Artist Biography

Arcadia Trueheart is an interdisciplinary artist (painting, drawing, murals, mask, puppetry, and storytelling) who grew up in the Pacific Northwest. For 20 years she has worked with youth - running an arts summer camp, teaching arts classes in Latin America and Spanish classes in the US, and most recently as the Program Director for the nonprofit, Betties360. Arcadia started making public art with her family’s business, Site Painters, at a young age and continues to create murals and installations for sites such as Penn State Children’s Heart Clinic, University Health Women’s & Children’s Hospital San Antonio, and Springwater Environmental School. A graduate of Western Washington University, with a BA in Creative & Cultural Communication and an alum of Bread & Puppet Theater’s training program, Arcadia is passionate about creating art that welcomes diverse communities. She founded Handmade Stories, a RACC and Awesome PDX funded community art project that combines oral history, drawing, creative writing, and performance to share stories about our hands. Arcadia’s ability to make art that responds to our society comes from her community organizing work as a community health educator and Spanish language medical interpreter with Donate Life Northwest and as a facilitator of intercultural dialogue through performance with Leaven Community.