KIM HANNA was born one of six children in Latrobe Pennsylvania, a small town south of Pittsburgh. She studied fine art at The Pennsylvania State University and graphic design at The Corcoran School of Art in Washington, DC. Early influences were her mother, an amateur painter who instilled in her a love of drawing and nurtured a keen awareness of the flora and fauna around the family home. Both parents were chemists, her father being somewhat of an eccentric, full of resolve and determination.
Artistic influences were found early on with Paul Klee and the Expressionists, especially the artists in The Blue Rider group and the Abstract Expressionists including Kandinsky and Gorkey. She follows the work of contemporary artists such as Squeak Carnwrath, Arturo Herrera, Tord Boonjte, and Cyrilla Mozenter for inspiration.
Hanna lived and worked in the Washington DC area until 1996, working as a graphic designer and illustrator while she continued her painting and became involved in the local galleries. Frequent trips to the nearby Hershhorn Museum and Phillips Collection provided insight and motivation. A move in 1997 to the San Francisco Bay Area brought forth new perspective and a West Coast sensibility to her painting. While there she was represented by Bryant Street Gallery in Palo Alto. Teaching art to children during this time helped to instill a spontaneity that carries through to her work today.
Kim Hanna currently lives and works by the sea in Delaware. Her art is in numerous private collections and she is a member of a distinguished group of professional artists at The Silvermine Guild of Artists in New Canaan, CT. She was also chosen as a 2004 Radius artist, an emerging artist program which is a collaboration of efforts with the Aldrich Contemporary Museum and The Ridgefield Guild of Artists located in Ridgefield CT. She has served for several years as the Creative Director and was the first Artist-in-Residence at the Ridgefield Guild of Artists. She still enjoys teaching children and has recently become active in using art as a support for Veterans.
For more information go to the resume section of the website.
