Hannah Givler
Adjunct Assistant Professor in Sculpture & Intermedia
Biography
Hannah Givler grew up in London, Ohio in an unfinished American Foursquare house with exposed stud walls, plywood floors and unpainted drywall. The interior was equally raw and refined, revealing a logic of materials and wood frame construction that continues to inform her interests to this day. Her formal experimentation with materials and installations began with a degree in Sculpture from The Ohio State University and continued in Fiber and Material Studies at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she earned her MFA.
Ongoing teaching in higher-ed, workshops, and collaborations within her creative community disposes Hannah to a theoretically engaged practice, deeply invested in learning and sharing knowledge about materials. From 2010 to 2015, Hannah was active in Chicago’s social practice community, contributing to collectives and programs such as the Southside Hub of Production, and Arts + Public Life, as well as teaching and developing the wood and metal shops at the University of Chicago. From 2016-2019 Hannah worked with the Simparch collective on commissioned iterations of Free Basin and projects with the Center for Land Use Interpretation. Socially engaged work remains central in her current role at Iowa City’s non-profit, artist-run space, Public Space One, where Hannah works amongst a team of organizers to foster equitable access to artist tools, skill-building opportunities and community driven arts programming.
Hannah’s research focuses on the affective dimensions of materials, vernacular architecture, socially engaged public art and installation, and sustainable upcycling practices informed by a material studies lens. This research fosters work that varies in scale, often taking the form of architectural installation, sculpture, sound, and the collaborative organization of conversations and events. Her works have been exhibited in venues across the Midwest and beyond including, Chicago Artist Coalition, 4th Ward Project Space, Logan Exhibitions, CSPS, Riverside Arts Center, Weinberg/Newton Gallery, Flatland Gallery, DEMO Projects, the Cultural Heritage Center in Arusha, Tanzania, and the Banff Center for Arts and Creativity in Alberta Canada.
Research interests
- Social Practice
- Fiber and Material Studies
- Vernacular Architecture
- New Media
Research areas
- Sculpture and Intermedia
