Comprehensive Guide For Artists to Creating Art Labels

"Art is Business" 

 Featured Art of  Alpha Bruton at Gallery Guichard, Feb 2024

THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN RevArt: Art labels creating art labels artist guide label design tips DIY art labels RevArt SMART Manager artwork presentation label layout professional art labels artist tools exhibitions.

As an artist deeply embedded in the creative world, I've discovered that one of the most overlooked yet crucial aspects of presenting artwork is the creation of art labels. Throughout my journey, I've delved deep into the nuances of this process, and I'm thrilled to share these insights with you and introduce an innovative tool from RevArt that's been a game-changer for me and many others.

What is an Art Label?

Art labels are the silent narrators of the art world. They are not merely pieces of paper or stickers; they are the conduit between the artist and the observer. These labels carry essential details like the title, medium, dimensions, and the artist's name. More than this, they imbue the artwork with context, background, and story, enriching the viewer's experience and understanding.

Information on Art Label

In my artistic endeavors, a well-constructed art label typically includes the artwork's title, artist name, the year of creation, the medium used, and dimensions. Occasionally, I add a brief description or an inspirational note for pieces with deep personal meaning or complex stories to provide further depth and connection.

Layout and Design Tips

Years of experimenting with various layouts and designs have led me to some key findings:

• Keep it simple and readable: Choose a clear font and ensure the text contrasts well with the background for legibility.
• Align with your art's style: The label should reflect your artwork. A sleek, minimalist label complements modern art, while a classic, elegant design might suit traditional pieces better.
• Consider the material: I've utilized everything from sturdy card stock to subtle transparent labels, depending on the artwork's setting and aesthetic.

Examples

Reflecting on my first exhibition, I recall labeling a vibrant abstract piece. The label was a straightforward white card with black text, but I incorporated a border matching the painting's dominant hue. This subtle connection between the label and the artwork significantly enhanced the overall presentation.

Example One

Above is a standard example of an artwork label.

Example Two

Using QR codes on the labels sends the viewer to the website, where they can get more details about the artists and gallery instead of printing this label. The artist must furnish the gallery with all the details and narratives. 

The label uses a traditional style of design to suit the classical painting. 

This label has a description, as its main purpose is to educate audiences. 

Tips for DIYing Your Own Art Labels

Based on my experiences, here are some DIY tips:

Use templates: Myriad online resources offer a good starting point.

Test print: Always conduct a test print to ensure color accuracy and text readability.

Get creative: Don't shy away from experimenting with shapes, colors, and materials to find what best represents your artistic identity.

The price information is optional but highly recommended: it helps artists sell work in the show and retain customers too shy to ask the price. 

The description on the label is more common on museum art labels. 

 

Let me introduce you to the RevArt SMART Manager, a tool that has revolutionized my approach to creating art labels. This innovative platform simplifies the process in one click, offering customizable templates, layout and design suggestions, and even direct printing options. It's ensured that my labels are professional, consistent, and representative of my art.

Conclusion

Creating art labels might initially appear daunting, but with practice and exploration, it becomes an integral and enjoyable part of presenting your art. With the support of tools like the RevArt SMART Manager, artists are now empowered to create labels that are not just informative but also enhance and complement the artwork itself. Embrace this process, and watch your art labels transform into storytellers, bridging the gap between your vision and the viewer's experience.

Reference Source:

https://revart.co/blogs/131_A_Comprehensive_Guide_For_Artists_to_Creating_Art_Labels

AUTHOR: RevArt Team

PUBLISHED ON: March 19, 2024

Exhibition Tour—The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism | Met...

Sacramento Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. focused on “Education and the Arts.”

2021 Sacramento  Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Honoring Shonna McDaniel's

The annual Scholarship & Awards Event (or Brunch) presented by the Alpha Phi Alpha-ZBL chapter in Sacramento, CA, was a virtual affair in late spring 2021.   The chapter provided local entertainment artists and a presentation of their annual college-bound high school scholars and community leadership honorees.  The scholars were winners of a vetted scholarship competition process, and the community honorees produced notable contributions to the Sacramento community through their businesses and/or individual efforts.

This year's theme focused on “education and the arts,” enhanced by their special guest speaker, Ms. Tatyana Ali (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air).  Ms. Ali is a polished actor, singer, producer, and social advocate who shared her perspective on learning through the arts.  

The Alpha-ZBL members are excited to share this year’s event with you with the hope of your enjoyment of the show.

