Mary Heilman is the head of the MFA Scene Painting and MFA Prop Design specialties in the CalArts Theater School, where she has created a unique program focused strongly on a professional viewpoint drawing on the close proximity of the Los Angeles entertainment industry. Mary was the Master Painter and Lead Scenic Artist for South Coast Repertory Theater for 17 years. While painting over 250 productions, she worked with Ming Cho Lee, Ralph Funicello, Karen TenEyck, Robert Brill, Marg Kellogg, Adrienne LaBelle, Tony Straiges and many others. As a long time independent artist/contractor for Disney Imagineering she has contributed to projects in Tokyo, France, Florida and California. She has also executed projects for the Old Globe Theater, Mark Taper Forum, the Denver Center and Arizona Theater Company. She teaches Advanced Studies in Scene Painting for Cobalt Studios in New York. In addition to her work on numerous film and television projects, her commercial design clients include Mazda, Suzuki and Toyota for Saatchi and Saatchi, Westin Hotels and the U.S. Pentagon.

After completing her education in the California University system and Otis Parson's Art Institute, she continued to study in Europe, Mexico and the Middle East.

Mary is presently the Co-Commissioner of Scene Design for the United States Institute of Theater Technology, organizing seminars and workshops for their annual conferences and participates in panel presentations for U/RTA.