Matthew Hanna

Matthew Hanna was born in Detroit, Michigan, and was nurtured by the city’s resilient and creative spirit. He attended the College for Creative Studies there, with a concentration in sculpture. His lifelong commitment to the arts was extensive. As a curator, he organized exhibitions for the Willis Gallery, Grey Gallery, Detroit Artists Market and Alley Culture. As a museum professional, he worked on exhibitions for the Detroit Artists Market, Pewabic Pottery, Center Galleries (CCS), and the Ford Gallery at Wayne County Community College District. As an artist, under the moniker Rocky Ford Studio, Hanna showed in several Detroit galleries and widely across the United States including Michigan, New York, Florida, New Mexico, Wisconsin, and Oregon.

Since 2016, Hanna worked as a preparator at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, eventually earning the role of Lead Preparator of Collections.

Hanna described his decades of art-making as “sifting through the detritus, the everyday images and information-saturated world; considering simple, ordinary things that fill everyday life…the small things that define us.” In many ways, this patient presence, an attention to the subtle rhythms of the day-to-day, enlivened by a jolt of humor or irony, described Hanna’s presence at the Arts Center. Incredibly dependable, consistent, and patient, Hanna was always ready for exhibition installations with his sticker-adorned cart full of tools and an eye for problem-solving. He often worked with artists who benefited from his insight, dedication, and experience.

Calm and quiet, Hanna’s compliments came to mean the most. Not readily given, but always offered just when they were needed, his approvals, of exhibitions, outfits, or music choice, made clear that he was an astute observer with a keen eye for detail and a core of kindness. Beloved for his biting humor, often reflected in his t-shirt choices, Hanna’s presence at the Arts Center joyfully punctuated the workdays.

In almost comedic contrast, Hanna’s calm and measured demeanor was balanced by his near-constant companion, his German short-haired pointer, Rocky. Rocky, a tight ball of explosive energy, and Matthew, his faithful minder: the duo were well-known entities around town, appreciated for the joy they each obviously found in life, though expressed in profoundly different ways.

The Arts Center thanks Hanna for the incredible and lasting impact he made here, through years of gallery exhibitions, laughter, and an enduring love of candy orange slices and Sprecher’s root beer.

Unfortunately, Matthew Bruce Hanna passed away on May 22, 2024. Read his Obituary.