A long time lover of art, Shanna McBurney spent several years building a highly successful career in marketing before making the decision to open an art gallery. Working full time left little time for Shanna to build an art collection and she grew frustrated with a gallery world characterized by high prices and odd hours of operation incompatible with a challenging career. HANG ART was conceived from Shanna's desire to test her skills as an entrepreneur and make the process of acquiring original art fun and accessible. Shanna earned an MBA from Stanford and BA in psychology from Pomona College.

Deborah-Jean (DJ) Harmon has more than 10 years' experience in contemporary arts management, corporate art consulting, and independent curating for public programs. Harmon contributes as an art and culture writer, and continues to write as a critic for contemporary art shows worldwide. She has served as an art adviser to private and institutional art collectors and holds a B.A. in art history from San Francisco State University. Harmon's exhibition management history includes work at the NTT InterCommunication Center ICC (Tokyo), the 4th Seoul International New Media Art Biennale (Seoul), the New York Art Expo (NY), and the NeoCon World Trade's Fair (Chicago).

Heidi is proud to proclaim her allegiance to her native state, where she grew up and attended university, completing a BA in Art History at the University of Wisconsin. She comes to San Francisco and HANG ART via London, where she completed a Master's degree at the Courtauld Institute of Art, focusing on German art of the early 20th century. Living in the UK, she realized her passion for contemporary art and artists, and the excitement of meeting real, live artists. Heidi hopes to integrate herself into the California art scene without anyone noticing her rather dry academic background, and also learn to kayak on the San Francisco Bay.

Denise Ruiz joined HANG ART in 2004, and brought to the gallery extensive sales experience, and an inside knowledge of contemporary Bay Area design. Denise made the move to a private gallery in order to indulge her passion for contemporary art, and to work more directly with artists and their work. Prior to her tenure at HANG Denise worked at several prestigious local interior and design firms. She studied art history at San Jose State University, where she found that her historical research was deepened by her studies of physical anthropology. The parallel tracks of her academic background explain her razor-sharp eye and knack for matching clients with art that speaks to them. Denise Ruiz has lived in the greater Bay Area for much of her life, and currently resides in San Francisco

When not updating the HANG ART website or making sure that all the computers are working, Eric can often be found making art, riding his bicycle around town or playing Bowie covers on the accordion or the ukulele. A UC Berkeley graduate from the department of molecular biology, he hopes one day to synthesize his various fields of study into a single, awe-inspiring uber-art. He also hopes to own a moped, and to keep a cuttlefish as a pet.

A native San Franciscan, Piero first visited HANG ART in 1999 as part of an art class, and it wasn't long before he became a full-blown art addict. Piero first offered us his talents as an intern, and now works for the gallery on his breaks from the Maryland Institute College of Art, where he is pursuing a bachelor's degree in printmaking. A whiz with experimental techniques and materials, Piero is the man to ask if you're curious about how a work of art was made.

A native of the Bay Area, Dana splits her time between her own painting and working at HANG ART. Going on 7 years at HANG ART, she handles the business end of the gallery as well as art consulting for business clients. You can find her keeping all of us organized from her perch at HANG ART annex. Dana studied painting at the Art Institute in Florence, Italy and received her B.A. in visual arts from the University of California, San Diego and was the gallery manager of a non-profit art gallery in downtown San Diego. Dana enjoys traveling, dancing and gallery pugs (hint-hint Jen).

Katherine Valentine splits her time between working at HANG ART and doing her own painting, which is represented by HANG ART. She completed her MFA degree at the Academy of Art College, and she also has a BA in film from UCLA. Her active life once included acting, dancing, and traveling, but she now has adorable twin toddlers to keep her busy. A native of the Bay Area, Katherine has also spent time living in Italy and Costa Rica. She has developed a love affair with the city of Havana, Cuba, which shows up in some of her paintings.

Erica moved to San Francisco in 2004 after graduating from the University of Texas with a degree in Art History. She remains true to her Texas roots but admires San Francisco’s rich culture and beautiful surrounding landscape. After working in the commercial furnishings industry for over three years, Erica recently changed her career path to pursue her passion for art. Erica comes to HANG ART with interest in absorbing the contemporary art scene, interacting with practicing artists, and learning the ropes of gallery management, without neglecting her side business in cheese tasting.