Hannah Harley is an artist, educator, and curator based in central Pennsylvania. Harley received a Master’s of Fine Arts in Photography and Related Media from Parsons, a graduate certificate in Gender and Sexuality Studies from The New School, an executive certificate in Arts and Culture Strategy from University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in Photography from Point Park University. Harley is currently a doctoral student at St. Francis University, where she studies Organizational Leadership.
Harley is a member of the Associated Artists Pittsburgh, College Art Association, Association for Women’s Rights in Development, and Society for Photographic Education.
Harley’s artwork explores themes driven by her curiosity and desire to exhaust a subject. From 2012 - 2016, she focused on vulnerabilities, specifically on death and sexual intimacy. Using photography and collage, her work explored and challenged the public understanding of these vulnerable moments. In 2016, she moved to New York City from Pittsburgh and during the election, her work turned to an almost documentary nature. Her election journal and Homefront both focus on the American political scene of the time. In 2019, she returned to Pittsburgh, PA, where she pivoted to documenting the polluted environmental conditions of her hometown and the economic disarray of the region.
Harley is represented by the Fox Clark Gallery in Indiana, PA.
In addition to being an artist, she is a curator and community arts organizer involved in administering and facilitating many organizations and programs. She works at Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, where she is the Director of Development and Curator. She is also the public art consultant at Stuart Group Consulting, and oversees many public art projects in the region.
She can be reached at hannaheharley@gmail.com.
Education
St. Francis University - Loretto, PA
In progress - Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership and Innovation
Parsons School of Design - New York, NY
M.F.A. Photography
Graduate Certificate in Gender and Sexuality Studies
University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia, PA
Executive Certificate in Arts and Culture Strategy
Point Park University - Pittsburgh, PA
B.F.A. Photography with minors in French Studies, Psychology
Fondation de Robert Sorbonne - Paris, France
A1 Language Certificate
Selected Exhibitions (artist)
2023
WILD, The Fox Clark Gallery, Indiana, PA
Good Tidings, The Fox Clark Gallery, Indiana, PA
The Inaugural Exhibition, The Fox Clark Gallery, Indiana, PA
2022
Power, curated by Eric Shiner, Associated Artists of Pittsburgh
2020
Art in Isolation, North Dakota Museum of Art, Grand Forks, ND
Art At Home, Anton Art Center, Mount Clemens, MI
2019
New Member Exhibition, Pittsburgh Center for Art and Media, Pittsburgh, PA
Future Projections, Studio One Toi Tū, Auckland Festival of Photography, Auckland, New Zealand
Future Projections, India Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India
Off the Wall, Gallery One, Pittsburgh, PA
2018
Projected: Talk in Images - Body, International Center for Photography, New York, NY
NOW, Art Museum of Nanjing University of the Arts, Nanjing, China
Same Light, New Exposure, Pfizer Building, Brooklyn, NY
Apparatus of Discomfort, 3 Gallery, New York, NY
In Relation, One Art Gallery, New York, NY
Point Park BFA Faculty Show, Tomayko Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA
NOW, 66 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
2017
Apparatus of Discomfort, Photoville Photography Festival, Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York, NY
Unfixed, Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China
Governing Bodies, The Arnold and Sheila Aronson Gallery, New York, NY
Time Marches On, Point Park University, Pittsburgh, PA
2016
Contemporary Intimacy, Repair the World, Pittsburgh, PA - solo exhibition
Senior Thesis Exhibition, The Mine Factory, Pittsburgh, PA
Juried Show with Jessica Beck and David Oresick, The Mine Factory, Pittsburgh, PA
2015
The Weak Sex: Analyzing the Role of Women in the 21st Century, The Century Building, Pittsburgh, PA
15 Performances in an Hour, Neu Kirche Contemporary Art Center, Pittsburgh, PA
Arts Showcase, The Art Center, Butler, PA
Society for Photographic Education, Mid Atlantic Conference, Pittsburgh Filmmakers, Pittsburgh, PA
Bibliography and Publications
2023
”'One-of-a-kind pieces' | SAMA-Loretto exhibition will showcase fiber-based artworks”, The Tribune-Democrat, Urban, Kelly
2022
”Dueling Pianos’ fundraising event to be held in Hollidaysburg”, The Tribune-Democrat, Urban, Kelly
Podcast: Hannah Harley talks about Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, WRTA
”Global Entrepreneurship Week Penn State offers free events for entrepreneurs”, Startup Alleghenies
2021
”Destination PA: Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art”, WTAJ
2020
”SAMA-Altoona names site supervisor”, The Tribune-Democrat, Urban, Kelly
”Museum supervisor named”, Altoona Mirror
”Drop by drop ]: Traveling artists brighten Indiana”, Indiana Gazette
