Matthew Hanna

Matthew Hanna

Biographical Information
Born: 1961 Detroit Michigan
Education: 1986 BFA College for Creative Studies Detroit Michigan
Studio: Redford Michigan

STATEMENT
Driven by history, faith and fantasy I embrace a spiritual devotion to the ritual of art making pounding images into the surface with common tools and materials. Worked repetitively until the material becomes the content- recording and processing stimuli to craft a dense diagram of layered historic pictorial references to navigate. The most recent episode of painting is an ongoing series of mixed media and collaged landscapes that focus on Staghorn Sumac, a roadside pioneer plant often seen growing in the tree line along the way.

BIO
Matthew Hanna is not driven. He drives. He drives a whole community of artists and arts organizations - so nimbly, so magically, most don’t recognize his impact. He’s the man behind the curtain, pulling levers, creating thunder, making things seem effortless, look beautiful. He’s great and powerful, the wizard of art: making it, showing it, installing it, lighting it, packing it, moving it, thinking about it, talking about it, living it, loving it. Of course, he’d be the first to say he’s no wizard, just a guy making a living. But we know differently. For over two decades, Matthew has been there for Detroit art: he’s charmed us with his home-spun, subtly brilliant exhibition concepts; he’s been a tireless under-the-radar activist for art and artists; he’s been the muscle behind some of our most important art spaces; he’s produced some of Detroit’s smartest art; he’s carried our work to points beyond; and he never says no. Even with a flat tire, five deadlines and a dollar in his pocket, he’ll be there for us, with quiet fortitude and the next great idea. He’s the Detroit art community’s Professor Marvel. And don’t you forget it.

- Michelle Perron, Director Center Galleries

ESSAY
Matthew Hanna is an intuitive colorist whose heavy application of deeply colored pigment, clotted blood-red on trees and dripping deep-brown down branches, are reminiscent of the Post-impressionists or German expressionists. They also have an illusory Old and New World effect, as if they could easily be seen on stained glass in a European chapel, or in the window of a hot Manhattan gallery in the 1950s. Because of this, there’s a sense of permanence in his abstract scenes. Forget looking at them; you want to live forever in them.

-Rebecca Mazzei, Arts and Culture Editor Metro Times


Selected Exhibition
2010
The Facebook Show: Profile Portraits-The Museum of New Art Pontiac Michigan
That DAM Box Show II-Detroit Artists Market Detroit Michigan
Weasel Camp 2-Popps Packing Hamtramck Michigan
SWAN Members’ Exhibit-Whitdell Arts Detroit Michigan
34 Secrets Revealed-River’s Edge Gallery Wyandotte Michigan
Andy-liciious Matthew Sandwich-Cass Café Detroit Michigan
Creators: Self Portraits of Artist-Wayne County Community College Detroit Michigan
2009
SWAN Our Creative Life-Whitdell Arts Detroit Michigan
Actual Size Preamble-CAID Detroit Michigan
Collected-Anton Art Center Mount Clemens Michigan
Annual Scholarship Awards & Exhibition-Detroit Artists Market Detroit Michigan
What Matters Most-John Michael Kohler Arts Center Sheboygan Wisconsin
Year of the Weasel-The Scarab Club Detroit Michigan
2008
Lair Crafts-Alumni & Faculty Hall/College for Creative Studies Detroit Michigan
SWS Interstate Reunion Exhibition-Bohemian National Home Gallery Detroit Michigan
Intergenerational Exhibition-Ellen Kayrod Gallery Detroit Michigan
Our Rivers Our Lakes-Grosse Pointe Art Center Grosse Pointe Michigan
50 Bucks-Center Galleries College for Creative Studies Detroit Michigan
2007
Hot Cast-Zeitgeist Detroit Michigan
Pine Wood Derby-Alley Culture Detroit Michigan
Black/White- Alumni & Faculty Hall/College for Creative Studies Detroit Michigan
Summer Show (curated by Narine Kckihin)-Next Step Gallery Ferndale Michigan
2006
Dia de los Muertos-Zeitgeist Detroit Michigan
SWS Traveling Exhibition-CVA Gallery University of Toledo Toledo Ohio
Puttopia/Game Show-CAID Detroit Michigan
Annual Scholarship Awards & Exhibition-Detroit Artists Market Detroit Michigan
American Icon American Myth-Alley Culture Detroit Michigan
A Real Allegory-CAID Detroit Michigan
Michigan Now-Michigan Institute for the Arts Pontiac Michigan
2005
Slippery Weasel Society Exhibition-Paint Creek Center for the Arts Rochester Michigan
Hanna/Hendrick/Snow-Cass Café Detroit Michigan
Voice of the People-Alley Culture Detroit Michigan
Threefold- Center Galleries College for Creative Studies Detroit Michigan
Artists Showing-101up Gallery Detroit Michigan
Wall to Wall: Regional Sculpture-Flatlanders Blissfield Michigan
2004
Drawing Conclusions 2-Rocket Projects Miami Florida
2003
Detroit Sampler-Nick Cindric Contemporary Ft Lauderdale Florida
Italo Scanga/Matthew Hanna- Alumni & Faculty Hall/College for Creative Studies Detroit Michigan
Event Horizon-Alley Culture Detroit Michigan

