Artist Statement
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I work with fragments of consumer culture—materials designed to persuade, circulate, and disappear—because they carry the stories, excess, and visual language of the world we inhabit. Discarded vinyl street banners, once used to advertise fleeting moments and destined for the landfill, become charged material in my practice: physical evidence of our habits, desires, and environmental impact.

Through cutting, weaving, and reconstruction, I intervene in this cycle, transforming commercial refuse into sculptural paintings with rhythm, presence, and narrative. The grid brings order to chaos, while intentional disruptions—spirals and curves—pull against its rigidity, creating tension between control and fluidity that mirrors the material’s own transformation.

Fragmentation, layering, and repetition allow the work to shed its former identity and take on a new one rooted in repair, reclamation, and revaluation. Inspired by archaeological remnants and what civilizations leave behind, my work responds to the reality that our era’s ruins will be plastic and vinyl that refuse to decompose. The act of weaving becomes symbolic—binding fragments into unity and suggesting resilience, connection, and meaning reclaimed from what has been discarded.

​Ultimately, the work translates environmental concern into visual poetry, challenging the throwaway mindset of contemporary life and proposing renewal as a lasting legacy.

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Bio
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​Shelley Heffler (b. Bronx, New York) is a multidisciplinary artist working in Cathedral City, California. She received her MFA from California State University, Northridge (with honors), BA from Cal State Northridge (magna cum laude), and studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York.
Heffler's work has been exhibited at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Tokyo International Museum of Art, Lancaster Museum of Art, Torrance Art Museum, and Municipal Art Gallery, among others. Recent solo exhibitions include "Rescued Refuse" (West Hollywood Library, 2022) and "Altered States" (Art Depot Gallery, Fontana, 2018). She was named Visual Arts Association Artist of the Year (2025) and completed artist residencies in Inglewood, California (2022, 2019, 2017) and Lake Chapala, Mexico (2017).
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Her work has been reviewed in Los Angeles Times, LA Independent, Daily News, and British magazine Hedge, with interviews published in Elevated Magazine, Bold Journey, Art and Cake, and Voyage LA. A Nationally Board-Certified Professional Educator, Heffler taught for LA Unified for 25 years and served as adjunct professor at Otis College of Art and Design. Her paintings and photographs are held in collections throughout the United States.
These works are one-of-a-kind original work of art. All copyrights and reproduction rights are retained by the artist and may not be reproduced by any process or medium without express permission form the artist.