Depicting Deep and Personal Commitments to Identity, Community and Storytelling: Heinz Family Foundation Names Jennifer Packer and Marie Watt Recipients of the 30th Heinz Awards for the Arts
PITTSBURGH, September 16, 2025 — The Heinz Family Foundation today named Jennifer M. Packer and Marie K. Watt recipients of the prestigious 30th Heinz Award for the Arts. As part of the accolade, Ms. Packer and Ms. Watt will each receive an unrestricted cash award of $250,000.
Blankets, which in many Indigenous communities are gifted to mark milestone events, play a central role in Ms. Watt’s practice. Her “Blanket Stories” sculpture series comprises towering structures of folded blankets donated to the artist by local communities, each accompanied by stories marking the importance of these simple items to the individual or family. Ms. Watt transforms the humble objects into monolithic monuments of care and collective histories.
“I see blankets as living, storied objects,” said Ms. Watt. “Many blankets, particularly wool blankets and quilts, are passed down through generations. We are received into this world in blankets and in many ways depart in a blanket, and in between we are constantly imprinting on them — worn areas, stained bits and mended parts are like beauty marks and part of the object’s history.”
Ms. Watt’s deep commitment to community engagement was powerfully embodied in her 2023 installation, “Sky Dances Light.” Suspended from the ceiling, cloud-shaped forms shimmered with thousands of tin jingles, evoking the ceremonial regalia used in Native American jingle dances — traditionally performed as a healing offering. In a thoughtful break from conventional gallery norms, visitors were invited to touch the work, setting the jingles into motion and activating a soundscape of collective resonance and shared restoration.
“I approach this dance between community, conceptually storied materials and my studio with openness,” said Ms. Watt. “I am drawn to the relationship between part and whole, call and response, individual and group. Working with the community resonates with me as it connects art and life in a tangible way.”
More recently, in her 2024 installation “Land Stitches Water Sky” at the Carnegie Museum of Art, Ms. Watt reflected on Pittsburgh’s industrial legacy while honoring the contributions of Indigenous steelworkers, particularly Haudenosaunee “Skywalkers” who helped shape the modern urban skyline. In 2025, her work has also been on view at the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University, The Gund at Kenyon College and the Shelburne Museum in Vermont.
“We honor Marie for her thought-provoking work that graciously allows us entry to Indigenous traditions, culture and histories and to the application of that collective wisdom to contemporary life,” said Teresa Heinz, Chairman of the Heinz Family Foundation. “Marie’s art brings us joy, and her welcoming practice of engaging the community is a model and inspiration for creating lasting intergenerational connections.”
Created to honor the memory of the late U.S. Senator John Heinz, the Heinz Awards celebrate excellence and achievement in areas of great importance to Senator Heinz. The 30th Awards bring the total number of recipients to 186 and reflect more than $32 million in awards since the program was launched in 1993.
