Hello! I'm Heather of
Art Needs Freedom
I am a Los Angeles based artist, writer, actor, children’s yoga & art teacher and community events producer with a deep passion for connecting and activating communities through art, entertainment and acts of service.
Observing the needs of my Los Angeles neighborhood and my mission to create playful, fun and artistic interactions, I am the founder and community organizer responsible for the Echo Park Art Walk which turned the sidewalks of Echo Park into “Public Displays of Art” (PDA). Summer 2017, I produced (and performed in) the world premiere of an interactive play I wrote, “The Park Project,” about the power of community, creativity, imagination and taking care of our city parks. I am a recipient of the 2017 Lincoln City Fellowship Grant through the Speranza Foundationand fiscally sponsored through Creative Visions.
Throughout my childhood, I flourished in the arts which led me to create Art Needs Freedom in 2009, designing art and one of a kind gifts as well as community events set out to inspire people to acknowledge and appreciate one another. Art Needs Freedom now focuses on teaching and creating one-of-a-kind classes, projects, productions and events. My teaching style is to guide students through discovery, exploration and play while connecting them to their own unique self-expression and nurturing their creativity. I am also a certified children's yoga teacher through the Light Leaders program at Golden Bridge, where she co-taught the 3-6 year old class. Yoga has been a part of my practice for over 15 years.
Witnessing the power of the arts and communication firsthand, I started working with children in 2009. I was a mentor through Young Storytellers Foundation, an organization committed to inspire children to discover the power of their own voice through the art of storytelling, group exercises and one-on-one mentoring. I also volunteered at 826LA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.
Amongst other artistic endeavors, I currently work at A Hundred Years, a design studio rooted in a culture of optimism and works with organizations across private, public, and philanthropic sectors to create long-term impact today. As the Office Coordinator and Office & Event Experience Designer, I am in charge of aesthetics and design of the space, employee appreciation and co-producing in house and out of house events. I am particularly proud of my attention to detail, which shows up in the office “living room” full of plants, brainstorm tables and when crafting employee work anniversary gifts. In 100 years, I hope that everyone has ​unlimited ​access to the arts and the freedom to express their authentic selves.
In the past, I have served as the Director of Community Programing and Outreach at CoActive Content which uses art and education to connect audiences with socially responsible opportunities to take action personally, locally, or globally. I was the liaison between the team of artist activists and the communities CoActive Content serves. Projects include: "The Gift of Peace," (a Human Rights Day event with KPCC radio), "Change is Gonna Come," (a feature documentary about establishing a US Dept. of Peace), "The King of the Desert,” (based on a true story of a Mexican-American boy’s dreams and journey into adulthood), Serve the Warrior (helping America’s veterans recover their missing peace), i-ACT, Darfur United (Darfur’s first soccer team), Little Ripples (building early childhood development schools in Darfur), Whole World Child & Whole World Community (family workshops and events centered around community).
I am from Columbus, Ohio and moved to Los Angeles at the age of 19 to pursue a career in acting and art. I am passionate about projects that make a difference in positive social change. I write children’s yoga adventure stories, short & feature films, plays, and I am currently working on a compilation of children’s yoga adventure books and a comedic series called "Happy House, Happy Spouse" a how to exploration of not only surviving marriage but thriving in co-creating, communication and ‘living happily ever after.’
Bringing together families and being of service to communities is at the heart of my work.
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