NYWIFT Blog

By Farah Qureshi

Welcome to NYWIFT, Jessica Heyman!

Jessica is the Founder and Director of Art for Film, a Brooklyn-based company that connects the art world with the film and television industry by providing high-quality, legally cleared artwork for productions.

A New York City native, Jessica studied at Barnard College before pivoting from work in social justice and education to the film industry, where she recognized a gap in the market for cleared artwork in New York productions and went on to found Art for Film.

Since launching the company in 2006, she has built Art for Film into a trusted resource for set decorators and creative teams, representing a diverse roster of more than 100 artists and placing artwork in thousands of films, television shows, and commercials, including Succession, Mean Girls, and Only Murders in the Building.

In our interview, Jessica discussed her path in the film and art worlds, her commitment to artist advocacy, and lessons from building a women-owned business.

NYWIFT Member Jessica Heyman

Welcome to NYWIFT! Could you give our readers a brief introduction to yourself?

I’m the Founder and Director of Art for Film, which—hard to believe—I launched 20 years ago this fall!

I was born and raised in Manhattan, with some formative middle and high school years in Oakland, California, where I grew up in the counterculture in a community of activists, writers, intellectuals and artists. I was hellbent on getting back to New York City, so I attended Barnard College, Columbia University (where I made some dear friends who are also NYWIFT members).

After living in Spain for a couple of years, I worked in social justice, philanthropy, and education, but as water finds its own level, I eventually made my way to working in film.

While working in the art department of the Disney film Enchanted, I saw that the set decorators had difficulty getting cleared art, especially in New York City, and I realized that I could help to fill this hole in the market, and serve as the bridge between the art and film worlds. The rest is history.

Jessica Heyman at Art for Film

What brought you to NYWIFT?

As a women-owned and operated company, I firmly believe that it is important for women to create strong networks to support and encourage one another, to develop and mentor the next generation, and to collaborate and learn from each other. Now, more than ever.

Jessica Heyman at Art for Film

You launched Art for Film after recognizing a real need within the art department while working on set. What were some of the early challenges of building the company, and what helped you persevere in those early years?

I was very fortunate that when I launched the company in 2006, New York City had just started the tax incentive, and we’ve seen exponential industry growth in New York City since then.

There was really no one else doing cleared art in New York City then (and we’re still the only company that specializes in representing a diverse roster of established and esteemed artists as the primary core of our catalog). So, I was able to start very small and allow the company to grow organically initially—the most challenging part was just getting the word out.

Honestly, it’s a much more challenging environment now that the industry is in flux, and there’s more competition from imitators and large generalized prop houses trying to encroach on our specialty.

Jessica Heyman at Art for Film

Why has artist advocacy been so important to you, and how do you see that commitment reflected in your work today?

I believe in the power of art to forge change and to bring deeper meaning, critique, and understanding to the world, so I want to do all that I can to enable artists to continue creating their work.

It begins with the profound respect and admiration I have for artists—to be a committed artist requires a certain vulnerability, to be willing to bear your soul and really put yourself out there in such a raw way, especially in our late-capitalist, money-focused society.

So advocating and promoting our artists to support their careers through social media posts and generating alternate revenue streams for them is central to what we do.

Jessica Heyman at Art for Film

As a founder and director, what lessons have stood out to you about leadership, especially as a woman building a creative business in this industry?

Don’t wait or ask for permission. No man would. It’s good to be reflective, but don’t let yourself be consumed by self-doubt. Just go out there and do it, and find good people to bring along with you to build relationships and networks, especially with women. We need to look out for each other.

Strong and clear communication is key, but being an acute listener and making space for feedback—to your clients and colleagues—is just as important and allows for growth and improvement.

Jessica Heyman at Art for Film

Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of Art for Film, and what are you personally hoping to explore next?

We’ve been expanding our presence abroad, and are very excited at the prospect of curating and selling more artwork to corporations and institutions in the near future. We’re always on the lookout for new talent, so we’re excited to be adding some new artists this spring, bringing us to over 125 artists and over 7,000 ready-to-print images, in addition to our warehoused inventory of 2,000+ pieces.

We’ve also expanded our curated collection of furniture, décor, lamps, smalls, and textiles, and are in talks with some high-end artisan design companies about doing product placement for them.

Personally, I would like to explore some board and mentorship opportunities to help support the next generation of women and underrepresented groups looking to build careers in art or film.

Connect with Jessica Heyman at jessica@artforfilmnyc.com, and learn more about Art for Film at www.artforfilmnyc.com or on Instagram at @artforfilmnyc.

(All images courtesy of Jessica Heyman)