Exhibit by Heidi Marie Faessel
Turn Your Face to the Sun was inspired by the quote: “Turn your face to the sun, and the shadows will fall behind you.” Reflecting on the color yellow as the color of optimism, of sunshine; a color that conveys the radiance of the sun and waves of life force energy, Faessel wondered “how can I counteract the darkness (felt both from the depths of winter and dark headline news), both literally and figuratively?”
Jessie Wilber Gallery
July 11 – August 29, 2025
Reception
Artist reception during the Art Walk on Friday, July 11th from 5:00-8:00pm
Artist Statement
The original impetus for this work began during the dark winter of 2023. In response to the darkest time of the year, as well as the continuous flow of dark news in the headlines, it began with one yellow painting. Reflecting on the color yellow, I realized that for me, it is the color of optimism. It is the color of sunshine. It is a color that conveys the radiance of the sun and waves of life force energy. It let me to wonder, “How can I counteract the darkness, both literally and figuratively?”
The title for this exhibit was inspired by the quote: “Turn your face to the sun, and the shadows will fall behind you.” It’s been credited to both Walt Whitman and a Maori proverb, and it became a guiding sentiment for the work. The inspiration board included in the exhibit began as a supplemental studio tool – something to guide color palette, texture, and a sense of place. But it grew into more than that: a visual reminder that people across cultures and eras have used creativity not only to interpret the world around them, but to uplift it.
We cannot change world events, the weather, or other people’s beliefs. But we can change ourselves. We can affect the people around us. We can lift someone up. We can contribute something positive, in small ways, each day. We can be decisive in our actions, our attitudes, and our impact. We can align ourselves with the good in life.
Artist Bio
Based in Whitefish, Montana, multidisciplinary artist Heidi Marie Faessel creates abstract paintings and sculptures formed from salvaged and everyday materials. Her work investigates the intersections of emotion, though, and shared experience, illuminating the invisible threads that connect us across cultures, time, and place. Influenced by science, psychology, and philosophy, Faessel’s practice reflects a universal search for meaning and belonging within the human condition.
Faessel was raised mainly in Southern California. She spent her early adult years in New York City, earning a BFA in textile/surface design from the Fashion Institute of Technology/SUNY. She worked professionally in New York City as a textile designer in the home furnishing industry, and after moving to Montana in 2002, worked as a graphic designer while raising two kids in Whitefish. Faessel has received grants from the Montana Arts Council and has shown her work in museums, galleries, and non-profit spaces throughout Montana.
