Artist / Designer
In my installations, sculptures, and interactive works inanimate objects are often used as metaphors for emotions, fears, and longing. By questioning our dependency on, and fascination with, “things” this work examines the deep vein of magical thinking and nostalgia that informs the American experience. Central to this experience is the stubbornly held feeling that the right machine, or combination of machines, has the potential to make life secure, happy, and, most of all, meaningful.
Almost always site-specific and often room size in scale; much of my work only becomes fully activated when a viewer enters a space. The question of what is being seen and experienced is integral to the works conceptual foundation. Is it art or has the viewer simply stumbled into an odd snippet of everyday life? It is the uncertainty of what is actually the piece that takes up a central role in grasping both the intent and meaning. In some cases the works exist independent of a greater context and in others the pieces operates in an experientially narrative structure.
Spinning Corvairs, ejection pods for the wealthy, dangerous living shipping containers, rebellious interactive televisions, breathing HVAC ducts, and humidifiers and dehumidifiers wrestling with one another; like Frankenstein monsters come alive they appear trapped with no place to go. Futile, dysfunctional, yet poignant and often lovely, these mutated creatures combine a childlike joy with allusions to a culture grasping, and gasping, for control.
Trained as an architect, my fascination with the relationship between form and function is ever present. In almost every case the pieces themselves perform work in a way not too distant from their design. This focus on function, as well as potential, is often extended in directions that are simultaneously absurd, fantastic, obsessive, humorous and darkly prophetic. Indeed the work often appears to hover in a twilight zone between the living and the inanimate, holding attributes of both and illuminating in the process our continual and collective quest in seeking meaning in the world.
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Rice University Master of Architecture
Bennington College Bachelor of Arts Architecture/Ceramics
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Shaker, California State University Jacki Headly Gallery, Chico, CA 2016
(With Marek Walczak, Curated by Kelly Lindner)
Chairot, Vox Populi, Philadelphia, PA 2012
(Curated by the Vox Populi artist board)
The Rain Follows the Plow, Roswell Museum & Art Center, Roswell, NM 2011
(Curated by Caroline Brooks, Roswell Museum and Art Center, Roswell, NM)
under contract, Artspace, New Haven CT 2010
(Juried by Denise Markonish MassMOCA)
husk, Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY 2007
(Curated by the Sarah Lawrence Heimbold Visual Arts Center Visiting Artist Selection Committee)
suburban, Museum of Fine Arts Houston Glassell School Project Space 2005
(Curated by Mary LeClair, MFAH, Houston, TX)
insidewalk, Project Row Houses Round 20. 2004
twice removed, Dramos Studios Houston, Texas 2004
transvision, Lawndale Art Center, Houston, Texas 2003
(Juried by Lawndale artist board) 2003
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Lehigh University Faculty Show, Lehigh University Art Gallery, Bethlehem, PA. 2025
Lehigh University Faculty Show, Lehigh University Art Gallery, Bethlehem, PA. 2020
RAiR at 50, Roswell Museum, Roswell, NM. 2017-2018
Agrikultura, Hyllie, Sweden. Curated by Marek Walczak and Amanda Crowley. 2017
Time + Space, Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Omaha, NE. Curated by Nicole Caruth. 2016
Area Artists 2015, Lehigh University Siegel Gallery, Bethlehem, PA. 2015
Instrument, Kulturmollan. Lovestad, Sweden. Curated by Marek Walczak 2013