”Three named to magazine’s ‘foremost’ list”, Indiana Gazette
“Residency Program Connects Artists to Indiana County”, Indiana Gazette, Weaver, Margaret
”Residency welcomes artists to Indiana, PA”, Recreation News, Bob Fulton
Art En+During PAUSE, Orenda Arts Journal, Orenda Art Works
Indiana Native Hannah Harley, the Indiana Gazette
Indiana County Chamber of Commerce Annual Report, Awards Section
2019
“Magazine Names Five From County to List”, Indiana Gazette
”Foremost Under Forty”, PA Business Central
”MFA Photography 2018 Alumni Hannah Harley Announces The Spruce Residency”, Parsons
2018
“Current MFA Photography Candidate Hannah Harley Featured in Same Light, New Exposures”, MACP SVA
”All in Between”, One Art Space
2017
“Hannah Harley: Racial Discrimination Behind Sex”, Mono, Wo, Sanshui
“New York Art is A-bloom”, Per on Art, Larson, Per
“Three universities gather in Pingyao to discuss hot issues of photography”, Pingyao Intern’l
“Parsons MFA Photography Open Studios”, Musee Magazine
“‘Governing Bodies’ Exhibition”, NY Art Beat
“Opening of Photoville: This Weekend’s Program”, L’œil de la Photographie
”Apparatus of Discomfort”, Photoville Festival
2016
“Contemporary Intimacy,” Marvin and Ruby, Krista Wright
"Graduating photography students prepare thesis," The Globe, Madison Krupp
"Softball player Harley has a passion for photography," The Globe, Julian Kovcas
"'The Fix' holds first juried display of student content", The Globe, Emily Bennet
“Hannah Harley, the 2015 - 2016 Haberle Scholarship Recipient at Point Park”, PPU Sports
“Student Photography Magazine Releases ‘Conflict Issue’”, The Globe, Eain Oldman
2015
“Hannah Harley ‘16”, HerCampus, Owens, Jake
“Alumni Update - Hannah Harley (Point Park)”, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Drew Karpen
“A Visit to France with Hannah Harley”, HerCampus, Victoria Alexes Mikula
“Hannah Harley’s Photographs of French Life”, BlogLovin, Victoria Alexes Mikula
2012
“Girl’s Essay Earns Her Finalist Spot”, The Indiana Gazette, Randy Wells
“Rand McNally Reveals Finalists of ‘America the Beautiful’ Essay Contest”, PR News Wire
“Rand McNally Reveals Finalists of ‘America the Beautiful’ Essay Contest”, USA Today
Awards
2020 Commendation for Acts of Service - Indiana, PA
2020 Foremost Under Forty, PA Business Central - Pennsylvania
2019 Foremost Under Forty, PA Business Central - Pennsylvania
2017 Class Representative, Parsons MFA Photography - New York, NY
2016 Outstanding Student Award, Point Park University - Pittsburgh, PA
2016 Dean’s Merit Scholarship, The New School University - New York, NY
2016 Chi Alpha Sigma Award, Point Park University - Pittsburgh, PA
2016 Ed Haeberle Scholarship, Point Park University, Pittsburgh, PA
2012 - 2016 Presidential Scholarship, Point Park University, Pittsburgh, PA
Media Appearances
Talk Radio 98.5 WRTA - Listen here.
Indiana Free Library Points of Culture Series - Watch here.
The Role of Art in Community Development - Watch here.
Pictorialism Introduction Lecture - Watch here.
Studio 814 and Date Night at the Museum - Watch here.
Indiana In the Morning with Todd Marino :
Introducing Spruce Arts - Watch here.
Creative Communities Initiative (2019) - Watch here.
with Ramiro Davaro-Comas - Watch here.
with Felicia Eileen Haberman - Watch here.
with Rebecca Sutton - Watch here.
SELECTED CURATORIAL EXPERIENCE
2022
Spirit of Place: Elizabeth Wilson, SAMA, the Wolf Gallery, Altoona, PA
Intersections: Patrick Schmidt, SAMA, the Pechter and Detwiler Galleries, Altoona, PA
Discover: Blair County en plein air, SAMA, the Wolf Gallery, Altoona, PA
Movement, SAMA, the Wolf Gallery, Altoona, PA
The Fantastical World of Joe Servello, SAMA, the Pechter Gallery, Altoona, PA
The Grand Beginnings, SAMA, the Pechter Gallery, Altoona, PA
2021
Painted Stories, SAMA, the Wolf Gallery, Altoona, PA
The Vibrant Indefinite, SAMA, the Pechter and Detwiler, Altoona, PA
Almost Endless, SAMA, the Detwiler Gallery, Altoona, PA
Absorption / Refraction, SAMA, the Wolf Gallery, Altoona, PA
Feral Grounds, SAMA, the Pechter and Wolf Galleries, Altoona, PA
A Glorious Tradition, SAMA, the Wolf Gallery, Altoona, PA
The Implications of the Camera, SAMA, The Wolf, Detwiler, Pechter, Altoona
2020
Sustain // Arts Connective (co-curated), New York, NY
Under Erasure, The Clark Gallery, Indiana, PA
Steel Yourselves, SAMA, The Wolf Gallery, Altoona, PA
Almonte + Brennan, The Clark Gallery, Indiana, PA
2019
Spatial Sensibilities, the Clark Gallery, Indiana, PA
Illusions of Safety, the Clark Gallery, Indiana, PA
Contact, The Clark Gallery, Indiana, PA
Blurring Boundary, The Clark Gallery, Indiana, PA
Working Up A Daze, The Clark Gallery, Indiana, PA
At the Open End, The Clark Gallery, Indiana, PA
The Form, The Clark Gallery, Indiana, PA
Transformation, The Clark Gallery, Indiana, PA
Jessica Broad : A Solo Exhibition, The Clark Gallery, Indiana, PA
The Bike Shop, 637 Gallery, Indiana, PA
Arts Connective Vol. One: Sustainability, Salon at Forest, Brooklyn, NY (collaborator)
Arts Connective Vol. One: Sustainability, Hecatombe, Brooklyn, NY (collaborator)
Arts Connective Vol. One: Sustainability with Civic Art lab, New York, NY 2019 (collaborator)