Heidi Mandich
Heidi first discovered her passion for metalsmithing while taking a class at the Indianapolis Art Center in 2006. Using hammers, saws, fire and imagination, Heidi enjoys taking simple sterling silver sheet and wire and turning it into unique jewelry for people to enjoy and treasure. She continues to learn from experts in the field every year. “Metalwork…reshaping and reforming metal to become something you have envisioned is exciting …especially when it becomes what was in your head.”
In 2010 Heidi was asked to teach at the Indianapolis Art Center in the same studio where she first learned. She discovered her greatest joy is helping adult students find the same passion of using fire and tools to create jewelry from simple pieces of metal.
In 2011, Heidi took early retirement from her “day job” to follow her passion full time. She does art fairs throughout the Midwest, and continues to teach at the Indianapolis Art Center, and other venues, including William Holland in 2022 (after a 2 year wait 2020-2021). In and around these, she pursues learning opportunities to continue to grow creatively.
In 2014 Heidi was selected to join Indiana Artisans, a juried organization representing the best of art in Indiana as well as CCA Gallery, the oldest member owned coop art gallery in Indiana. In 2022, Heidi was invited to join Art IN Hand; another juried coop art gallery established in 2000, in Zionsville, Indiana. In 2022 & 2023, she was selected as a finalist for the Skip McKinney Faculty of the Year Award at the Indianapolis Art Center.