Heather Macali
b.1984
Detroit, MI
Heather Macali is an artist, craftsperson, and educator based in Detroit, Michigan. She holds an MFA in Textiles from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and teaches at Wayne State University, where she specializes in weaving, dyeing, textile design, and spinning. Her practice explores the structural, optical, and material possibilities of woven textiles, situated at the intersection of Craft, Fine Art, and Design.
Macali has exhibited nationally and internationally for over a decade, with work shown at venues including the Dairy Barn Arts Center, Contemporary Craft (Pittsburgh), the Kent State University Museum, Yeiser Art Center, and the World of Threads Festival in Ontario. Her solo exhibition Structure & Color is currently on view at the Dairy Barn Arts Center, and her work will be featured in Excellence in Fibers XI at Contemporary Craft, opening in March 2026.
Her research-driven practice investigates dimensional and self-shaping cloth through weave structure, hand-spun yarn, twist direction, fiber selection, and color theory. Her work has been supported by faculty research awards, grants, and sabbatical leaves, and is featured in Fiber Art Now (January 2026) and Creative Dimensions in Weaving by Stacey Harvey Brown. In addition to her studio practice, Macali is an active lecturer, workshop instructor, curator, and community-engaged educator.