Dena Hawes

Dena Hawes is a multi-media artist who resides in Bloomington, IN. Her art has been exhibited nationally and internationally since 1994. She earned a BA from Indiana University; MFA from University of California, Santa Barbara; and PhD in Peace Studies and Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University. ​“I argue that natural objects found in nature inherently contain different kinds of meaning that are more complex than that of traditional artmaking materials, such as metal and pigment. I find that certain pieces of driftwood and certain found creek stones can act as symbols or pointers to potent memories. They offer a sense of timelessness, as the long-lived processes that wear them down to form evocative shapes, that are themselves, and in my mind, complete with a kind of eternal value. When such shapes become mentally internalized, they form a psychological relationship between life and art.” In addition to teaching art and contemporary art issues at universities, she was also an IIE Professional Development Fellow researching conflict resolution and regional security matters in the Republic of Georgia, and Hawes authored the book: Why Art Matters: Artists and Peacebuilding as well as many articles and poetry. Her most recent work unites her background with art seeking resolution between nature and modern life.