H L Birdsong
@smidgeonpress.bsky.social
Artist, etc. in Portland, OR
(she/her/they/them)
https://heatherleebirdsong.com/news
• Dec 4–20, 2025: Holiday Group Show, Russo Lee Gallery, PDX
• Mar 2026: Russo Lee Gallery, PDX (solo)
(she/her/they/them)
https://heatherleebirdsong.com/news
• Dec 4–20, 2025: Holiday Group Show, Russo Lee Gallery, PDX
• Mar 2026: Russo Lee Gallery, PDX (solo)
Pinned
What Kind of Times Are These—a new painting in Flashe on panel—debuts in the holiday group show at Russo Lee Gallery here in Portland.
Opening: First Thursday
Dec. 4, 5–7 PM
russoleegallery.com/exhibitions/...
Opening: First Thursday
Dec. 4, 5–7 PM
russoleegallery.com/exhibitions/...
Reposted by H L Birdsong
For those not in those circles, I just need to remind you that losing a job to AI is not a vibes based idea. We are being told explicitly by art directors that we are being weighed against AI for jobs, people on teams fighting against the AD and you. It sucks. It’s demoralizing.
December 4, 2025 at 9:05 PM
For those not in those circles, I just need to remind you that losing a job to AI is not a vibes based idea. We are being told explicitly by art directors that we are being weighed against AI for jobs, people on teams fighting against the AD and you. It sucks. It’s demoralizing.
Sent out my periodic (read: highly irregular) studio newsletter this morning. Give it a read:
mailchi.mp/e6d89997808f...
Sign up via my website if you want to get them (since social media mostly sucks for this sort of info): heatherleebirdsong.com/contact
mailchi.mp/e6d89997808f...
Sign up via my website if you want to get them (since social media mostly sucks for this sort of info): heatherleebirdsong.com/contact
Please join me at Russo Lee Gallery
mailchi.mp
December 4, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Sent out my periodic (read: highly irregular) studio newsletter this morning. Give it a read:
mailchi.mp/e6d89997808f...
Sign up via my website if you want to get them (since social media mostly sucks for this sort of info): heatherleebirdsong.com/contact
mailchi.mp/e6d89997808f...
Sign up via my website if you want to get them (since social media mostly sucks for this sort of info): heatherleebirdsong.com/contact
Reposted by H L Birdsong
Our friends at @birdallianceoregon.bsky.social put together this fast & easy invitation so Portlanders can thank their district councilors for protecting parks this year. As PGE tries to repackage their attack on Forest Park, councilors need to hear from you. Click thru:
t.e2ma.net/message/3eh9...
t.e2ma.net/message/3eh9...
December 1, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Our friends at @birdallianceoregon.bsky.social put together this fast & easy invitation so Portlanders can thank their district councilors for protecting parks this year. As PGE tries to repackage their attack on Forest Park, councilors need to hear from you. Click thru:
t.e2ma.net/message/3eh9...
t.e2ma.net/message/3eh9...
What Kind of Times Are These—a new painting in Flashe on panel—debuts in the holiday group show at Russo Lee Gallery here in Portland.
Opening: First Thursday
Dec. 4, 5–7 PM
russoleegallery.com/exhibitions/...
Opening: First Thursday
Dec. 4, 5–7 PM
russoleegallery.com/exhibitions/...
December 1, 2025 at 8:27 PM
What Kind of Times Are These—a new painting in Flashe on panel—debuts in the holiday group show at Russo Lee Gallery here in Portland.
Opening: First Thursday
Dec. 4, 5–7 PM
russoleegallery.com/exhibitions/...
Opening: First Thursday
Dec. 4, 5–7 PM
russoleegallery.com/exhibitions/...
“The curators had a whole birth canal of wall space with which to explain the historical and political machinations that would explain why she came to be executed (i.e. the background to that little thing called the Revolution). Do we get it? Nope.” Pure gold, that bit.