Congratulations on your achievement/s, and we sincerely thank you for being a major part of our effort! 

Bro. Art McElvy

Event Chairman

ZBL Foundation

In Memory of Joyce Owens R.I.P.

"Art is Business"  

Classic Chicago Magazine   Joyce Owens transitioned on Saturday, February 10th, 2024.

Artist Joyce Owens, 76, showed the ‘positive’ Black experience in her work.

Owens was primarily a painter and dabbled in 3-D art forms and jewelry-making. In an exhibition, the Chicago State University professor wrote: “I decided not to do angry Black men and angry Black women. I painted what I saw.  by Mariah Rush on Feb 13, 2024, 3:11pm CST.

Chicago-based artist, teacher, and curator Joyce Owens Anderson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Philadelphia. Owens’s mother, Eloise Owens, was a trained opera singer who encouraged her daughter to become an art teacher. Nevertheless, Owens attended Howard University, earning her B.F.A. degree in art. Owens then attended Yale University, earning her M.F.A. degree in painting. After working various jobs, including arts and crafts director, art teacher, and producer for Philadelphia’s CBS television station, Owens moved to Chicago, Illinois. She then spent eight years working for WBBM-TV, CBS Channel 2 in Chicago, as the graphic arts coordinator for news. Owens did additional work for the company as a graphic artist, researcher, and news assistant, always painting and exhibiting her art.

@ Tony Smith photo credit

After Owens's solo exhibition at Chicago State University, she was invited to join the faculty. She has taught there since 1996, specializing in studio painting and drawing. Joyce Owens is known for addressing racism, skin color, and black self-determination through her paintings, masks, and installations. Her art materials are primarily acrylic paints on canvas, wood, and paper. Found objects are often incorporated into her two- and three-dimensional works. Owens’s artwork has been shown nationally in juried, invitational, solo, and group exhibitions in galleries and museums. Two of her curatorial efforts were singled out by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs as featured programs during Chicago Artists Month. Some other highlights of her career include being selected as the featured artist for Columbia College’s fifteenth annual DanceAfrica Chicago Festival, inclusion in Daniel T. Parker’s book African Art: The Diaspora and Beyond, “The Art of Culture” exhibition and catalog that also featured artist/art historian, Samella Lewis; and Howard University’s “A Proud Continuum: Eight Decades of Art at Howard University,” a juried exhibition of former Howard art students including Elizabeth Catlett.

@ Fletcher Hayes

We often traveled in the same circles, running into each other at art openings and conversing about our work. I remember coming onto the scene in Chicago and being a featured artist with us when we first met during Chicago Artists Month. We've also been in various exhibitions over the years.  I am so glad to have known her; her energy, smile, and laughter were infectious. 

References:

https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/joyce-owens-anderson

https://classicchicagomagazine.com/joyce-owens-celebrating-the-american-experience/

https://www.pressreader.com/usa/chicago-sun-times/20240216/281672554862646

https://chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/2024/02/13/artist-joyce-owens-76-showed-positive-black-experience-her-work

Young Chicago artist makes history with pieces around the world, and a p...

What Women Are Thinking About

"Art is Business"   www.urbanartretreat.com

What Women Are Thinking About 

Feb. 10 - Mar. 23,  2024  (1-4)

Liz Long Gallery at Urban Art Retreat

1957 S. Spaulding Ave. Chicago, Il. 60623

  (773) 542-9126  messages only

Group show of women artists from around the world! Art Show about what women are thinking about, what we think is important. 

This is an opportunity to put our thoughts and opinions out there.

Sincerely,

 

Ms. Dianna C. Long

Chicago Urban Art Retreat Center & Women's Residence

1957 S. Spaulding Ave. Chicago, Il. 60623

(corner of 21st, just 2 short blocks west of Kedzie pink line stop)

Gallery Hours: 1-4  Saturdays  or make appt. to visit RSVP

Art, Culture, Social Justice Issues, A Vehicle for Volunteerism contact@urbanartretreat.com            

CUARC Orientation: Noon-1:00 on Saturdays year-round. Email RSVP only

Facebook.com/urbanartretreat          

Adults Art Studio Program 

Art Therapy Sessions

Animal Welfare Program

Peace Park Project

Kedzie Pink Line Stop Revitalization Project 

Youth Program/Spring&Summer 

"The Art of Soul" YoloArts Gallery 625 Black History Month Exhibition

"Art is Business" https://yoloarts.org/gallery-625/

Shonna McDaniel, the Executive Director of the Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum, has been invited to co-curate the YoloArts Gallery 625 Black History Month Exhibition. The exhibition, titled "The Art of Soul," will showcase the works of Black artists and legendary artists from the region. 

