Education 

2016               M.F.A. with Distinctions + Certificate, Time Based & Interactive Media,

Stuart Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, Pa 

2008 B.F.A. Cum Laude, Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pa 

Awards/Grants/Fellowships

2022 The Fabric Workshop and Museum's Summer 2022 College/Post Grad Apprentice Training Program, Philadelphia, Pa 

Independent Creative Production Grant, The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation,  University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa 

2021 Aquarium Gallery Artist Residency, New Orleans, La

Art Is Essential Grant,  ArtIsPHL, Dept of Planning & Development, City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa

2020 Leeway Foundation Transformation Award, Leeway Foundation, Philadelphia, Pa 

2019 Leather Archives & Museum 2019 Visiting Scholar, The Leather Archives & Museum, Chicago, Il

2017 Leeway Foundation Art & Change Grant, Leeway Foundation, Philadelphia, Pa 

2016 Toby Devon Lewis Fellowship Award, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa 

PennDesign Merit Scholarship, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa

2015 Stuart Egnal Scholarship Award, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa 

Howard A. Silverstein and Patricia Bleznak Silverstein Photography Studio Abroad, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa 

2014 PennDesign Merit Scholarship, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa 

2008 Calumet Photographic Award, Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, Pa 

1991 Young Artist Scholarship, Moore College of Art & Design, Philadelphia, Pa 

1990 Young Artist Scholarship, Moore College of Art & Design, Philadelphia, Pa 

 

Solo Exhibitions 

2023 (Forthcoming) Margin|Margin, William Way LGBT Community Center, Philadelphia, Pa

2022 Banner Exhibition with MEANTIME Philadelphia and Fjord Gallery, Philadelphia, Pa.

2020 Pa’Lante, Practice Gallery, Philadelphia, Pa 

2018 (S)Extra: Bait & Switches, James Oliver gallery, Philadelphia, Pa 

2018 Short Ones|Long Ones: Time based Media by Heather Raquel Phillips, Leather Archives & Museum, Chicago, Il 

2009 Mixed, SAGE Projects, Philadelphia, Pa

2008 Philadelphia Memorials (thesis exhibition) Tyler School of Art, Elkins Park, Pa 


Two Person Exhibitions

2022 Midday Cabaret with Jae & Screening of Margin|Margin, Leather Archives & Museum, Chicago, Il

2019 Spitting Distance, Collaboration with Keenan Bennett, NAPOLEON, Philadelphia, Pa 

2018 Sloppy Seconds with Wit Lopez, Space 1026, Philadelphia Pa 

2017 Code with Gerard Brown (Curator, Heather Ossandon) Hyphen Gallery, Washington D.C 

 

 Juried Exhibitions 

2023 (Forthcoming) Woodmere Annual: 81st Juried Exhibition (Juror, Doug Bucci), Woodmere

Art Museum, Philadelphia, Pa

2018 MaterialKink (Curator, Jose Santiago-Perez) The Leather Archives & Museum, Chicago, Il 

Bechdel Test Fest, Karaoke Performance with Joan Oh, Christ church, Philadelphia, Pa 

2016 215/610 Contemporary (Juror, Pepon Osario) The Gallery at Delaware County Community College, Media, Pa 

Victory for Tyler Alumni Exhibition Series (Juror, Anthony Elms) IceBox Project Space, Philadelphia, PA. 

2013 High Wire Juried Exhibition, High Wire Gallery, Philadelphia, Pa. 

2008 The Photo Review Web Exhibition, The Photo Review 

Is it Possible to Make a Photograph of New Jersey Regardless of 

Where You Are in the World? (Curator, Laurel Ptak) Pierro Gallery, New Jersey 

Select Exhibitions 

2022 On Repeat- Work by the Summer Apprenticeship Program at The Fabric Workshop &

Museum, SideShow Gallery, Philadelphia, Pa

2021 Cowlick In A Devil’s Peak: A Night of Artist’ Film (produced by Kill All Kings)

Centre for Contemporary Arts, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Stone Moon, Pink Noise Projects, Philadelphia, Pa

2019 Caffeine. (Curator, Reuben Gordon) Living Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

Extra Parts NAPOLEON, Good Children, New Orleans, La 

Stonewall @ 50 (Curators, Janus Ourma & David Acosta) Leonard Pearlstein Gallery, 

Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pa

Art Movies! #1, (curated by Frances Beaver) PostScript Gallery, 

Crane Arts Building, Philadelphia, Pa

At The Same Time- work by the members of NAPOLEON, Goggleworks, Reading, Pa 

2018 New Members Show, Napoleon, Philadelphia, Pa 

Lip Sync Parade, (Curator, Doah Lee) Fjord, Philadelphia, Pa

2017 Llamada y Repuesta (Curator, Rafael Damast) Taller Puertoricano, Philadelphia, Pa 

Equinox/Equinnoccio (Curator, Wit Lopez) 40th St. AIR, Philadelphia, Pa

Combination Skin (Curator, Liz Barr) Little Berlin, Philadelphia, Pa

Vacation in November (Curator, Em Jensen) Little Berlin, Philadelphia, Pa

Betwixt & Between (Curator E. Williams) Muncie Makes Lab, Muncie, In 

2016 Sage Reunion Tour, BLAM/56 Bogart, Brooklyn, New York 

A Crowd of Nobody- A Night of Performance (Curator, Phoebe Wang) 

Grizzly Grizzly, Philadelphia, Pa

Happiness Greens Our Irrelevance  (Curator, Hamza Walker) Mama Gallery, LA, Ca

EchoLocation (Curators: Kirsten Gill, Haely Chang & Hilary R. Whitman) 

Grizzly Grizzly, Philadelphia, Pa

2015 Studio Berlin, Charles Addams Gallery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa 

Like, Charles Addams Gallery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa 

2013 Group Exhibition at The Dr.Ross Beitzel Art Gallery Gloucester County College, 

Gloucester County College, Sewell, NJ 

2011 Simulacra- A Self Portrait Showcase, Intersections Gallery, Philadelphia, Pa. 

Trash Manifesto, Water Gallery, Landsdale, Pa 

Left Overs, Black Vulture Gallery,Philadelphia, Pa

2010 That's What She Said, Intersections Gallery, Philadelphia, Pa

2009 Tenuous Magic Parts, SAGE Projects, Phila, Pa 

 

Curatorial 

2023 Forthcoming: Dream Boat, solo exhibition, Ryan O’laughlin, Side Street Gallery, Phila.Pa

Forthcoming: Gabriel Martinez solo exhibition at Leather Archives & Museum, Chicago, Ill

2020- Pinch- hitter Projects: Bottom of the 9th, (founder) public/residential exhibition, Philadelphia, Pa 

2018 Black & Blue, The Colors of Leather, juried open call co-curated with Amy Phillips 

William Way LGBT Community Center, Philadelphia, Pa 

Soft Synth + Bight Bound, Napoleon, Philadelphia, Pa 

2017 I/We In/Out Our/Own, Pete Checchia Art & Photography Studio, Philadelphia, PA 

Embracing Failure, Off The Wall Gallery, Philadelphia Pa 

Lectures/Talks/Presentations

2022 Artist Presentation, Fabric Workshop & Museum, Philadelphia, Pa

Guest Presenter, Social Engagement and Photography, Digital Arts, University of California, San Diego. San Diego, Ca

2021 Oh Snap! Women & Trans Lecture Series hosted by Philadelphia Photo Arts Center, Philadelphia, Pa

Guest Speaker, Decolonizing Practice: Reimagining Representation, for Design, Dynamic Media Institute MFA program,

Massachusetts College of Art & Design, Boston, MA 

Critical Dialogue Series, Spring 2021, Tyler School of Art & Architecture, Philadelphia, Pa                                                          

2020 Photography Faculty Lecture Series, “Heather Raquel Phillips” Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania,

Philadelphia, Pa

Venture Cafe & Ester Klein Gallery, “Bottom of the 9th - Pinch-hitter Projects, Curator & Artist Talk,”

Science Center 2019 Visual Artist Presentations, August 4, 2020

Club Obscurite’, “Multi-disciplinary artist Heather Raquel Phillips” Podcast, Jul 19, 2020

The Naked Truth, “Interview with Heather Raquel Phillips”  Podcast, July 9, 2020

Visual Artist, Heather Raquel Phillips, Artist Lecture, March 20, 2019, Penn State Brandywine, Media, Pa

2019 Artist Presentation for Textile Department by Frances Beaver Tyler School of Art, Temple University. Philadelphia, Pa

2018 Public Conversation between Heather Raquel Phillips & Kirin Wachter-Grene, Leather Archives & Museum, Chicago, Il 

Artist Talk: Heather Raquel Phillips - (S)Extra: Bait & Switches James Oliver Gallery, Philadelphia, PA 

2017 Artist Presentation for “The Body in Photography” by Gabriel Martinez, Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania,

Philadelphia, Pa

2016 Lightning Lecture, ICA, Philadelphia, Pa

Guest Critic/Panel/Jury

2022 Organizer, Disrupting Monoliths: A Panel Discussion on BIPOC Equity in Art Programs

The Undergraduate Program of Fine Arts & Design, Stuart Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania

2021 Juror, QFlix: Philadelphia's LGBTQ+ Film Festival, Philadelphia, Pa 

Panelist, Black Radical Pleasure: A Black Scholar Roundtable (moderated by Amber Musser), ASA Conference, SanJuan,

Puerto Rico (Virtual)

Juror, William Way Community Center’s 15th Annual Juried Art Exhibition 2021, Phila, Pa

2020 Visiting Critic, Summer Final Reviews, Moore College of Art & Design, Philadelphia, Pa 

Juror, States of Desire: Tom of Finland in the Queer Imagination, An international show-

case of video art, Casa Duende, Philadelphia, Pa

2019 Juror, Brick By Brick: Stonewall 50, Off The Wall Gallery, Philadelphia, Pa

2018 Visiting Critic, Fall Final Reviews, Moore College of Art & Design, Philadelphia, Pa

Bibliography 

2020 Peter Crimmins, “Outdoor art exhibition remembers the 100th anniversary of the Pan-African flag

WHYY.ORG, August 15, 2020

2019 Wit López, “A Complex Composition, Bennett and Phillips’s new installation ‘SpittingDistance,”

Artblog.org, October 25, 2019

Bea Huff Hunter, “lip sync parade, ”ArtForum.com: Critics Pick

Wit Lopez, “Heather Raquel Phillips Talks Kink & Queer Liberation,” Artblog.com, January 23, 2019

2018 Kirin Wachter-Green, “If You Want to Watch, You Can Watch: A Conversation with 

Multimedia Artist Heather Raquel Phillips,” Sixty (Inches from center), Dec. 20, 2018

Logan Cryer “from kinky to whimsical and humorous its sexual healing at space 1026 in sloppy seconds

ArtBlog, July 22, 2018

Ray Simon, “Exhibit Explores ‘The Colors of Leather’” Philadelphia Gay News, February, 7, 2018

Ray Simon, “Multimedia Artist Explores The Body From All AnglesPhiladelphia Gay News,

Keenan Bennett, “(S)extra:Bait and Switches, Interview With Heather Raquel Phillips.” Title Magazine, June 7, 2018

Suzi Nash, “Heather Raquel Phillips, Making Her Black-And-Blue Mark In The Community,” Philadelphia Gay News,

Family Portrait, January 11, 2018

2016 Tod Seelie, “Wandering Around Bushwick’s Second International Gallery Biennial,” 

Hyperallergic, October 24, 2016

2012 Interview, Heather Raquel Phillips, Photographer 

C.A. Conrad, “Heather Raquel Phillips: Photographer,” Video Interview Series, The Deviant

Mike Jerrick, “Spotlight on Sexy Singles Art Exhibition by Heather Raquel Phillips.” 

Good Day Philadelphia, Fox 29 Television 

 Published

2020 Finding Family, By Heather Raquel Phillips (memoir)

The Black Scholar, Issue No. 50.2: At The Limits of Desire: Black Radical Pleasure 

2015 Studio Berlin (exhibition catalog) PennDesign

2008 Photographer's Forum: Best of College Photography Annual, 

Published by Serbin Communications 

Photographer's Forum: Best of Photography Annual, 

Published by Serbin Communications 

Self Published 

2018 (S)Extra limited edition self-published exhibition catalog

FU/FO (volume 3), Collaborative art book with Chiara No 

2017 FU/FO (volume 2), Collaborative art book with Chiara No 

2016 FU/FO (Volume 1), Collaborative art book with Chiara No & Samuel Gallery 

(S)Extra, limited edition exhibition catalog

2014 Philly Homeboys, limited edition photo booklet 

Professional Membership

2020- American Studies Association

2020- Leather Archives & Museum, Chicago, Il

2018 Till Arts Projects, Philadelphia, Pa

2018-21 Pink Noise Projects (formerly NAPOLEON), artist run space, Philadelphia, Pa 

2009-10      SAGE Projects, Philadelphia, Pa


Academic Appointments 

2022- Adjunct Faculty, Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pa

2021-22 MFA Critic + Adjunct Instructor, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Philadelphia, Pa

2020 Adjunct, Art & Art History Department, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pa  

2019- Adjunct Instructor, Department of Performing & Visual Arts, The Lincoln University, Lincoln

University, Pa  

2017- Lecturer, Undergraduate Department of Fine Art & ,Design, Stuart Weitzman School of 

Design, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa

2015  Teaching Assistant + MFA Extended Studio Instructor, Undergraduate Department of Fine

Art & Design, Stuart Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania