Martha’s study of textiles began in the 90’s when, as a ceramic artist, she developed her “clay quilt” wall pieces—clay tiles assembled to recall traditional quilt designs. Over time she began working with textiles, creating art quilts using “fabric tiles” —squares of fabric stacked and quilted. (image, right)
She now creates mixed media art quilts, textile sculptures, and wall hangings as well as framed fiber and paper collage. She works at her home studio/gallery in Newton MA.
An eleven year career in theater costume design and her volunteer work with the historical clothing collection at Blithewold Mansion Gardens & Arboretum in Bristol RI has influenced her art practice. Her wall hangings and textile sculptures often speak to the dynamics between constructed garments and artistic expression.
My most recent work includes botanical dye, ink, and paint techniques: strip soaking, hammering, printing, immersion dyeing, and creating dry pigments for later use. I use the flowers and leaves in my garden: Japanese indigo (Persicaria tinctoria), sand and plains coreopsis, black hollyhock, dyer’s chamomile, madder, cosmos, and black knight scabiosa.
I am presently working on a series of wall pieces inspired by Japanese scroll painting.
Aware of the vast environmental pollution associated with the textile industry, I strive toward a more sustainable art practice and hope to inspire the conversation, for artists and industry, around using non-polluting colorants and textiles. I am a proud member of the i3C Artists Group: Inspiring Change for the Climate Crisis.
Instagram: marthakheller
Juried Exhibitions
2025
2025 Members Prize Show, Cambridge Art Association, Cambridge MA
2024
Illumination, Gallery Twist, Lexington MA
pARTners, 1581 Gallery, Brookline MA
Speak Up III, The New England Art Center, SoWa, Boston MA
The Art of Change, Wedeman Gallery, Lasell College, Newton MA
In the Making, The Corridor at New Art Center, Newton MA
Fresh, Gallery Twist, Lexington MA
88th Regional Exhibition of Art and Craft, Fitchburg Art Museum, Fitchburg MA
Morning Noon and Night, Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro MA
Changing Tides, Hopkinton Center for the Arts, Hopkinton MA
Too Hot! Kingston Gallery, Boston MA
Entwined, Mosesian Center for the Arts, Watertown MA
Re-Imagining our World: Rejected Materials Reinvented, i3C @ LexArt, Lexington MA
Voices and Visions, Galatea Fine Art, Boston MA
2023
Climate Change: Creating Conversations on a Global Crisis, Multicultural Arts Center, Cambridge MA, Illumination, Gallery Twist, Lexington MA, MA, HOME, Lexington Arts and Crafts Society and LexHab, Lexington MA, Metamorphosis: Artistic Visions for a Resilient Planet, Scolleys Gallery, Boston City Hall, Inspiring Change for the Climate Crisis: The Non-Human is Pushing Back, Piano Craft Gallery, Boston MA, Greater Than The Sum Of Its Parts, Galatea Fine Art, Boston MA, The Fabric of Life, Arts League of Lowell, Lowell MA, Best of LexArt, Lexington Society of Arts and Crafts, Lexington MA, Danforth Annual Juried Exhibition 2023, Danforth Museum, Framingham MA, Used, Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro MA, Lasting Impressions, Gallery Twist, Lexington MA, Reflections, Listening to Nature, The Umbrella Arts Gallery, Concord MA, i3C at CAA@CANAL, Cambridge Art Association, Cambridge MA, Talking Points, Cambridge College, Cambridge MA, From the Heart, The Mosesian Center for the Arts, Watertown MA, Red, Cambridge Art Association, Cambridge MA
2022
Inspiring Change for the Climate Crisis @The Belmont Gallery of Art, Belmont MA, Illumination, Gallery Twist, Lexington MA, Contemporary Abstract, Mosesian Center for the Arts, Watertown MA, Meditations on the Climate Crisis: Inspiring Change 2022, honeyjones Gallery, Cambridge MA, 23rd Annual Wills Creek Exhibition of Fine Art, Allegheny Arts Council, Cumberland MD, Flights of Fancy Gallery Twist, Lexington MA, Inspiring Change for the Climate Crisis @Arthaus Gallery, Allston MA, Under the Sea and Over the Rainbow Mosesian Center for the Arts, Watertown MA, Connectivity Attleboro Arts Museum, Bits and Pieces Belmont Gallery of Art, Belmont MA, Here + Now Gallery 263, Cambridge MA Exploring the World of Fibers!, Lexington Arts and Crafts Society, Lexington MA
2021
Nourish Belmont Gallery of Art, Belmont MA, Honoring Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro MA, Art Ramble The Umbrella Arts and Environment, Concord MA, Bodies Cambridge Art Association, Cambridge MA, Emerging Artists, Fiber Art Now, The Appalachian Center for Craft, Smithville, TN
2020
Artful Nature Belmont Gallery of Art, Belmont MA, Members Prize Show Cambridge Art Association, Cambridge MA
2019
Elemental, Belmont Gallery of Art, Belmont MA, 2019 Mary Schein Fall Salon, Cambridge Art Association (Spotlight Award), 2019 Juried Members Show, Mosesian Center for the Arts, Watertown MA
Memberships
Belmont Art Association, Cambridge Art Association, Concord Art, Newton Art Association, LexArt, Surface Design Association, and Inspiring Change for the Climate Crisis Artists Group (i3C)
Ceramics
1998-2000 New England Quilt Museum Shop, Lowell MA
1995-1998 The Jewish Museum Shop, New York NY
1995-1998 Society of Arts and Crafts Shop, Boston MA