This exhibit will illuminate the American experience through an African American lens. Viewers will enjoy abstract & realistic paintings, works on paper, mixed media, and digital media.  The Art of Soul artists in the collection include several legendary artists throughout the region. This exhibit will illuminate the American experience through an African American lens. Viewers will enjoy abstract and realistic paintings, works on paper, mixed media, and digital media.

YoLoArts Has listed the following participating artists:

Milton Bowens (Museum Collection) 

Shonna McDaniels 

Unity Lewis 

Daphne Burgess (Museum Collection) 

Alpha Bruton (Museum Collection) 

Mia Davis 

Aliyah Sidqe

Karen Seneferu

Malik Seneferu

Lee McCormick

Urban Sunshine (Museum Collection)

Cedric Orange 

Joha Harrison

Gerry Simpson

Valerie Brown-Troutt

Elizabeth Catlett (Museum Collection) 

Dr. Samella Lewis (Museum Collection) 

Addis Ababa (Museum Collection) 

TAFA      (Museum Collection ) 

--

Tactical Urbanism in the Horizontal Landscape. "Soundscape Tapestry"

Artist in Residence Programs Tactical Urbanism Music Soundscapes

Reggie Nicholson-Drummer, Percussionist, Composer The instantly recognizable style and sound of Reggie Nicholson has elevated him to one of the most distinctive, inventive, and inspirational drummer/percussionists of his generation; a formidable technician, but one who uses his considerable skills constructively and with infinite taste.

Tactical Urbanism, in the Horizontal Landscape, "Soundscape Tapestry."  This collaborative project will utilize sound and visual art in a public installation. Soundscape Tapestry will echo the African-American music experience unique to the sounds of Chicago. In addition, they are introducing a new sector of experimental film projections in the public space, curated by Alpha Bruton, ambitious new video projections of current artworks created during the residency project. Two thousand twenty-two project plans are to host and collaborate with composer Reggie Nicholson and develop platforms for exploration and creating new works.

They are using tactical urbanism and contributing to the horizontal landscape to expose pedestrians and tourists to the experience of what is viewed inside the gallery. Will create a dynamic platform for large-scale installations, moving image works, and sound performances, which did not have a dedicated space at the Bronzeville Art District Trolley Tours in prior years. Music and performances from collaborating artists accompany all the projections. Artist in Residence Programs, Tactical Urbanism, Music, and Soundscapes are some of the key elements of Reggie Nicholson's work. As a drummer, percussionist, and composer, Nicholson has developed a unique and recognizable style that has earned him a reputation as one of the most inventive and inspirational musicians of his generation. He is a formidable technician who uses his considerable skills constructively and tastefully.

One of Nicholson's latest collaborative projects is called "Soundscape Tapestry." This project combines sound and visual art in a public installation that aims to showcase the African-American music experience unique to the sounds of Chicago. To achieve this, the project will use tactical urbanism and contribute to the horizontal landscape to expose pedestrians and tourists to the experience of what is viewed inside the gallery.

The project will also introduce a new sector of experimental film projections in the public space, curated by Alpha Bruton, showcasing ambitious new video projections of current artworks created during the residency project. The 2022 project plans are to host and collaborate with Reggie Nicholson and develop platforms for exploration and creating new works.

This project aims to create a dynamic platform for large-scale installations, moving image works, and sound performances that did not have a dedicated space at the Bronzeville Art District Trolley Tours in prior years. All the projections will be accompanied by music and performances from collaborating artists. 

Hand Works by Trish Williams R.I.P.

"Art is Business"      Trish Williams has joined the Ancestors. Born:  1950 - Sunset 2024,  Chicago, Illinois Known for Fiber art, quilting, soft sculpture, and fashion design artist. 

Ronald West borrowed this photograph from her Facebook page.

As a fiber artist and quilter, she has archived her journey from 2008 to 2019 on her blog. She highlighted her thought process and the fellow artists who joined her as she navigated the art world as a Fiber and Textile Fine Artist. Trish and I served on the East Garfield Park Arts and Cultural Task Force in 2005 to design the East Garfield LISC Quality of Life Plan; we were Co-Committee Chairs and were listed in that publication. 

She also was instrumental in the beginning years of the Phantom Gallery Chicago. We went on to write a plan for the Phantom Gallery Chicago and began doing pop-up galleries along Madison/Western to Madison/Homan in empty storefronts. We also curated exhibits at ABC Bank in Austin Neighborhoods and Chicago Public Libraries. 

My most recent visit to Peoria in 2021 to visit her was a road trip with my board member and colleague Suzetta Withtaker. We visited the Richard Pryor Bronze sculpture and her exhibition at the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria. Before returning to Chicago, she visited Preston Jackson's studio and dined at her favorite restaurant. 

Trish Williams began her love affair with cloth at the age of five at the knees of my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, where She started her love of color and fabric. She has exhibited nationally and internationally; her work can be seen in numerous collections and publications. She is a keeper of the cloth and tradition.

Biography from the Archives of askART

Trish's most recent exhibition was MUSE.

Logan Center Exhibitions is pleased to present Freedom’s Muse featuring members from Sapphire & Crystals, a collective of African American women artists in Chicago initially conceived by Marva Pitchford Jolly and Felicia Grant Preston in 1987. This exhibition explores the intersection of art and freedom of expression in celebration of the 36th Anniversary of the collective and the launch of the university’s new Chicago Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression.

https://www.loganexhibitions.uchicago.edu/exhibitions/freedoms-muse.

ARTIST STATEMENT: 2013

Having sewn all my life, I became a self-taught artist in 1997, falling in love with quilting as my medium. Since I was familiar with working in fabric, the transition into quilting seemed natural as a means to artistically express myself. Quilting also allowed me to revisit my upbringing in the Midwest using an imaginative style of stitching and color inspired by my Midwestern and African roots. I find joy and inspiration in the bountiful ebb and flow of the rivers and lakes.  

My current works include some mixed-media aspects; incorporating paint, paper, plastic, metals, or other found objects has allowed me to explore new ideas and advance my quilting techniques. I am active in Chicago and Peoria, Illinois.

RESUME  

Solo Exhibits

2013   Chicago State University - Forms & Fabrics, Chicago, IL, March 19th-  April 17th

2011    Concordia University - P.I.E.C.E.S. - River Forest, IL, January, 10th - February 13th

2009    Harold Washington Library - Chicago, IL, March 18 - April 30

2007    Open Studio - Artist Residency - Chicago, IL, February 1 - 28th

2006    Malcolm X Community College, "P.I.E.C.E" - Chicago, IL, March, 1st - 31st  

2004    UIC African American Cultural Center - Chicago, IL, March 1st - 31st  

2003    Bethel Cultural Arts Center - Chicago, IL, February 1 -28th  

Group Exhibitions

2013   

FAC - Conversation In Stitches. -Nature, Concordia University, River Forest, IL

FAC Blue World/Green World, Pump House Gallery, LaCrosse, WI  

2012 

FAC-13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird, Waukesha Civic Theater Gallery

Chicago School of Fusing exhibit at WMQFA Barn Gallery, Cedarburg, WI

FAC -13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird, American Craft Council Office, Minneapolis, MN

WOCQN-  1st Cultural Arts Awards Ceremony, CCNY, New Your, NY

Studio Group Exhibit at Romain's Studio, Peoria, IL

FAC - Blue World/Green World, River Front Art Center, Stevens Point, WI

We Two Chicago - Human Thread Gallery, Chicago, IL

SDA - Blind Eye: The Result of Doing Nothing, Human Thread Gallery, Chicago,

FAC - Blue World/Green World at the Prairie Cent for the Arts, Schaumburg, IL WOCQN -, Huston, TX      

2011 

Visions, Voices, Viewpoints and Victories of African American Artists, Peltz Gallery of Art, Milwaukee, WI

FAC- Conversations in Stitch, Anderson Art Center, Kenosha, WI

Textural Rhythms in Jazz, Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco, CA

FAC-Ties That Bind, The Sheldon Gallery, St. Louis, MO

FAC- 13 Ways of Looking at Blackbirds, Northville Art House

Black Pearls, Garfield Park Arts Center, Indianapolis, IN

FAC-13 Ways of Looking at Blackbirds, Schaumburg Prairie Arts Center, Schaumburg

2010 

Art Basel at the Betsy Hotel, Miami, FL

Beyond The Log Cabin - Abraham Lincoln: the Emancipation and the African American  Experience - Highland Museum, Ashland, KY

