Artist in Residence Heather Heckel, PhD

Heather Heckel, PhD, at Yosemite

Artist's Photo, used with permission

Gateway National Recreation Area, Sandy Hook Unit, announces their Artist-in-Residence for the 2026 season. Heather Heckel, PhD, is an artist and certified, tenured art educator. She has completed over 30 artist residencies in national parks and Bureau of Land Management sites.. Heather Heckel is in her 13th year of teaching art in public school arts, and has taught at the middle school, high school, and college levels. She is a trained illustrator and painter and is a graduate of Ringling College of Art and Design, School of Visual Arts, Savannah College of Art and Design, and University of the Cumberlands.

Heather's exhibition, 10 Summers and 250 Years: Advocating for Our Public Lands through 30 Artist Residencies, is located at the Fort Hancock Museum within the Fort Hancock and Sandy Hook Proving Grounds National Historical Landmark. It commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence by using 250 pieces of art to connect visitors to places and stories interpreted by the National Park Service, including those from Gateway National Recreation Area. Visitors that experience the exhibit will find honor in America’s past, reflect on what is to come in America’s future, and perhaps become more eager to learn about these cherished stories by experiencing National Parks for themselves

The exhibit is open to the public Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., June 6, 2026, through September 20, 2026. As part of her residency, Heather will be hosting an Opening Reception and book signing on June 14, 2026, and subsequent Meet the Artist Programs and book signings on July 11, August 30, and September 20.