An Overland Park couple is about halfway to their $3 million fundraising goal to bring a 30-foot poppy flower statue based on one of their late son’s paintings to the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.
The stainless steel sculpture, made in partnership with the architectural metal fabricator Zahner, is inspired by a painting by the Hansons’ son Jeff that features brightly colored poppies and other flowers.
The sculpture, once complete, will be called “Growing Kindness,” and will be one of the largest public art sculptures in the Kansas City area.
The name, a nod to Jeff Hanson’s life and legacy of kindness, is meant to serve as a public reminder to be kind to others, his parents Julie and Hal Hanson said.
“We want the Kansas City community to see this sculpture and realize how important kindness is,” Julie said. “There’s tremendous joy to be found when we give to the world with kindness, and Jeff was all about that.”
“We want people to look at this and think, ‘What can I do to be kind’ or, ‘What can I do today for a random act of kindness for someone?’” Hal added.
When finished, the sculpture will sit near the new LongHouse Visitor Center at the Arboretum and be lit up with colorful lights.
“People will just be able to walk out amongst the flowers and look up at them,” he said, noting that visitors will be encouraged to interact with the piece. “That was Jeff’s thing, he always said, ‘Please touch the art.’”
Jeff Hanson raised about $7M for charity in his lifetime
Jeff Hanson, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 27, was born with neurofibromatosis, a rare genetic condition that causes tumors to grow in the nervous system.
A type of tumor known as a glioma on his optic nerve caused him to lose much of his sight and gave him what he called “Swiss cheese vision,” his father said.
As a 12-year-old, when he was going through chemotherapy and radiation, he started watercolor painting and crafting notecards. He would later sell them at pop-up events at the bottom of the family’s driveway in Overland Park.
They called it “Jeff’s Bistro” and ultimately raised $15,000 for the Children’s Tumor Foundation.
Then, one of his doctors asked him to recreate one of his notecards on a 30-by-40-inch canvas for the Medical Missions Foundation’s Art for the Children Gala. That painting netted a few hundred dollars for the charity and also earned Jeff Hanson his first commissions for original artwork.
Julie said she was buying all kinds of art supplies for her son by then, helping him to experiment with different materials and painting styles.
Ultimately, Jeff — who never took an art class or had formal training — developed a signature style defined by “chunky paint and bold colors,” Hal said.
Many of his paintings were auctioned off at charity events, raising $1 million by his 20th birthday and roughly $7 million for philanthropies by the time he passed away.
Jeff had hoped to raise $10 million for charity by the time he turned 30. Now, his parents hope the Growing Kindness sculpture fundraising effort will help him reach that goal posthumously.
Over the years, Jeff also sold several paintings off commissions, building a successful art business. So successful, his parents ultimately quit their jobs to help him run it.
“He quickly became noticed by people of our community but also people nationwide and celebrities,” Julie said.
The Hansons are donating a recreation of one of Jeff’s paintings
The Hansons also plan to donate an enlarged version of a poppy painting done in his distinctive style for display at the LongHouse.
That painting will be 48 by 72-inches, according to city documents, and will draw inspiration from a vertical painting of Jeff’s that has red poppies and other vibrantly colored flowers. The original painting still hangs on the wall in his parents’ home.
Julie said the city of Overland Park approached the family about displaying some of Jeff’s art in their buildings following his death in 2020. But, at the time, there weren’t any completed paintings for sale.
As it was, Julie and Hal were finishing some of Jeff’s unfinished commissions, with the permission of the buyers.
“We’re not creating anything that Jeff didn’t already do,” Hal said.
Those paintings completed after Jeff’s bear the signature of his trademarked art studio, Jeff Hanson Art.
Doing that work together, Julie Hanson said, helped the pair through the grieving process and allowed them to remember their son’s passion.
But in the absence of any of Jeff’s work to give or sell to the city, the Hansons were inspired to get the ball rolling on the sculpture and the recreated painting.
Julie said her son had planned to start exploring public art sculpture but hadn’t gotten the chance. Now, through this project, he can.
Hal is finalizing a second book on Jeff’s life
As a follow up to his 2013 book entitled “Lessons from CLOD,” Hal Hanson is working to release a second book on his son’s life by this Christmas.
The first book leaves off right when Jeff has raised his first $1 million for charity.
The sequel, called “A Purple Driven Life,” will cover Jeff’s story from his 20th birthday to after his death, picking up where the first book left off. Jeff’s favorite color was purple, Julie said.
The story for the book is complete, Hal said, and it’s currently with a graphic designer, who is handling the layout of the copy and photos.
“The book is meant to be happy and celebrate his life,” Hal said.
How you can donate to the “Growing Kindness” sculpture project
The family is still seeking more donations for the “Growing Kindness” sculpture project, either from individuals, community organizations or corporate sponsors.
Julie Hanson said she hopes those who were “touched by Jeff’s story of love, kindness and generosity” and local “art lovers” alike will pitch in to support the sculpture.
To support the “Growing Kindness” project with a tax deductible donation, you can click here.
The fundraiser, led by the Hansons, is run through the Arts & Recreation Foundation of Overland Park.
So far, they’ve raised about $1.3 million of the $3 million fundraising goal.
Find more information about Jeff Hanson’s life and the “Growing Kindness” mission at jeffhansonart.com.
Keep reading: Overland Park sculpture will honor late artist’s legacy of ‘growing kindness’
