Duane Hanson was born in Alexandria, Minnesota in 1925, to a
Minnesota dairy farmer. He went to school to study art and he got his
B.A. degree in 1946, in St. Paul, Minnesota. He then went on to get
his M.F.A. degree in 1951, in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where he
trained in sculpture. He moved to New York City where he lived
between 1969 and 1973. In 1983, he won the Ambassador of Arts Award
and the first-annual Florida Prize Award of $10,000. In 1987, Duane
Hanson Day was declared in Broward County. His work was put in the
Florida Hall of Fame in 1992. He was married to Audrey Hanson.
At age 70, Hanson died of toxic resin and fixative fumes from
sculpting. After his death, tumors were found in his lungs and
nodules on his abdomen.Through most of his life he dealt with
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. To treat the cancer, he took chemotherapy
until he died.