2002
Alumni Exhibition- Center Galleries College for Creative Studies Detroit Michigan
2001
Honor the Earth Biannual-Alley Culture Detroit Michigan
24-7-365 Miriam Bloom/Matthew Hanna-Grey Gallery Detroit Michigan
2000
Nepotism: Mark &Matthew Hanna- Alumni & Faculty Hall/College for Creative Studies Detroit Michigan
Canvas-Alley Culture Detroit Michigan
Actual Size-Detroit Contemporary Detroit Michigan
1999
Always Open (9-9-99) - Detroit Contemporary Detroit Michigan
On the Wall-Cass Café Detroit Michigan
1998
Works for Young Collectors-Lemberg Gallery Birmingham Michigan
Confetti-Alley Culture Detroit Michigan
Chain Art (collaboration with Michael Lucero) - Paint Creek Center for the Arts Rochester Michigan
1997
Pontiac Sculpture Invitational Pontiac Michigan
1996
Collage-Cass Café Detroit Michigan
Artpack Makes Art- Lemberg Gallery Birmingham Michigan
Works for Young Collectors-Lemberg Gallery Birmingham Michigan
1995
Fortuna/Hanna/Lemanski- Marygrove College Detroit Michigan
Space Available-Weber Building Detroit Michigan
Michigan Outdoor Sculpture V-Southfield Civic Center Southfield Michigan
Honor the Earth Biannual-Willis Gallery Detroit Michigan
Visa Via-Detroit Focus Detroit Michigan
1994
Chain Letters (collaboration with Italo Scanga) - Paint Creek Center for the Arts Rochester Michigan
Motor City/Mountain State Exchange-Concord University Concord Virginia
Installments/Rochester City Park- Paint Creek Center for the Arts Rochester Michigan
Lost In Nebraska: Matthew Hanna/Carl Butler-Mask Gallery Hamtramck Michigan
Detroit Show- Center Galleries College for Creative Studies Detroit Michigan

1993
Honor the Earth Biannual-Willis Gallery Detroit Michigan
Studio Selections-Argo Gallery Detroit Michigan
James Boyk/Matthew Hanna-Urban Park Gallery Detroit Michigan
1992
Retro-Perspective: Cass Corridor Continuum-Detroit Artists Market Detroit Michigan
Movers/Makers-Willis Gallery Detroit Michigan
1991
Drawings-Detroit Artists Market Detroit Michigan
1990
Works on Paper=Beckerman Contemporary Santa Fe New Mexico
Open Corridor: Earth Day-Willis Gallery Detroit Michigan
1989
Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition-Shidoni Contemporary Tesque New Mexico
May Day Philadelphia-Vox Populi Philadelphia Pennsylvania
1988
(RE) Presents- Broadway Gallery Detroit Michigan
Group Sculpture Exhibition-Cade Gallery Royal Oak Michigan
1987
Three Rats and a Brother-in-Law-University Liggett Grosse Pointe Michigan
1986
Steel (in Detroit)-Willis Gallery Detroit Michigan
Outside-Detroit Institute of Arts Detroit Michigan
Matthew and Mark Hanna/Drawings and Sculpture-Underground 245 Detroit Michigan
Constructions-Detroit Focus Detroit Michigan
DeRoy Purchase Exhibition-Oakland Community College Farmington Hills Michigan
1985
Auto Effluvia-Detroit Focus Detroit Michigan

Solo Exhibitions
2011
Natural Beauty-Wayne County Community College Taylor Michigan
2010
Rhus Typhina L-Majestic Café Detroit Michigan
2008
Rocky Ford Day-Motor City Brewing Works Detroit Michigan
2007
Staghorn- Center Galleries College for Creative Studies Detroit Michigan
2003
Aqua-Aqua Salon Ft Lauderdale Florida
2000
Rocky Ford-Cass Café Detroit Michigan
1999
SWC-International Institute Detroit Michigan
1998
55 from Detroit-Cindric Meyer Gallery Boca Raton Florida
1996
Studio Ritual-Alley Culture Detroit Michigan
1995
Clowns Scare Me-Michigan Room/ Union Street Detroit Michigan
1994
History Faith-Paint Creek Center for the Arts Rochester Michigan
1992
Gods, Saints, Heroes and Other Nuts-Willis Gallery Detroit Michigan
1991
Sculpture Painting & Drawings-Urban Park Gallery Detroit Michigan
1987
Sculpture & Prints (LIKE THIS)=Macomb Community College Clinton Twp Michigan
1986
From Landscape to Detail...Sculpture & Prints-University Liggett Grosse Pointe Michigan
1985
Sculpture-University Liggett Grosse Pointe Michigan

Movie Credits
2010
Hostel: Part III-Stage 6 Films
Secrets in the Walls-Silver Screen Productions

Collections
HDG Wilmette Illinois
Tribute Farmington Hills
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Detroit Michigan
Alix Partners Chicago Illinois
Crash Edit Royal Oak Michigan

Honors
1995
Michigan Outdoor Sculpture V-Best of Show Southfield Michigan
1988
Michigan State Fair-1st Award Sculpture/Best of Show Detroit Michigan
1987
Michigan State Fair-1st Award Sculpture Detroit Michigan

Exhibitions Curated
2010
Art Benefit for Mick Vranich- Center Galleries College for Creative Studies Detroit Michigan
2007
Pine Wood Derby-Alley Culture Detroit Michigan
Black/White- Alumni & Faculty Hall/College for Creative Studies Detroit Michigan
2006
Willis Remembered-Detroit Artists Market Detroit Michigan
2003
Detroit Sampler-Nick Cindric Contemporary Ft Lauderdale Florida
2001
Honor the Earth Biannual-Alley Culture Detroit Michigan
Heat-Grey Gallery Detroit Michigan
1999
Honor the Earth Biannual-Alley Culture Detroit Michigan
1997
Honor the Earth Biannual-Alley Culture Detroit Michigan
1996
Black and White Review-Galeria Biegas Detroit Michigan
1994
Black and White -Galeria Biegas Detroit Michigan