Curriculum vitae
EDUCATION
Diploma from the Academy of Fine Arts (AVU)
Prague, Czechoslovakia (1985)
(Equivalent to a Master of Fine Arts in the USA)
MAJOR PROFESSORS:
Karel Souček, Painting
L. Čepelák, Printmaking
Radomir Kolář, Mosaic
ADDITIONAL STUDIES
Dramatic Academy for the Arts of the Muses: Dance, Movement, and Mime
Professor Šárka, Diction, Cultural House of Prague
Jan Doubrava, Dance and Movement, Cultural House of Prague
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Informal yet pedagogically valuable collaborations with:
Zdena Josková, Head Dramaturg of Czech TV
Ivan Vyskočil, Master Stage Actor and Professor of Dramatic Arts
Milan Friedl, Director, Musical Theater of Prague
VISUAL ARTS
SELECTED SHOWS AS A FEATURED ARTIST
2009: Midtown Gallery, Kalamazoo MI; Box Factory, St Joseph, MI
2008: Ed Gray Gallery, Calumet MI
2007: Lansing Art Gallery; Council for Arts - Highland MI; Goshen IN – Art Matters Gallery
2005: Out of the Earth, Blue Heron Gallery, Elk Rapids MI
2004: Horse Sculptures exhibited at Burnham and Flower law offices
2003: Sculpture show, at Epic Center, Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo; Kalamazoo Area Show, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts; “Goddess Show” The Ark Gallery, Saugatuck MI
2002: Masks and Horses, at Epic Center, Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo
2001: KIA sculpture show (Kalamazoo Intergalactic Artists) The Frame Station, Kalamazoo MI; Anagama Wood-firing Ceramist show at Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo MI; Fontana Society Retrospective Exhibition after 20 years, Shelbyville MI; Solo show of wall-hung sculptures and low relief castings at Cafe Casa, Kalamazoo MI
2000: Little Cities Gallery, Kalamazoo MI; International plen-aire exposition Pardubice, Czech Republic
1999: Tropical Butterflies, Art Cafe, Benton Harbor MI; "North American & Central European Meditations", Sumava International Park and Biosphere Preserve headquarters, Vimperk, Czech Republic; International Plen-aire exposition, Loket, Czech Republic
1998: "La Ruta Maya", Cafe Casa, Kalamazoo MI; Tropical Wings Nature Center, Cayo District, Belize; "Tropical Butterflies", Water Street Coffee Joint, Kalamazoo MI; Open studio exhibition (privately organized), Kalamazoo MI
1997: Ark Gallery, Saugatuck MI; Open Studio exhibition, Kalamazoo MI
1996: Cafe Casa, Kalamazoo MI
1995: "Meditations and Transformations", Galerie Urania, Prague Czech Republic; "Transcendental Steps", Over the Edge (gallery), Grand Haven MI; "Transformative Visions" The Heritage Bldg, Kalamazoo MI
1994: Carnegie Art Center, Three Rivers MI
1993: Sturgis-Young Community Center, Sturgis MI; Kalamazoo Brewing Co., with Beer Barrel Cabaret; Cafe Casa, Kalamazoo MI; "Realms of Reality: Looking in and Looking Out" Art Emporium, Shelbyville MI and Battle Creek Art Center, Battle Creek MI
1992: Dolní Brána Gallery of the Municipal Museum of Prachatice Czech Republic; Topičuv Salon, (Gallery) Prague Czech Republic
1991: Urania Gallery, Prague Czech Republic
1990: South Haven Center for the Arts, South Haven MI
1989: "Where Artists Gather", Kalamazoo MI
1988: First Presbyterian Church, Kalamazoo MI; Arie's Café, Plainwell, MI
1987: "Ink, Paper and Parchment", Saturday's Gallery, Cleveland OH
1986: Malostranská Beseda, Prague Czechoslovakia
1985: Degree Show, Academy of Fine Arts, Prague, Czechoslovakia
1981 & 82: Municipal Cultural Bldg, Vimperk Czechoslovakia
1983 & 78: City Hall of Zdikov, Czechoslovakia
1980 & 79: Municipal Cultural Bldg. Stachy, Czechoslovakia
1978: City Hall of Stachy Czechoslovakia
1989-92: Traveling Exhibition sponsored by US State Dept, USSR/Russia works by Jana and Ladislav Hanka; Spaso House, USA Embassy, Moscow; USA Consulate, St. Petersburg; Municipal Art Museums in: Dubna, Nizhni Novgorod, Vladivostok; Municipal Cultural Center in Ulan Ude; Buryat Museum in Sevir Baikalsk
GRANTS AND AWARDS
2004: Philo T. Farnsworth Award, for excellence in community programming; Golden Kazoo Award, documentary Anagama
2002: Gilmore Emerging Artist Grant- Guest at International Sculpture Symposium at Cesky Krumlov, Czech Rep.
2000: Arts Outreach Fund Individual Artist Grant
1989, 92 & 97: Upjohn & Pharmacia Community Arts Fund Individual Artist's Grant
1998 & 99: Invited Guest at International Plen-aire symposia at Pardubice & Loket, Czech Republic
PUBLICLY VISIBLE MONUMENTAL WORKS
2007: Pine Meadows Farms - Mural
2003: Tiki Head, monumental 8ft tall sculpture for Adventure Unlimited Press; Steel rod Horses for Pine Meadows Farms, Richland MI; Steel horse for Adventure Unlimited Press, Kempton IL; Living forms, horse head and human skull for permanent display in Castle in Cesky Krumlov
2002: Steel rods horses for Pine Meadows Farms, Richland, MI
2001: “Singing Horse” and “Greetings from Sirius”, part of the International Sculptural Symposium Zdar nad Sazavou, Czech Republic
2000: Sergeant Pepper and Friends, mural at Adventures Unlimited Press Kempton IL (20ft x 80 ft); Tiki Garden, mural at Adventures Unlimited Press, Kempton IL (15 ft x 45ft); My Own Jurassic Park, mural at Adventure Unlimited Press in Kempton IL
1999: Pyramids and ancient monuments -- mural for the wall of Adventures Unlimited Press, Kempton IL l5 ft high x 42 ft long; Equestrian Mural, Masakova Lhota, Czech Republic; Symbolistic Mural on private residence, Tyn Nad Vltavou, Czech Republic
1998: Permanent installation of natural historical themes at the Tropical Wings Nature Center, SUSA Corp San Jose Succotz, Belize, Central America: many panels and dozens of paintings; Religious Mural on l4th st of central Mexico City, Mexico, 4 ft. by 6 ft.; Mural of low riders at l4th and canal streets of Mexico City, Mexico 8 ft. by 8 ft.; Sea-scape mural on the Blue Dolphin Restaurant, Kalamazoo MI - with support from the Kalamazoo Foundation and Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo; Plaza Restaurant, San Jose Succotz, Belize, mural on external wall; El Piache Hotel, San Ignacio/Cayo, Belize, native butterflies, birds and flowers on walls; "Horses Gathering" 6 ft x 6 ft wall drawing at Pension Dvořák, Loket Czech Republic; Internal decoration of walls throughout a representative house for Intermilp corp., Czech
1997: Mural of sealife at 932 Wheaton St., Kalamazoo MI 5 ft. by 6 ft.; Painting for Elementary School Zdikov, Czech Rep. Tree Horses 6 ft. x 8 ft.
1996: Mural of Horses in Plains landscape across riding barn of Pine Meadows Farms of Augusta MI. 100 ft long by 9 ft high; "Horseheads" 4 ft x 4 ft mural in the newsroom of Prachatické Listy (Newspaper Prachatice, Czech Republic)
1992: Mural of life-sized horses on barn at 1005 Oakland Dr. Kalamazoo MI, 27 ft. long by 9 ft. high.
1989: Mosaic of serpent in Lake Michigan beach pebbles at 1005 Oakland, Kalamazoo MI, l0 x 10 ft.
1986: Mosaic of City Hall done in natural rock at the City Hall of Stachy Czechoslovakia, 3 ft. by 2ft.
1985: Mural on the walls of the Theatrical Club of Kladno, Czechoslovakia; done as part of an evening of poetry performance.
1984: Mural of horses, Academy of Sciences district bldg, Stachy Czechoslovakia, 8 ft high by 6 ft.
1983: Mural of horses, State Agricultural Administration Bldg, Vimperk Czechoslovakia l2 ft by 6 ft.
1982: Mural of horses crossing plains, Regional Hospital at Vimperk, Czechoslovakia, 4 walls each approximately l5 feet long by 7 feet tall.
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
The Castle in Cesky Krumlov, sculpture of horse head and human skull
The Musical Theater of Prague Czechoslovakia: two drypoints (commissioned editions)
The Regional Museum of Prachatice, Czechoslovakia: one oil painting
The regional offices of the communist party Prachatice Czechoslovakia: one oil painting
The Union of Czechoslovak-Soviet Friendship, Prachatice Czechoslovakia: one oil painting
The City Hall of Stachy, Czech Republic: mosaic
The Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Blahov: mural
The Regional Hospital of Vimperk: mural
Theatrical Club of Kladno: mural
Tropical Wings Nature Center, Belize: collection of natural historical paintings
East-Czech Gallery- regional collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Pardubice, Czech Rep.
West-Czech Gallery- regional collection of the Museum of Fine Arts at Loket, Czech Republic
City of Zdar nad Sazavou, Czech Republic
REVIEWS
Kalamazoo Gazette: 6/88, 3/89, 4/93, 7/95, 12/95, 9/96, 5/98
Battle Creek Enquirer: 9/96
Grand Rapids Press: 3/87, 7/88
The Globe: 6/87
Art Speak: 3/89
Sturgis Journal: 8/93
South Haven Daily Tribune: 6/90, 7/90
Union Enterprise, Plainwell MI: 7/88
Nova TV (Czech Republic): 6/95
Večerni Praha (Czech Republic): 6/95
Pardubicke Noviny 9/98 (Czech Republic)
Sokolovský Deník 9/98 (Czech Republic)
Hraničář 87, 89, 94, 95 (Czech Republic)
PUBLICATIONS
2001: Adventure Unlimited - Mysterious Central Czech
1999: "Secrets of Sumava", Fantasticka Fakta, Czech Republic; Series of articles on Shamanism, Fantasticka Fakta magazine, Czech Republic
1998: "Ancient Technologies" Fantastická Fakta, Ivo Železný Publishers, Czech Republic; "Practical Shamanism", Magazin Zahad, Ivo Zelezny Publishers, Czech Republic
ILLUSTRATIONS
1987: "Pet Jablek na Kameni" Svatopluk Veverka, Ceskoslovennsky Spisovatel
1986: The Musical Theater of Prague (Lyra Pragensis): two drypoints published in conjunction with an evening of poetry.
1984-98: Occasional illustrations in regional Czech magazines: Hranicar and Ohnicek
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCES OF MY INITIATION AND PRODUCTION
2010: "Who Started the War"
A performance exploring themes of conflict and resolution.
Paranormal Conference, State Theatre (May 2010)
2007: "So, He Is Leaving"
A poignant reflection on departure and its emotional impact.
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (KIA), Kalamazoo, MI
2006: "Who Started the War"
A reimagined version of the original performance, blending music and poetry.
Quantum Rhythm, International Festival, Radisson Hotel, Kalamazoo
2005: "The Seven Days"
A dance performance featuring original masks, music, and poetry.
International Festival of Independent Theatres, Praha, Czech Republic
Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI
Little Cities Gallery, Kalamazoo, MI
Bill Kramer Studio, South Bend, IN
Public Access Center, Kalamazoo (Anagama documentary)
2005: "Masks"
Choreography and masks by Jana Hanka, music by Randon Chisnell.
Wellspring – Epic Center, Kalamazoo, MI
2005: "Dreams"
A performance exploring the surreal nature of dreams.
Wellspring Studio, Kalamazoo, MI
2005: "Right Way of Living"
A philosophical exploration of ethical living.
Wellspring Studio, Kalamazoo, MI
2004: "Point of View"
A collaborative performance with Paul Flickinger.
Lansing Art Gallery, Lansing, MI (February 2004)
2003: "The White Castle"
A performance featuring original masks, poetry, and music by Randon Chisnell.
Open House, Kalamazoo, MI
2002: "Passage"
A collaboration with Paul Flickinger exploring personal and communal transitions.
Holland Area Art Council (supported by Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs)
Little Cities Gallery, Kalamazoo, MI
Wellspring at Epic Center, Kalamazoo, MI
2002: "Seasons"
A performance with original masks, poetry, and music.
Little Cities Gallery, Kalamazoo, MI (March 2002)
2002: "Superior"
A thematic exploration of Michigan’s natural beauty.
Little Cities Gallery, Kalamazoo, MI (July 2002)
2002: "Solar System"
A performance combining music, masks, and poetry to explore cosmic themes.
