Hannah Israel

Hannah Israel is a Professor of Art and Gallery Director of the Illges Gallery at Columbus State University's Department of Art within the College of Arts and Humanities. She holds an MFA in Sculpture from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a BFA from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and has previously taught at Cornell University and the University of Illinois.

Her artistic practice explores abstraction, process, and the fragility of time and perception. Working across sculpture, installation, video, and mark making, Israel draws from process art traditions, using techniques such as sorting, shifting, gathering, cutting, and patterning to generate new meanings. Her work is inspired by imagined languages and cultural symbol systems that blur the boundaries between reality and fantasy, creating liminal spaces between worlds.

Hannah Israel has exhibited nationally at institutions including the High Museum of Art, Krannert Art Museum, Zuckerman Museum of Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Honolulu. She has curated numerous exhibitions such as Beyond the Grid Into the Sublime and You Me Us and Them, demonstrating strong engagement with curatorial and collaborative practices.

Scientific Awards:

• The Elizabeth Art Foundation Studio Arts Grant
• The Daedalus Art Foundation Grant
• The Creative and Performing Arts Fellowship

Hannah Israel has held significant roles in academic and professional art communities, including previous positions at The International Studio and Curatorial Program and James Cohan Gallery in New York City. She mentors emerging artists through her teaching and gallery leadership, though specific advisees are not listed. She does not appear to be involved in traditional scientific grants, but her artistic fellowships and grants support her creative research.

She leads the Illges Gallery, where she curates contemporary exhibitions, contributing to the cultural and educational mission of the university. Her work bridges studio practice, curation, and pedagogy, forming an integrated academic and artistic profile.