Email at dena@artshorizons.org

The Arts Horizons Board of Directors appointed Mrs. Dena Isles as Executive Director in January 2021 following her Interim term beginning October 1, 2020. Dena led Arts Horizons through pandemic recovery and a critical time when the arts are essential to education, health, and community recovery and well-being. Dena has been with the organization for over 15 years as Program Director of NYC Residencies and Special Populations. She is a dancer, educator, therapeutic recreation specialist and a seasoned and multi-faceted non-profit administrator with over 25 years of working in the field of disabilities services. Most recently, Dena completed her Executive Leadership Certificate in Arts and Culture Strategy with the University of Pennsylvania and National Arts Strategies and Management Development with the School of Industrial and Labor Relations with Cornell University. Prior to Arts Horizons, Dena served as the Director of Day Habilitation Programs for adults with disabilities with a focus in curriculum development and crisis intervention and prevention.

In her years with Arts Horizons, Dena has supported and resourced our extraordinary team of teaching artists to ensure that our programs and practices are aligned with our core values; developed partnerships and strategy for over 100 annual artist-in-residence, professional development, family, community, and virtual programs that serve thousands of people in school, hospital, and community-based settings. Her key projects included the Special Education Artist Academy and ‘ArtBeat’ programs for Hospital Schools for students undergoing extended hospital stays in medical rehabilitation and psychiatric care. As we ascend into our 45th year, Dena is proud to lead an incredible team to champion equitable opportunities for arts in our schools and communities