At the Victoria and Albert Museum’s new show on Marie Antoinette, the lack of historical artifact about the late Queen’s true self is compounded by a reluctance to include any sociopolitical background. When focusing on style, who needs to hear about nasty old revolutionary history anyway?
Who Was Marie Antoinette Beneath All That Silk and Spectacle?
History has never really known her as a person, and that isn’t about to change here.
hyperallergic.com
November 30, 2025 at 8:26 PM
“The curators had a whole birth canal of wall space with which to explain the historical and political machinations that would explain why she came to be executed (i.e. the background to that little thing called the Revolution). Do we get it? Nope.” Pure gold, that bit.
Literal book weights! I left these Yupo sheets rolled for too long and need them to relax before I can work with them. A random sampling of dense tomes from my myth and folklore bookcase to the rescue!
November 30, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Literal book weights! I left these Yupo sheets rolled for too long and need them to relax before I can work with them. A random sampling of dense tomes from my myth and folklore bookcase to the rescue!
Reposted by H L Birdsong
On this day, Indigenous people and allies confront the settler-colonial narratives of “Thanksgiving,” observing it instead as a National Day of Mourning.
November 27, 2025 at 3:12 PM
On this day, Indigenous people and allies confront the settler-colonial narratives of “Thanksgiving,” observing it instead as a National Day of Mourning.
Reposted by H L Birdsong
Slop Evader is a tool from artist and researcher Tega Brain that lets you search the web for results exclusively before November 30, 2022—the day that ChatGPT was released to the public.
'Slop Evader' Lets You Surf the Web Like It’s 2022
Artist Tega Brain is fighting the internet’s enshittification by turning back the clock to before ChatGPT existed.
www.404media.co
November 26, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Slop Evader is a tool from artist and researcher Tega Brain that lets you search the web for results exclusively before November 30, 2022—the day that ChatGPT was released to the public.
Reposted by H L Birdsong
I can't offer a sale this year at my Etsy, but Inprnt is having a sale! My art is ready for you to take home as stocking stuffers and gifts. Shop small this year and support the creatives you love whether that is me, or someone else!
🎁 www.samanthamash.etsy.com
🎁 www.inprnt.com/gallery/samanthamash
🎁 www.samanthamash.etsy.com
🎁 www.inprnt.com/gallery/samanthamash
November 26, 2025 at 7:06 PM
I can't offer a sale this year at my Etsy, but Inprnt is having a sale! My art is ready for you to take home as stocking stuffers and gifts. Shop small this year and support the creatives you love whether that is me, or someone else!
🎁 www.samanthamash.etsy.com
🎁 www.inprnt.com/gallery/samanthamash
🎁 www.samanthamash.etsy.com
🎁 www.inprnt.com/gallery/samanthamash
Frankly, everyone at the administrative level is guilty of wage theft from the workers who actually keep the museum running—art handlers, registrars, janitors, visitor services, etc. Suda gave herself raises and did a $250k rebrand while fighting against living wages for her colleagues.
After former Philadelphia Art Museum Director Sasha Suda accused the museum of unlawful termination, they’re countering with their own legal filing, alleging that Suda misappropriated museum funds to give herself a salary bump.
Philadelphia Art Museum Accuses Former Director of Theft
After Alexandra Suda accused the museum of wrongful termination, the institution said she misappropriated funds to increase her salary.
hyperallergic.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:04 AM
Frankly, everyone at the administrative level is guilty of wage theft from the workers who actually keep the museum running—art handlers, registrars, janitors, visitor services, etc. Suda gave herself raises and did a $250k rebrand while fighting against living wages for her colleagues.
Reposted by H L Birdsong
Books with Pictures is an irreplaceable part of the comics community! www.gofundme.com/f/keep-books...
Keep Books with Pictures Alive: Donate Now, organized by Katie Pryde
Dear friends: I need your help.
I’m proud of everything Books with Pictures… Katie Pryde needs your support for Keep Books with Pictures Alive: Donate Now
www.gofundme.com
November 18, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Books with Pictures is an irreplaceable part of the comics community! www.gofundme.com/f/keep-books...
