I hope this email finds you doing well and enjoying your summer. I am working passionately and frantically in my studio on new work for my 2-person exhibition with Laura Spalding Best!
I am so honored that Vision Gallery and Jillian Nakornthap, curator, have chosen Laura and I to continue our collaboration together in our upcoming exhibition, The Collectionists. Collaborating with Laura in 2024 for the Curiosity Chapel was so much fun and ignited an electric art spark between us that will not die. Although our work visually looks very different, we are bonded by our deliberate process, rules for creating, numbers, and love for collecting and reusing. Individually, I love the work that this collaboration pushes me to create and explore. I am excited to be presenting the largest body of new work that I have generated since grad school in 2001. I promise that this exhibition will not be something that you can quickly view. With over hundreds of objects created by both of us, there will be numerous details to examine, large views to take in, games to play, puzzles to solve, and viewer participation. The exhibition will also change throughout its 11-week duration, making it a must to visit more than once, if you can. The following images are just some behind-the-scenes of my work in progress. Here are the details to mark in your calendars and Save the Dates!
THE COLLECTIONISTS Heidi Dauphin and Laura Spalding Best Vision Gallery 10 E Chicago St., Chandler, AZ Aug 22 - Nov 7 Opening Reception: Friday, Sept 11, 6-8pm Closing Party: Saturday, Nov 7, 3-5pm
And on Tuesday, Sept 1, from 12-12:30pm I will give a short talk at The Chandler Museum (not Vision Gallery) Collecting and Gathering: The Art of a Collectionist This talk is free and open to the public
I have had two amazing studio assistants this summer who have helped me greatly with their sorting skills! Rosie Best worked on breadtags and Malcolm Best worked on pennies. They both sorted by dates and are the BEST assistants that anyone could ask for. I am very grateful!
I've continued to work on public art and have 3 of these shade structures, Saguaro Blooms, installed across Phoenix intersections. If you are local, you can see them in person at:
SW corner of VanBuren & 28th St. NE corner of Roosevelt & 16th St. NE corner of Southern & 19th Ave.
My designs were also accepted to begin work on a new public art project for the Forensic Services Building in Chandler, AZ. These concept drawings were done by my daughter, Maya Channer. I based my design on the three different types of fingerprints: Whorls, Loops, and Arches. Some of you know my history with thumbprints. I incorporated the art into an existing shade structure designed by the building architects. There will be many iterations of this design before its completion and installation in 2028.
Thank you for your continued support from near and far!
To see more about my work,
follow me on Instagram (This is where the most current updates are) and check out my website and blog! (website is under construction at the moment)
I have a BIG weekend ahead! If you are local in Phoenix, please join me if you can at one of the two events:
On Friday night:
47th Annual Juried Contemporary Crafts opening Friday, Feb. 13 from 7-10pm at Mesa Contemporary Art Museum Exhibition runs through June 28, 2026
I am so honored to have a new piece in this exhibition chosen by juror, Andres Payan Estrada. Above is Baby Bud Quilt II - 23x23". This is the second quilt I have made out of birth control packets using this quilt pattern and it has never been shown before! This one is much bigger. Baby Bud Quilt II reflects my love for saving mundane items, and quilt patterns. The quilt is sewn in the pattern named “Baby Bud”, and made from saved birth control pill packets that were used to prevent pregnancy and maintain hormonal balance. It also brings attention to women’s health, the freedom of choice, population control, and personal freedoms. I have been taking the birth control pill for 31 years and I recently stopped taking it last year. I felt that this monumental change needed to be documented. The Contemporary Craft exhibition is always an excellent show and I can't wait to see the rest of the work, plus the other great exhibitions at MCA.
And on Sunday:
Art Walk at Biltmore Fashion Park one day event on Sunday Feb. 15 from 1-5pm
I was invited by ArtLink and Axiom Gallery to be one of 17 Arizona artists showing their work outside this Sunday. I attended the January event and was so impressed with how they presented the artists and their work. I will have 3-5 pieces showing and can't wait to see how it all looks. My pieces are oldies but goodies and some have been spiffed up with new frames. They have a great online component that lets visitors vote for their favorite pieces and a People's Choice Award is announced at the end of the day. But you have to be present to vote! I would love to see you there.
I have been very busy this year working on a new public art proposal (more to come if I get it) and planning a two-person show at Vision Gallery for later this year. My collaborator, friend, and co-collector, Laura Spalding Best, and I are working together again to create a new exhibition that is a continuation of the work we did together on The Curiosity Chapel. As a preview, I can tell you there will be pennies, bowling pins, bread tags, silver tays, shoes, license plates, pencils, metal leaves, tread, and probably more.
I need bread tags with dates on them (especially Jan, Feb), but any dates will do and pennies! Lots of pennies are needed. If you have these items lying around and need to clear them out, please save them for me. I will pay for postage if you are out of town and I will pick up if you are in town. Thank you in advance for your help!