Spaces, Fuse Art Infrastructure House Tour Projects, Allentown, PA. 2012
From the Compound, FPAC Gallery Boston, MA. Curated by Jennifer Moses, University of New Hampshire. 2012
_technifying, Soft Machine Gallery, Allentown, PA. 2012
Shadow & Light, Kulturmollan, Lovestad, Sweden. Curated by Marek Walczak. 2010
More Serious Business, Northampton Community College, Bethlehem, PA, 2010
Lehigh University Faculty Show, Lehigh Univeristy Art Gallery, Bethlehem, PA, 2010
Notations and Mark Making, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, 2009
Scope Art Fair, Jack the Pelican Presents, Lincoln Center, New York, NY. Curated by Don Carroll, Jack the Pelican Presents Gallery, Brooklyn, NY. 2008
Out of Time, Moravian College, Bethlehem, PA. Curated by Angela Fraleigh. 2007
Surface Tension, Arlington Museum, Arlington, Texas. Curated by Jennifer Stark. 2007
Semiennial, Monkey Town, Brooklyn, NY. Curated by Sam Zimmerman. 2007
Next Next Wave, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY. Curated by Dan Cameron, New Museum. 2007
5 x 7 ArtHouse, Austin, TX 2007
Drawing Inside/Out Lawndale Art Center, Houston, TX. Curated by Michelle White, Menil Collection. 2006
Artadia @ DiverseWorks DiverseWorks Art Space, 2005
New American Talent 20 ArtHouse, Austin, TX. Curated by Dan Cameron, New Museum, New York, NY 2004
5 x 7 ArtHouse, Austin, TX 2004
Project Row Houses Festival. 2004
Suitcase Series: Houston, Lab Gallery, New York, NY. Curated by Jennifer Jankauskas, Kohler Arts Center, Kohler, WI. 2004
Blue Star 19, BlueStar Art Center, San Antonio, TX. Curated by Lynn Herbert, Museum of Fine Arts Houston. 2004
iMage “The Future and The City” Architecture Film festival, Florence, Italy 2000
room, Menil Collection, Houston, TX. Video piece “miasma 5”, part of Lars Lerup and Sohela Farokhi’s exhibition. Made in collaboration with Michael Morrow. 1999
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Shadowalk, Jackson Street Shade Art, Indio, CA. Made in collaboration with Marek Walczak. Completed 2025
Lost & Found, Nevins Landing, Arts Gowanus, Gowanus Brooklyn, NY. With Marek Walczak. Finalist 2025
HedgeWork, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn, NY. Made in collaboration with Marek Walczak, Mark Shepard, Antonina Simeti and Robbie Lee. Completed 2024
Huguenot Station, MTA Staten Island Railroad, Staten Island NY. With Marek Walczak. Finalist 2024
The Date, Sheilds Park, Indio, CA. With Marek Walczak. Finalist 2024
Markers, 39th Avenue Greenway, Denver, CO. Made in collaboration with Marek Walczak. Completed 2022
Allentown Arts Walk and Arts Alley, Allentown, PA. With Angela Fraleigh and Josh Miller. Finalist 2021
Daybreak Public Library, Salt Lake City, UT. With Marek Walczak. Finalist 2019
AboutFace, Wayne State College, Wayne, NE. Made in collaboration with Marek Walczak. Completed 2018
Powers of 10, Wayne State College, Wayne, NE. With Marek Walczak. Finalist 2018
The Curtain, Strata Symphony, Allentown, PA. With Angela Fraleigh. Completed 2018
StoryTime, Connective Corridor, Syracuse, NY. Made in collaboration with Marek Walczak. 2017
Facewall, Arts and Humanities Building Facade, California State University Chico, Chico, CA. Made in collaboration with Marek Walczak. 2016
TemporaryTime, Pittsburgh Temporary Public Art and Placemaking Program, Pittsburgh, PA. With Marek Walczak. Finalist 2016
Inventions, Metropolitan State University Denver, Denver, CO. With Marek Walczak. Finalist 2016
Animal Eyes, University of Wyoming Biodiversity Institute, Laramie, WY. Made in collaboration with Marek Walczak. Completed 2016
RTD Old Town Arvada Station, Arvada, CO. With Marek Walczak. Finalist 2015
Chatwall, City of Palo Alto New Media Art, Palo Alto, CA. With Marek Walczak. 2014
SiteLines, Love Park, City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. With Marek Walczak. Finalist 2014