Yes! I would love to see The Met staffed by a unionized workforce!
Workers at The Met are trying to unionize, citing “long-term pay inequities, lack of job protection, and ever-increasing workloads.” If they succeed, their union would be one of the largest museum unions in the US.
Met Museum Workers Push to Unionize
Staffers at the New York City institution have filed a petition for a union vote with the National Labor Relations Board.
hyperallergic.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Yes! I would love to see The Met staffed by a unionized workforce!
Just called a company’s customer service number and an actual human answered—no phone tree, no uncanny “service voice” robot, no pre-recorded message. It was so nice and easy. I feel like I fell into an alternative (better) universe for a minute.
November 16, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Just called a company’s customer service number and an actual human answered—no phone tree, no uncanny “service voice” robot, no pre-recorded message. It was so nice and easy. I feel like I fell into an alternative (better) universe for a minute.
Went to spend some time with the Ursula K. Le Guin exhibition at @oregoncontemporary.bsky.social today. Some random things, idiosyncratically chosen (I only took pictures relevant to a conversation I was having with a friend):
November 15, 2025 at 1:11 AM
Went to spend some time with the Ursula K. Le Guin exhibition at @oregoncontemporary.bsky.social today. Some random things, idiosyncratically chosen (I only took pictures relevant to a conversation I was having with a friend):
Reposted by H L Birdsong
One-third of museums in the United States have lost federal funding under Donald Trump’s presidency, according to a survey released by the American Alliance of Museums.
One-Third of US Museums Feel the Pain of Trump’s Grant Cuts
Two-thirds of affected institutions have not been able to find alternative sources of funding, says a survey by the American Alliance of Museums.
hyperallergic.com
November 13, 2025 at 7:19 PM
One-third of museums in the United States have lost federal funding under Donald Trump’s presidency, according to a survey released by the American Alliance of Museums.
Today’s message from the random universe. Do you know where your towel is?
November 11, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Today’s message from the random universe. Do you know where your towel is?
Absolutely fuck LACMA leadership for refusing to voluntarily recognize their workers’ union.
Staffers at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art have announced their intention to unionize under the auspices of AFSCME Cultural Workers United District Council 36, a branch of the union representing museum workers across the country. www.artforum.com/news/lacma-p...
As LACMA Prepares to Unveil $720 Million Building, Employees Unionize
Staffers at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on October 29 announced their intention to unionize under the auspices of AFSCME Cultural Workers United District Council 36.
www.artforum.com
November 8, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Absolutely fuck LACMA leadership for refusing to voluntarily recognize their workers’ union.
I am gleefully cackling. I have a mean streak a mile wide for anyone who fucks over workers and fails to value FOH labor.
It’s gross that the museum spent $250k on an unnecessary rebrand after reneging on longevity pay for their workers. Not that that’s why they canned her—but it should be.
It’s gross that the museum spent $250k on an unnecessary rebrand after reneging on longevity pay for their workers. Not that that’s why they canned her—but it should be.
After an emergency board meeting at the Philadelphia Art Museum, Director and CEO Sasha Suda was ousted via email, three years into her five-year contract with the museum and less than a month into the institution’s controversial rebrand.
Why Was the Philadelphia Art Museum Director Sacked?
After an emergency board meeting at the Philadelphia Art Museum (PhAM), Director and CEO Sasha Suda was dismissed from her post yesterday, November 4.
hyperallergic.com
November 6, 2025 at 9:02 PM
I am gleefully cackling. I have a mean streak a mile wide for anyone who fucks over workers and fails to value FOH labor.
It’s gross that the museum spent $250k on an unnecessary rebrand after reneging on longevity pay for their workers. Not that that’s why they canned her—but it should be.
It’s gross that the museum spent $250k on an unnecessary rebrand after reneging on longevity pay for their workers. Not that that’s why they canned her—but it should be.
This is a favorite archival letter from
recent history.
recent history.
