Heather Cline

Heather is a product of Saskatchewan’s rich and diverse cultural opportunities. Her exposure to community-based cultural programming from an early age allowed her to dream of the possibility of being a professional artist. It has also provided her with the education and opportunity to live in Saskatchewan. Parts of her experiences are the direct result of being a beneficiary of SaskCulture programming, as an individual and as a part of many organizations. Heather feels it is an appropriate time to give back some of her time and energy.

Heather is a professional visual artist and has an extensive history as an art educator providing instruction and adjudication throughout Saskatchewan. She has worked with a variety of arts and cultural community groups. She is currently an instructor at the University of Regina. Over the years Heather has volunteered as a committee or board member with a variety of Saskatchewan organizations including CARFAC Saskatchewan, the Ness Creek Music Festival, Emma Lake International Collaboration and the Art Gallery of Regina.

After completing her MFA at the University of Saskatchewan in 1999, Heather started to engage in a variety of community-based programming. This included working on a series of artist residency programs which led to the creation of the ‘Live Arts’ program in 2005. Heather worked in partnership with the Saskatchewan Arts Board, the Ministry of Education, SCN and school divisions throughout Saskatchewan to bring artists of all disciplines into the classroom for virtual curriculum-based learning. In 2014 Heather received the Saskatchewan Lieutenant Governor’s Arts Award: Arts & Learning for her work as the Artist Manager of this innovative distance learning ‘Artist in the School’ program.

Heather’s art practice is currently based in Regina but she grew up on the outskirts of Saskatoon in the Sutherland neighbourhood. Here she had the unique opportunity of experiencing small town life on the edge of an urban centre. While attending the BFA program at the University of Saskatchewan, Heather worked summers as a historic interpreter at Fort Carlton Provincial Historic Park. These experiences have been a lifelong influence on her creative activity and passion for community engagement in her art practice.

Heather maintains a rigorous personal practice as a visual artist. Over the past 15 years she has been involved in a series of residency projects and public engagements across Canada. Working with institutions in other provinces has given her even more appreciation for Saskatchewan’s commitment to cultural funding.

Heather has exhibited extensively in both commercial and public gallery spaces. Her artwork can be found in many public and private collections, including the Colart Collection, the Remai Modern, the Saskatchewan Legislature and the Saskatchewan Arts Board. Heater would bring a strong commitment to a professional artistic practice, educational innovation and community service to any role with SaskCulture.