Photo by Ashley Wang

Heidi Grace Acuña (HGA/they/she) is an artist who “creates to live”. Born in Federal Way, Washington to immigrant Filipino parents, and raised on O‘ahu since one year old, Heidi felt disconnected to a true sense of home and belonging. Now, Heidi makes art that finds the beauty in the multiplicities, imperfections, and expansiveness of identity, culture, gender, and home. Heidi’s interdisciplinary work in ceramic sculpture, textiles, and printmaking is inspired by the diverse tropical colors of her island homes, living in diaspora, and the need for connection.

HGA is a 2025 Canopy Program artist, 2025 4Culture Heritage Grant recipient, 2025 Artists at the Center artist, 2024 Collective Power Fund recipient , 2024 Gallery 110 Emerging Artist , and a 2024 Fruit Bowl finalist. Heidi is a published artist whose work is part of the North Seattle College Permanent Art Collection. In 2022, they received the Edwin T. Pratt Scholarship and had their first solo show, LUSH at Western Washington University.

HGA has exhibited in Seattle, New York, Hawaiʻi, Philadelphia, and Bellingham. Heidi is a founding member and Co-Artistic Director for the QT arts collective House of Kilig where she collaborates as a costume designer and installation artist.

Heidi holds a BA in Interdisciplinary Visual Arts and Art History minor from the University of Washington and an AA in English from North Seattle College.

Solo Exhibitions & Activations

  • 2026 - (Upcoming) buwaya baby, ARTS at King Street Station Gallery, Seattle, WA

  • 2025 - Living Waling Waling!, Seattle Center Mural Amphitheatre, Seattle, WA

  • 2022 - LUSH, Viking Union Gallery, Bellingham, WA

Grants, Awards, & Residencies

  • 2026 - (Upcoming) Artist in Residence, ARTS at King Street Station, Seattle, WA

  • 2026 - (Upcoming) We Dream a Future, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Seattle, WA

  • 2025 - Heritage Grant, 4Culture, Seattle, WA

  • 2025 - Artists at the Center, Office of Arts & Culture + Seattle Center, Seattle, WA

  • 2024 - Collective Power Fund, NW Film Forum + Andy Warhol Foundation, Seattle, WA

  • 2024 - Cultural Producers Recovery Fund, 4Culture, Seattle, WA

  • 2024 - Emerging Artist Scholarship Finalist, Gallery 110, Seattle, WA

  • 2024 - smART Ventures Grant, Office of Arts & Culture, Seattle, WA

  • 2024 - Fashion Finalist, Fruit Bowl, Seattle, WA

  • 2023 - smART Ventures Grant, Office of Arts & Culture, Seattle, WA

  • 2023 - Celebrate Art/sts Grant, The Feels Foundation, Seattle, WA

  • 2022 - Edwin T. Pratt Scholarship, Pratt Fine Arts Center, Seattle, WA

  • 2019 - Steamroller Printing Design Contest, North Seattle College, Seattle, WA

  • 2018 - People's Choice Award, NSC Art Gallery, Seattle, WA

Collections

  • North Seattle College Art Collection, Seattle, WA

  • Paruparo Collective, Portland, OR

  • Ho'okipa Center, Waipahu, HI

    Selected Group Exhibitions

  • 2026 - (Upcoming) held / hidden, Canopy Gallery, New York, NY

  • 2025 - Second Skin, The Fishbowl, Seattle, WA

  • 2024 - comfi.space, The Fishbowl, Seattle, WA

  • 2024 - Life After Occupation: Liberation Art Show, Māʻili Community Center, Waiʻanae, HI

  • 2024 - Emerging Artist Exhibition, Gallery 110, Seattle, WA

  • 2024 - Still In Our Feels, AXIS Gallery, Seattle, WA

  • 2023 - Seattle: City of the Future, The Teal Building, Seattle, WA

  • 2023 - Artists of Color Expo, Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, Seattle, WA

  • 2023 - Have You Eaten: Meryenda, Kasama Space, Seattle, WA

  • 2023 - The Feels VII, AXIS Gallery, Seattle, WA

  • 2022 - Tidal Three, Jacob Lawrence Gallery, Seattle, WA

  • 2022 - Sojourn, North Gallery, Seattle, WA

  • 2022 - makeSPACE, Gallery 224, Philadelphia, PA

  • 2022 - Looking Forward, Sandpoint Gallery, Seattle, WA

  • 2020 - Somatic/Asymptotic: 3D4M Undergraduate Juried Exhibition, South Gallery, Seattle, WA

  • 2019 - NSC Juried Student Art Exhibition, NSC Art Gallery, Seattle, WA

  • 2019 - 8x8 - Building Community Through Proximity, ACES, Seattle, WA

Teaching + Demonstrations

  • 2025 - Sewing Instructor, Sustainable Style Seattle. Common Area Maintanence, Seattle, WA, May 17 & 18

  • 2024 - Young Choreographers Club Co-Facilitator: Fashion, Velocity Dance Center, Seattle, WA, Feb 24

  • 2023 - Art Instructor, Teen Art Studio, Gage Academy, Seattle, WA, July 7-28

  • 2023 - Art Instructor, Teen Art Studio, Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, WA, May 19-Jun 16

  • 2023 - Printmaking Instructor, Teen Takeover, Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, WA, May 19

  • 2023 - Art Instructor, Art Together at Aki Kurose Middle School, Seattle, WA, April 17-May 8

  • 2021 - ReWerkshop Instructor, Tacoma Sunday Market, Tacoma, WA, Nov 21

  • 2019 - Decal Demonstration, North Seattle College, Seattle, WA, Jun 13

Artist Talks + Panels

  • 2024 - House of Kilig - Guest on “Navigating Oceania”, Daybreak Star Radio, Seattle, WA

  • 2024 - Artist Talk: House of Kilig flourish like an ocean’s grief., Jack Straw, Seattle, WA Jul 26

  • 2023 - Artist Panel: Make Banana Cry, On The Boards, Seattle, WA, Nov 9

  • 2023 - Guest Professional Speaker, Filipinx American U.S. History Course, Apr 19+20

  • 2022 - Artist Lecture, Viking Union Gallery, Bellingham, WA, Oct 26

  • 2021 - After NSC: An Art Alumni Panel Discussion, NSC Art Gallery, Seattle, WA, May 24

  • 2019 - Artist Talk, Licton Springs Review Launch Party, Seattle, WA, May 30

  • 2018 - Artist Talk, North Seattle College Art Gallery, Seattle, WA, May 30

Publications + Articles

Education + Training

  • 2022 - BA, Art: Interdisciplinary Visual Art, Minor: Art History, Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA

  • 2025 - Canopy Program, NYC Crit Club, New York, NY (Virtual)

  • 2019 - AA, English, North Seattle College, Seattle, WA

  • 2017 - Sewing Techniques, New York Fashion Academy, Seattle, WA