Heidi Dehncke: Biophilia: Connections to Our World
Evercore Artist Empowerment Award 2023

Biophilia: Connections to Our World is a solo exhibition by Heidi Dehncke, presented at Evercore’s New York City offices.

Excerpt from Dehncke’s artist statement:

“As society and the world has become more and more modernized and removed from nature, we have, in many cases, lost our connection to the real world. I feel a tremendous sense of self and mindful elation when I create from nature. This inspiration encompasses most of my fine art painting process. 

The work in this exhibition is based on my experience within and around nature and my connection to it. There is a certain presence and calm in the desert, which I hope is found reinterpreted in my depictions of Sedona, Arizona and the Sonoran Desert. My paintings of Letchworth State Park in upstate New York and The Great Paterson Falls in New Jersey evoke the joy I felt while immersed in their beauty. Some of my works seek to capture that which feels transcendent, such as the light of the early morning hours in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. A number of my paintings focus on the scenery found in Central New Jersey, which I call home. These places elevate my spirit and remind me of the symbiotic relationship we have with the world around us, one that can be mutually uplifting if we recognize its importance.”

For inquiries, please email info@cueartfoundation.org.

About the Artist

Heidi Dehncke studied illustration, painting, and photography at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. As a child, she won several art competitions, and always has an affinity and aptitude for various media. After her time at Pratt, she worked as a video producer, journalist, photographer, and editor.  

Dehncke’s photography has appeared and placed in national juried competitions as well as in several publications. She describes her photography as energizing and dramatic and focuses on captivating imagery affected by light and shadow. She also reinterprets much of this documentary imagery through painting, and recently has returned to painting as her primary creative endeavor. Dehncke utilizes acrylics and oils in what she describes as a modern impressionist style.

Dehncke has shown work at group shows such as Trenton City Museum’s Ellarslie Open 39, Biafarin’s Diversia: Earth online exhibition, and the Rhode Island Watercolor Society’s Spring Forward. She was also a featured artist at Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery and won an honorable mention in the Marin Society of Artists Awards. She finds her biggest inspiration to be rooted in capturing and reinterpreting nature.

Dehncke is also the author of multiple children’s books, including Come and Play! Exploring Animal Friends and Prince Lazaro and the Magic Scales.

Artwork Images

Catalogue

About the Evercore Artist Empowerment Award

The Evercore Artist Empowerment Award is an opportunity that seeks to recognize and support artists at a critical point in their careers. Each six-month engagement at Evercore’s New York City offices provides a platform for artists to present a solo exhibition of their work, and in turn creates an unparalleled opportunity for the Evercore community to experience and engage with contemporary art.

The Artist Empowerment Award was initiated by Corina Larkin, former Executive Director of CUE Art Foundation.

Applications for the Evercore Artist Empowerment Award are accepted annually via an opt-in option on CUE’s Open Call for Solo Exhibitions.

The Evercore Artist Empowerment Award is an opportunity for artists who:

• Have not had a solo show in a commercial NYC gallery within the last five years

• Do not have current, consistent commercial gallery representation in the United States

• Are not currently enrolled in a degree program

• Have a demonstrated, consistent studio practice outside an academic setting for three or more years

• Currently live and work in the United States

Other Recent Artist Empowerment Award Recipients