Heather Layton

Heather Layton is a multimedia artist and Lecturer in the Department of Art & Art History at the University of Rochester. Her practice integrates storytelling with social intervention, spanning sculpture, installation, painting, drawing, and performance art. She is known for politically charged projects like Home Drone, which critiques U.S. military drone policies by imagining domestic strikes.

• Teaches courses including Senior Studio, Performance Art and Community Engagement, and Food Matters: Gender, Ethnicity, Religion and Justice

Her research interests focus on socially engaged art, interdisciplinary practices, and art’s role in diplomacy and activism. Collaborations with Brian Bailey, such as Home Drone, have been exhibited internationally, including in Pakistan, Turkey, and the U.S.

Notable accolades include the First Place Juror’s Award (2018), the Special Envoy Award (2019), and recognition as a Citizen Diplomat (2014). She has secured grants for community-engaged projects and co-founded the Nagaland/U.S. International Culture Partnership (2010–present).

• 2020: Community-Engaged Course Operational Grant for Art in Recovery
• 2018: Teaching Innovation Grant for Food Matters

Her work has been featured in PBS, the New York Times, the Huffington Post, and the Bard Center for the Study of the Drone.