Little Cities Gallery, Kalamazoo, MI (November 2002)
2001: "So, You Are an Artist?"
A reflective performance on the challenges and identity of being an artist.
Little Cities Gallery, Kalamazoo, MI (March 2001)
Mendon, MI (May 2001)
Southwest Michigan College, Dowagiac, MI (June 2001)
International Festival of Independent Theatres, Praha, Czech Republic
2001: "Dances of Birds"
A performance with original masks and poetry celebrating the grace of birds.
Little Cities Gallery, Kalamazoo, MI (February 2001)
Carnegie Art Museum, Three Rivers, MI (April 2001)
Bistro Rio, Mendon, MI
2000: "Colors of Time” and “Isis"
Joint performances blending themes of mythology and time.
Little Cities Gallery, Kalamazoo, MI (November 2000)
Reprise of Isis for Egyptian theme day, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (January 2001)
PERFORMANCES OF A GROUP WITHIN WHICH I AM AN ACTIVE COLLABORATOR
2000: "Dragonsmoak"
Musical and performance art
"Eros and Colors of the Wind," Kraftbrau, Kalamazoo (February 2000)
"Beginnings and Endings," Kraftbrau, Kalamazoo (April 2000)
"Kiss the Dragon," Kraftbrau, Kalamazoo (July 2000)
"Isis Waiting," Kraftbrau, Kalamazoo (May 26, 2001)
2002: "Blue Dhalia"
Collaboration on performances
The Space, Kalamazoo, MI (2002)
Smart Shop Art Space, Kalamazoo, MI (2003)
OTHER PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES DEMONSTRATING A LONG-TERM COMMITMENT
1995: "Beer Barrel Cabarets"
1995: "Visitors," Beer Barrel Cabaret II, Eccentric Café of Kalamazoo Brewing Co., Kalamazoo, MI
1993: Beer Barrel Cabaret I, Eccentric Café of Kalamazoo Brewing Co., Kalamazoo, MI
1995: "Creation of the Universe" and "Attractions"
(Performance art/modern dance presentations)
1995: Over the Edge Gallery, Grand Haven, MI
1994: Art Gallery of Suomi College, Hancock, MI
1994: Lee Hall Gallery of Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI
1994: Carnegie Art Center
"Imagine the Universe in Two Movements," dance performance in conjunction with solo exhibition of my paintings (Three Rivers, MI)
2006-2007: Cable Access TV
(Dance performance pieces and documentaries)
2006-2007: "Anagama," Kalamazoo, MI
1993: "One World Meditation," Kalamazoo, MI
1991: "Jana's World," Kalamazoo, MI
1990: "Mime Time," Kalamazoo, MI
1987: Group Productions
1987: "Coyote," Coyote Productions, Kalamazoo, MI
1988: "Coyote and Skunk at the Dog-roast," Coyote Productions, Kalamazoo, MI
1991: "Coyote Gets New Sneakers," Coyote Productions, Kalamazoo, MI
1988: The Whole Art Theater
1988: Halloween performance at World Tree Peace Center, Kalamazoo, MI
1989: Perestroika Players; "Charlie/Party", Kalamazoo, MI
1988: "Wherewolf; Black, White and Blue in Kalamazoo", Kalamazoo, MI
New Years Fest: Latvian Solstice Celebration (1988), Kalamazoo, MI
New Years Fest: "Giving Tree" (1987), Kalamazoo, MI
Pudgy's Christmas, Kalamazoo, MI
1988: Wellspring Dance Collaborative
• Danceforum 88: Shadow to Substance, Kalamazoo, MI
1992: Sylvia Jania and Co.
1992: "Hymns, Omens and Amens," cabaret performance
1991: "The Privacy Act Plays Catchup," cabaret performance
1993: Art Carnival
1993: "Dance of the Sun", Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI
1993: AIDS Benefit Performance
"Connecting," interpretive dance performance, organized by B. Dougherty, Western Michigan University Drama Dept. and Whole Art Theater, Kalamazoo, MI
CZECHOSLOVAKIA
1995-1996: NOVA Independent Television
Broadcasts on contemporary shamanism for the Czech Republic (June 1995 and June 1996)
1986: "Evening of Poetry, Expedition Through Life"
Musical Theater of Prague
1985-1996: "The Quadrature of Rings" and "Ancient Czech Myths"
Malostranská Beseda's Lucerna Theater, Prague
Offstage work at Lucerna Theater, Prague