Opticals, Marshall Way Enhancement Scottsdale, AZ. With Marek Walczak. Finalist 2014
14th Street overlay, City and County of Denver, Denver, CO. Made in collaboration with Marek Walczak. Completed 2013
Moment, Tukwila Village Clock Tower, Tukwila, WA. With Marek Walczak. Finalist 2013
ThoughtBalloons, Central Park Recreation Center, City and County of Denver, Denver, CO. Made in collaboration with Marek Walczak. Completed 2011
Staplefield, Central Park Recreation Center, City and County of Denver, Denver, CO. Made in collaboration with Marek Walczak. 2011
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Mountaintop Summer Research Project, Shapeshifter, with Nik Nikolov, 2014
Sloan Grant, Lehigh University, 2012
Bemis Center Residency, Omaha, Nebraska, 2012
Paul J. Franz, Jr. Pre-Tenure Research Fellowship, Lehigh University, 2011
Roswell Artist-In Residence program, Roswell, New Mexico 2010-2011
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Individual Artist Fellowship 2009
Arts Lehigh Faculty Grant, 2009
Mac Dowell Colony, Peterborough, New Hampshire 2008
Arts Lehigh Faculty Grant, 2007
Mac Dowell Colony, Peterborough, New Hampshire 2007
Skowhegan School of Sculpture and Painting, Skowhegan, Maine, 2004
Creative Capital Foundation Grant, Finalist, 2004
Artadia: The Fund for Art and Dialogue grant, Houston 2004
Dallas Museum of Art. Kimbrough Fund Grant, 2004
CACHH Individual Artist Project Grant, 2004
Creative Capital/DiverseWorks Artist’s retreat, 2003
John Crowder Traveling Fellowship, Rice University 1999
Visionary Award, Rice University, 1998
Full Scholarship, Rice University, 1996-2000
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designboom, designboom’s guide archtober 2024: what not to miss during NYC’s architecture month
https://www.designboom.com/architecture/archtober-new-york-city-roundup-guide-09-23-2024
Archtober, Public Art Installation: Hedgework
https://www.archtober.org/exhibitions/public-art-installation-hedgework
Lehigh News, March 29, 2023 by Lori Friedman
Acumen, Spring 2023
https://flippingbook.lehigh.edu/ACUMEN-Spring2023-/4/
Community-focused Art, College of Arts and Sciences Website, August 23, 2022 by Vicki Mayk
https://cas.lehigh.edu/content/community-focused-art
The Untitled Art Show, “The Marek Walczak and Wes Heiss Interview” May27th, 2013
http://untitledartshow.com/?p=2972
Confluence Denver, “Art for the Masses”, Jamie Siebrase, July 31st 2013
http://www.confluence-denver.com/features/publicart_073113.aspx
Hyperallergic, “An Escape Pod for the 1%”, by Robert Cicetti, 2012
http://hyperallergic.com/59329/wes-heiss-chariot-vox-populi/
The Triangle, by Carlos Miranda, 2012
http://thetriangle.org/2012/10/26/vox-populi-gallery-shows-unique-exhibits-chariot-and-punctum/
Knight Arts, “Vox Populi from painting to trade show tropes”, by Chip Schwartz 2012
http://www.knightarts.org/community/philadelphia/vox-populi-brett-suss-heiss-arsenault
The Daily Nebraskan, “Artist Builds Unusual Connections” by Heather Haskins 2012
Vision Magazine, “In the Spotlight” Page 10, Vanessa Kahin November 4th 2011
Acumen “Objects of his Affection” Robert Nichols 2008
The Morning Call “Well worth the time”, Geoff Gehman December 13, 2007
http://articles.mcall.com/2007-12-13/entertainment/3893727_1_jumbo-jet-video-circles
New American Talent 20 Catalog. Essay by Dan Cameron. 2005
Artadia @ DiverseWorks Catalog. Essay by Amada Cruz. 2005
Glasstire “New York Report” by Marisa White
Houston Press “On the House” by John Devine. 8.26.04
Houston Press “Life Row” by Scott Faingold August
Houston Press “Best Of 2003” September 25 2003
Houston Press “Consumer Culture” by Kelly Klaasmeyer March 6 2003 pg 53
Abitare “Architecttura in Video” November 2000 pg 56
Houston Press “Domestic Disturbance” by Shaila Dewan April 1st 1999