Heidi K. Brandow, Harvard Graduate School of Design
Heidi K. Brandow (Diné and Kānaka Maoli) is currently pursuing a Master of Design Studies (MDes) at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD). Heidi holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Studio Arts with an emphasis on Painting and Printmaking from the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) and studied Industrial Design at Istanbul Technical University in Istanbul, Turkey.
As a multi-disciplinary artist primarily focused on painting and social engagement, Heidi maintains an active arts practice and is currently represented at Form and Concept Gallery. Recent distinctions include having been awarded the UCross Native American Artist Fellowship, the Ford Foundation – Santa Fe Art Institute Story Maps Fellowship, a First People Fund Fellowship, and a Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian Social Engagement Fellowship.
As a graduate student at Harvard, Heidi’s research is centered on the inclusion of Indigenous people and perspectives in the development of ethical and sustainable methods of creative engagement. Heidi is a founding member of the Harvard Indigenous Design Collective (HIDC), a member of Harvard GSD Women in Design, and an active member of the Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP).
Heidi is a lover of Turkish language and culture and is primarily based in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Past Chairs of Information
- Heidi K. Brandow (GSD), 2020-2021
- Achuth Krishnan "Krish" Sreedevi (HGSE), 2019-2020
- Paul Tylkin, (SEAS) 2018-2019
- Akinwande Lalude, 2017-2018