Thanks to this morning's Bluesky discourse I'm suddenly thinking about this 1971 letter from artist Nancy Spero to critic Lucy Lippard www.si.edu/object/nancy...
November 6, 2025 at 8:27 PM
This is a favorite archival letter from
recent history.
recent history.
Sometimes I use little paper maquettes to work out the polygon figures for my paintings. Mostly I use an old desktop copy of Sketchup Make on an ancient laptop, but sometimes I need to play with something physical to figure it out. (I also need more gray card stock, which shows lighting better.)
November 1, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Sometimes I use little paper maquettes to work out the polygon figures for my paintings. Mostly I use an old desktop copy of Sketchup Make on an ancient laptop, but sometimes I need to play with something physical to figure it out. (I also need more gray card stock, which shows lighting better.)
“This art writing doesn’t pass my Turing test. It plummets with a wet, creepy thud into the uncanny valley.”
Shudderingly excellent description—something LLMs can’t make. They’re just auto-complete on steroids, producing averaged words from huge data sets (which were made through mass theft).
Shudderingly excellent description—something LLMs can’t make. They’re just auto-complete on steroids, producing averaged words from huge data sets (which were made through mass theft).
October 31, 2025 at 11:03 PM
“This art writing doesn’t pass my Turing test. It plummets with a wet, creepy thud into the uncanny valley.”
Shudderingly excellent description—something LLMs can’t make. They’re just auto-complete on steroids, producing averaged words from huge data sets (which were made through mass theft).
Shudderingly excellent description—something LLMs can’t make. They’re just auto-complete on steroids, producing averaged words from huge data sets (which were made through mass theft).
I remain somewhat aghast that Halloween is not a national holiday, despite its cultural importance.
October 31, 2025 at 8:21 PM
I remain somewhat aghast that Halloween is not a national holiday, despite its cultural importance.
Reposted by H L Birdsong
cultureedit.com/collections/...
48 hours left to bid - I have 5 works in this auction, check it out. 😘
48 hours left to bid - I have 5 works in this auction, check it out. 😘
October 31, 2025 at 7:15 PM
cultureedit.com/collections/...
48 hours left to bid - I have 5 works in this auction, check it out. 😘
48 hours left to bid - I have 5 works in this auction, check it out. 😘
The tragedy of a theft like this is that the objects will most likely be destroyed. Petty opportunists don’t fence collectibles—they melt them down, break whatever they can into salable parts, and toss the rest. Even though what they wind up with is a fraction of the market value of what they stole.
Four days before the Louvre heist catapulted museum security to the global stage, thieves in California snatched more than 1,000 items, including Native American artifacts, from a Bay Area museum.
Thieves Rob 1,000 Collection Items From California Museum
Native American artifacts and jewelry were among the objects taken from the Oakland Museum of California’s off-site facility.
hyperallergic.com
October 31, 2025 at 7:36 PM
The tragedy of a theft like this is that the objects will most likely be destroyed. Petty opportunists don’t fence collectibles—they melt them down, break whatever they can into salable parts, and toss the rest. Even though what they wind up with is a fraction of the market value of what they stole.
Reposted by H L Birdsong
New Sticker! ryanbubnis.bigcartel.com/products
Doom scrolling getting you down?
You picked up your phone to check the weather, but now you’ve been zombie scrolling for 20 mins
Screenprinted, 2-color red & black ink on white vinyl, uv resitant.
Doom scrolling getting you down?
You picked up your phone to check the weather, but now you’ve been zombie scrolling for 20 mins
Screenprinted, 2-color red & black ink on white vinyl, uv resitant.
October 29, 2025 at 11:21 PM
New Sticker! ryanbubnis.bigcartel.com/products
Doom scrolling getting you down?
You picked up your phone to check the weather, but now you’ve been zombie scrolling for 20 mins
Screenprinted, 2-color red & black ink on white vinyl, uv resitant.
Doom scrolling getting you down?
You picked up your phone to check the weather, but now you’ve been zombie scrolling for 20 mins
Screenprinted, 2-color red & black ink on white vinyl, uv resitant.