PROFILE

        Award winning artist and instructor, Heather Leigh Butler, has been creating art since she could walk. Her first foray into a county fair art show in middle school brought her creativity fully to the surface with a first place win in her first showing.  Awards throughout her high school and college career followed on the county fair circuit.  In college, her senior seminar and group showings were well received but it wasn’t until her graduation from Shippensburg University in 2007 with a BA in art that she was able to live life fully devoted to art, music, and self-expression. 

       Post college, Heather accepted a position with a successful Chambersburg photography studio where she was mentored by Bill Champion before starting her own photography studio, Heather Leigh Photography, in 2008.  Heather’s photography was her main artistic outlet for several years while starting a family and raising her two children.  In 2011, Heather made the move back to Pine Grove in Schuylkill County and continued to grow her photography business and returned to the local art and county fair competition scene. 

        2015 saw the beginning of Heather's paint and sip business, Created By... in an effort to bring more art to the small Schuylkill County town she resided in.  With great success, she pushed forward on attempting to introduce more art.  In 2017, Heather and her husband Skip introduced a new non-profit, The Collective Arts League, to Pine Grove with the goal of providing an incubator space for artists and crafters to display and sell their items.  Their  store, Made in PGA, operated by the Collective Arts League was a Pine Grove staple for two years and became the launch pad for an annual chainsaw festival which was held yearly on the grounds of the building which served as the store.  Upon leaving the organization in 2019, Heather took a position at The Arts Barn in Orwigsburg as the Adult Education Director while also joining the ranks of gallery artists displayed in the Arts Barn’s gallery. 

        2021 brought Heather her first solo show at the Tamaqua Art Center in August.  She also transitioned to The Walk In Art Center first as the Education Director and Rental Manager, then as a studio artist shortly following. 

        Her watercolors, drawings, painting, and photography have received many accolades, awards,  and placements in group exhibitions through her journey as an artist.  Through her multi-disciplined approach to art, she’s made a positive impression on the industry and will continue to explore new methods and tackle new challenges.

 

-Art is more than a passion; it is a way of life.