Jo Hanson
Jo Hanson (1918–2007) was an American environmental artist and activist. She lived in San Francisco, California. She was known for using urban trash to create works of art. Biography Jo Hanson was born on August 1, 1918, in Carbondale, Illinois. She moved to California in 1955, first living in Marin County, before settling in San Francisco in the early 1970s where she purchased and restored Nightingale House, located on Buchanan Street to landmark status. Hanson obtained a Master of Education from the University of Illinois and a Master of Fine Arts from San Francisco State University. Hanson died at her home, of cancer, on March 13, 2007. Career As an extension of her work on the Nightingale House, Hanson set out to address the litter on her street. Her commitment to sweeping the sidewalk outside her home evolved into a public art project and citywide initiative against littering. Hanson's work was known for incorporating the detritus she collected while sweeping. She analyzed and classified what she found as a way of documenting daily life in her district and felt that it reflected a disconnect between the consumption and production of goods and the natural world. For six years during the 1980s Hanson was a vocal member of the San Francisco Arts Commission pushing for the inclusion of underrepresented artists in the city's art collections, specifically women and people of color. She also played a key role in saving the murals of Coit Tower, and the restoration of the murals at Golden Gate Park's Beach Chalet. In 1990 Hanson conceived of and initiated the establishment of the artist-in-residence program at Recology. The residency assists artists who use discarded materials in their art and raises public awareness about recycling. Its launch coincided with the introduction of curbside recycling in San Francisco due to state legislation passed in 1989. Approximately 200 artists have participated in the program including Michael Arcega, Jane Kim, Estelle Akamine, Terry Berlier, Val Britton, Dee Hibbert-Jones, Packard Jennings, Kara Maria, Hector Dionicio Mendoza, Sirron Norris, Isis Rodriguez, Stephanie Syjuco, and Nomi Talisman. Recology has also influenced the development of similar programs such in Philadelphia and Portland. Hanson co-founded Women Eco Artists Dialog (WEAD), a directory of artists and researchers working with environmental themes in 1996. In a 1980 Artweek magazine opinion piece, Suzanne Lacy discussed the performative aspects and results of Hanson's process: A 2002 profile on Hanson in Body & Soul stated: "Part sociology, part ecology, Jo Hanson's artwork reflects her curiosity and understanding of how living things—people, plants, animals—live and work together. She remains excited by the newer artists and the new collaborative projects springing up all over." Awards Hanson was awarded with a National Endowment for the Arts Artist's Fellowship in 1977, a Visual Arts Project Grant in 1979. In 1992 Hanson was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Northern California Women's Caucus for Art. The Fresno Art Museum Council of 100 recognized her as a Distinguished Woman Artist in 1997. The National Women's Caucus