005 Rochester Memorial Art Gallery Rochester, NY
1998-2004 Katie Gingrass Gallery Milwaukee, WI
1998-2004 Fenton Fine Arts Fort Worth, TX
1998-2000 Carole Laroche Gallery Santa Fe, NM
1995-2000 Infinity Gallery Boston, MA
1996-1997 Waxlander Khadoure Fine Art Santa Fe, NM
1994-1998 Schneider Gallery Chicago, IL
1994-1996 Mariposa Gallery Albuquerque, NM
1992-1996 Santa Fe Clay Santa Fe, NM
1993 The Alder Gallery Eugene, OR
1993 New Mexico Museum of Fine Arts Santa Fe, NM
1989-1992 Harvard University Cambridge, MA

Television
2007 Giada’s Weekend Getaways
Santa Fe episode featuring Heidi Loewen
Teaching Giada De Laurentiis to throw porcelain on the wheel and toss pots in the air!
Filmed in Santa Fe by the Food Network Channel
Airing: February 9, 10 & 11, 2007 Worldwide
2002 Home & Garden TV
Smoke Fired Porcelain
Vessels filmed by HGTV in a private Santa Fe, New Mexican residence.

Publications
2007 Santa Fe New Mexican, Newspaper
“Gallery owner doesn’t mind if clients get their hands dirty,” Cindy Bellinger
Santa Fe, NM
2007 Craft in America, 150 Years of Artists and Objects
Jo Lauria and Steve Fenton
Prologue by President Jimmy Carter
Los Angeles, CA
2006 Southwest Biennale
Albuquerque Museum of Art and History
Curator: Neal Benezra, Director San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Albuquerque, NM
2004 3-D Art/Techne, The New Mexico Artist Series
Aline Brandauer, Curator
Fresco Fine Art Publications
Albuquerque, NM
2003 Metropolitan Home, Magazine Santa Fe, NM
1998 The Food of Santa Fe, Authentic Recipes from the American Southwest
Periplus Publications.
Santa Fe, NM
1994 The Great Salsa Book
Publication by Mark Miller & Mark Kiffin.
Santa Fe, NM
1993 Coyote Café’s Southwest Pantry
Publication by Mark Miller & Mark Kiffin.
Santa Fe, NM

Education
2006 ANDERSON RANCH SCHOOL OF THE ARTS, Snowmass, CO
1990 HAYSTACK MOUNTAIN SCHOOL OF CRAFTS, Deere Isle, ME
1988-1990 HARVARD UNIVERSITY, Cambridge, MA
1976-1977 UNIVERSITY OF PARIS, SORBONNE, Paris, FRANCE
1974-1978 SKIDMORE COLLEGE, Saratoga Springs, NY – Bachelor of Science, Studio Art Major. Honors

Employment
1996-Present HEIDI LOEWEN PORCELAIN, Santa Fe, NM
Gallery Founder & Director of Ceramic Arts School
2002 GEORGIA O’KEEFFE MUSEUM, Santa Fe, NM
Ceramics Professor for Girls in Leadership Program
1984-1987 SPRING CREEK ART COLLECTION, Boston, MA
William I. Koch Collection. Assistant Curator to major art collector and private art foundation.
1979-1984 SOTHEBY’S ART AUCTION HOUSE, New York, NY
Business Manager for Chinese and Japanese Works of Art, Oriental Rugs and Ethnographic Works of Art.
World’s largest art auction house.
1978-1979 AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SWITZERLAND, Leysin, Switzerland
Administrator, French Translator
1978-1979 SWISS SKI SCHOOL Leysin, SWITZERLAND
Bilingual Ski Instructor in English & French
1977 METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, New York, NY
Office of the Registrar, Intern

AWARDS, HONORS & EXHIBITIONS

The United Nations Educational Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) selected me to go to Icheon, South Korea, to teach, lecture and demonstrate in the Spring of 2012. This was a trip of a lifetime, working with professional ceramic artists, as well as teaching children in a public setting in the famous Seolbong Ceramic Park, outside of Seoul. I’ve been asked back to teach and create with a living ceramic treasure of South Korea – a huge honor! When my collaborator, Mr. Han Sug Bong, comes to Santa Fe, he works in my studio and gallery with me. Icheon and Santa Fe are now Sister Cities.

In May, 2015, I was invited to show one of my largest sculptures, “Back to Egypt, a smoked porcelain vessel lined with 22-karat gold leaf in the Matthews Gallery – New Mexico Women in the Arts show on Canyon Road, Santa Fe. Included in this show are works by Janet Lippencott, Maria Martinez, Beatrice Mandelman, Dorothy Brett and Dorothy Morang.

For several years running, I have been invited to exhibit my works with prominent interior designers in the annual Show House Santa Fe to benefit art students in public schools.

In October, 2012 I was invited to exhibit and sell of my porcelain stiletto shoes with 22-karat gold leaf and gemstones at the Carlos Slim Helu’s Museo Soumaya in Mexico City, Mexico. This shoe, along with others, were sold to benefit children throughout Mexico who have no shoes.

AFFILIATIONS

Proud Business Partner of the
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
Member Santa Fe Creative Tourism
Member New Mexico Glass Alliance
Member Santa Fe Gallery Association
Member Council on International Relations

CAUSES I BELIEVE IN

Here are many of the great causes to which I have donated many porcelain works of art:

The American Cancer Society
The Animal Shelter of Santa Fe
The Rape Crisis Center
The Boys & Girls Club
Girls Inc.
Desert Adademy
The United Way
The Adaptive Ski Program
Dollars for Schools
St. Vincent Hospital
The Santa Fe Opera
The Santa Fe Chamber Music
The Lensic Performing Arts Center
The Cowboy Hall of Fame
Acequia Madre Elementary
Santa Fe Preparatory School
Warehouse 21 – Youth Outreach
ArtFeast – Art in the Public Schools
The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, AL
The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum Educational Program