Chicago sculptor Richard Hunt, known for his significant contributions to public art and the civil rights movement, has passed away at 88. His official website announced his passing, though no cause of death was specified. Hunt, whose art career...
Chicago sculptor Richard Hunt, known for his significant contributions to public art and the civil rights movement, has passed away at 88. His official website announced his passing, though no cause of death was specified.
Hunt, whose art career spanned nearly seven decades, often broke down barriers in his work, which comprised mostly abstract metal sculptures. In 1968, he made history as the first African-American visual artist appointed to the National Council on the Arts by President Lyndon B. Johnson, and in 1971, the artist became the first Black sculptor to have a retrospective exhibition at MoMA.
Born in 1935, Hunt found his passion for sculpture in 1953 after visiting the “Sculpture of the Twentieth Century” exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago, showcasing works by Pablo Picasso and Alberto Giacometti. Hunt later honed his craft at the School of Art Institute in Chicago.
Acrobats, 1955
Richard Hunt
Hindman
Hunt was also deeply affected by the experience of attending Emmett Till’s open-casket funeral, which the artist said influenced his commitment to civil rights over the course of his career. Hunt recently completed preliminary work on a monument to Till, who was also from Chicago and was lynched when visiting Mississippi in 1955.
Hunt held over 150 solo exhibitions, and his works are featured in more than 100 public museums globally. Additionally, the artist has installed over 160 public sculptures globally. His career includes 18 honorary degrees, more than 20 professorships and artist residencies, and over 30 awards—including the Guggenheim Fellowship and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Sculpture Center.
In 2022, he was commissioned to create a sculpture for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, which includes the figure of a bird taking off from the pages of a book. In a statement, former President Barack Obama said of the work: “It will be an inspiration for visitors from around the world and an enduring reminder of a remarkable man.” White Cube recently announced the representation of the late artist. The gallery has an upcoming solo exhibition of the artist’s work slated for spring 2024.