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Megan Driving Hawk is an Artist, Mother and Educator practicing habits of the heart to facilitate connection, healing, and learning. Creatively she researches collective healing, generational trauma, memory, and time. Academically she researches culturally responsive teaching in art and Indigenous education. This is her 10th year of creating and teaching a culturally responsive art education curriculum. She serves as her campus Indigenous Student Advisor, Teacher Equity Leader, Visual Arts Lead and as the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Rep for the Arizona Art Education Association. She is an artist of Eye Lounge in Phoenix, Arizona, and a Running with Purpose Athlete Advocate. Recently, she was selected as artist-in-residence at the Tempe Center for the Arts. Driving Hawk currently lives on O’odham, Yavapai, Akimel O’odham (Upper Pima) and Hohokam lands in present day Phoenix, Arizona where she teaches high school traditional photography including dual enrollment and AP-2D classes.
Published on March 3rd, 2024. Artist responses collected in months previous.
What are you working on these days?
I am always making photographs and writing poetry but I’m focusing on a project that I started last year called Latch 395 which is a series of individual latch hook pieces that visually express the data created from my labor of lactation. These pieces are from the first month, the month my son was born, February 2020. Each piece represents one day or 24 hours and is created from handmade patterns from the data obtained from breastfeeding him or pumping over the course of 395 days.
What has been going well for you in your art career and life recently?
I am finishing up my three-year tenure at an artist run collective in Phoenix called Eye Lounge. In September I finished my third and final solo show at the gallery. I was selected as one of three Artists-In-Residence at the Tempe Center for the Arts this summer where I finished a piece that I’ve been developing conceptually for a couple years. At the end of 2023 I was selected as the 2023 Art Educator of the Year. Just one of these calls for celebration so I’m incredibly honored to have all three happen in one year.
What is something new that you have discovered this past year that is meaningful or helpful for you?
I am really trying to restore balance in my life by prioritizing, saying no, and stepping down from responsibilities. As I do this, I am finding I have more mental space to think about art and just BE. I’ve been trying to be more mindful about my perspective and realistic about my time. Instead of trying to do all the things I want to do all at once, I’m starting to ask myself, “If I say yes to this, what does that mean I’m saying no to?”
Briefly walk us through your process of making art or thinking through a new project, focusing on what's most important to you as you create.
My art practice is cyclical. In the winter I turn inward and do a lot of reflecting and reading for rest and research. In the spring I start to experiment with concepts and materials based on my research. In the summer I do a lot of making and thinking about ways of finalizing the experiments. In the fall I wrap up the summer makings. For the last three years I have wrapped up my summer makings by having a solo show at Eye Lounge. I am curious to see how my process changes without this imposed timeline.
Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers?
I am really excited to be part of this project. I have already looked back on the previous years of interviews to see the shift in my work and creative ideas. What a blessing to have it archived. Thank you Ingrid for this awesome idea and for taking the time to facilitate it every year. I'm sure I can speak for the other artists and say we are grateful for your dedication to this project.
What are you working on these days?
I am always making photographs and writing poetry but I’m focusing on a project that I started last year called Latch 395 which is a series of individual latch hook pieces that visually express the data created from my labor of lactation. These pieces are from the first month, the month my son was born, February 2020. Each piece represents one day or 24 hours and is created from handmade patterns from the data obtained from breastfeeding him or pumping over the course of 395 days.
What has been going well for you in your art career and life recently?
I am finishing up my three-year tenure at an artist run collective in Phoenix called Eye Lounge. In September I finished my third and final solo show at the gallery. I was selected as one of three Artists-In-Residence at the Tempe Center for the Arts this summer where I finished a piece that I’ve been developing conceptually for a couple years. At the end of 2023 I was selected as the 2023 Art Educator of the Year. Just one of these calls for celebration so I’m incredibly honored to have all three happen in one year.
What is something new that you have discovered this past year that is meaningful or helpful for you?
I am really trying to restore balance in my life by prioritizing, saying no, and stepping down from responsibilities. As I do this, I am finding I have more mental space to think about art and just BE. I’ve been trying to be more mindful about my perspective and realistic about my time. Instead of trying to do all the things I want to do all at once, I’m starting to ask myself, “If I say yes to this, what does that mean I’m saying no to?”
Briefly walk us through your process of making art or thinking through a new project, focusing on what's most important to you as you create.
My art practice is cyclical. In the winter I turn inward and do a lot of reflecting and reading for rest and research. In the spring I start to experiment with concepts and materials based on my research. In the summer I do a lot of making and thinking about ways of finalizing the experiments. In the fall I wrap up the summer makings. For the last three years I have wrapped up my summer makings by having a solo show at Eye Lounge. I am curious to see how my process changes without this imposed timeline.
Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers?
I am really excited to be part of this project. I have already looked back on the previous years of interviews to see the shift in my work and creative ideas. What a blessing to have it archived. Thank you Ingrid for this awesome idea and for taking the time to facilitate it every year. I'm sure I can speak for the other artists and say we are grateful for your dedication to this project.
Find Megan Driving Hawk on Instagram
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