Heather Renée Russ (she/they) is a multidisciplinary artist working across sensor-based imaging, experimental photography, multi-media video installation and bio art. Her practice incorporates queer femme signifiers and organic materials to explore queer ecologies, climate grief and the cumulative effects of stress on queer bodies, while centering queer joy and systems of care. Russ comes from a rich history of organizing in underground art scenes. She co-directed Lair Fera, a queer collaborative space in Brooklyn. In San Francisco she co-produced Club Feral, a raucous mutual aid queer nightclub. The experience of stewarding spaces for queer artists in ever-shifting environments informs her work.
Russ will present a solo exhibition at NARS Foundation in New York City in 2026, will be included in the 2026 Wassaic Project Summer Exhibition and previously presented a solo exhibition at State University of New York (SUNY) Old Westbury in 2025. Her work has also been exhibited at Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum (Cal State Long Beach), IMT Gallery (London), SoMos (Berlin), SPRING/BREAK Art Show (NYC), Every Woman Biennial (NYC), NADA Miami with Paradice Palase (Miami), Elijah Wheat Showroom (Newburgh), Field Projects (NYC), Underdonk (NYC), Stephen Street Gallery (NYC) and Flux Factory (NYC).
Russ has participated in residencies at Wassaic Project, NARS Foundation, MASS MoCA, ChaNorth, TransBorder Art and Vermont Studio Center and received the Powerhouse Arts Subsidy Award in 2026. She is currently a member of the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts (EFA) Studio Program in New York City.
Studio shot of Heather Renée Russ at MASS MoCA residency 2022