2009   

Quilts for Obama - Historical Society of Washington, DC

Mermaid and Merwomen in Black Folklore - Avery Research Center for African

American History and Culture, Charleston, SC, and the Florence Museum of Art,

Science and History, Florence, SC

2008 

Quilting African American Women's History: Our Challenges, Creativity, and Champions, Ohio Historical Society, Wilberforce, OH

Spoken with Hands" Ohio Valley Art League, Rotunda Gallery,

Henderson County Public Library, Henderson, KY

ABC Bank of Austin, Phantom Gallery - Chicago, IL

2007   

Wrapped In The Feeling: "The Story Coat Exhibition"- African American Museum -Wichita, KS

Sew What Art Quilters - Phantom Gallery, - Chicago, IL

Stitching Salon" Winter Delights event - Chicago, IL

2006    

Visual Voice: Transforming Silence through Contemporary Quilted Art -

Quilts for Change at the Cintas Center, Xavier University - Cincinnati, OH

Mancuso's "The World Quilt Show" - New England, Manchester, NH

2004    

Museum of Science and Industry, "Black Creativity"- Chicago, IL

2003   

Sacred Threads 2003 - Reynoldsburg and Upper Arlington, OH

Dallas Quilters Guild, Inc. - Dallas, TX

National Exhibits and Tours

Beyond Category: Visions of Jazz in Fiber - Women of Color Quilters Network exhibit at the International Textile Biennial San Jose, Costa Rica, University of Costa Rica (Limon) September 7 until October 12, 2010.

Textural Rhythms in Jazz - Touring nationally from February 2007 through 2011. Sixty-four quilts presented by the Women of Color Quilters Network display the interplay between jazz and art. Venues include the Smithsonian Anacostia Museum, the New York State Museum, Rutgers University Art Museum, City of Lake Charles, National Underground Railroad Ctr, HUB-Robinson Galleries, and Museum of the African Diaspora.

PAQA Orchid Challenge - Touring nationally from 2007 through 2010. Quilts were judged for their artistic merit and the accuracy of the depiction. The feeling was by both creative and floral judges. Venues included are Int. Orchid Show - Miami, FL, 19th World Orchid Conference and Show, Miami, Florida, Madison Orchid Growers' Guild of Madison Show, Madison, WI.

PAQA Water Challenge - Touring nationally from August 2006 through 2009. Seventy-five pieces in this exhibit had to interpret water, be no larger than 18" per side, and include a self-portrait. Venues Quilting on the Waterfront - Machines in Motion - Duluth MN, Mancuso Greater Chicago Quilt Exhibition, The Fine Line, St Charles IL,  Lancaster Quilter's Heritage Celebration, Sinnissippi Quilters of Rockford IL, Michigan Quilt Network Showcase- Lansing MI, and Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum.

Threads of Faith - Toured nationally from January 2005 through September 2006, presented by the Women of Color Quilters Network, displaying how our faith is viewed. Venues included The Mennonite Heritage Center, Harleysville, PA (outside of Philadelphia), Cincinnati Museum Center, Cincinnati, OH,  Huntington Art Museum, Huntington, WV, and  King-Tisdale Art Center, Savanna, GA.

Public Art

Prentiss Women's Hospital, Chicago, IL

Comers Children Hospital, Chicago, IL

Austin Senior Center, Chicago, IL

15th Police District, Chicago, IL

Bethel Culture Arts Center, Chicago, IL

UIC Extension Center, Chicago, IL

Publications

• Art Quilt Portfolio: The Natural World: Profiles of Major Artists, Galleries of Inspiring Works by Martha Sielman, page 45 - "Where Two or More..."
• 100 Artists of the Midwest by E. Ashley Rooney, a Schiffer Books publication    
• Fiberarts magazine - 2011 - Spring, page 57 - "Save Darfur"
• Threads of Faith - "Dancers of Praise," Textural Rhythms: Quilting the Jazz Tradition - "Blow Trane Blow"
• Quilting African American Women's History: Our Challenges, Creativity, and Champions -
•  "Harriet's Gone Up Yonder" Featured on Bonnie McCaffery's Video-Cast # 24

Lectures/Trunk Shows

North Shore Quilters Guild of Milwaukee, WI

River Walk Quilters Guild of Naperville, IL

UIC African American Center, Women History Month, Chicago, IL

Inter-generational Art: Building Creative Bridges between Generations Panel, Chicago, IL

Sources:

http://www.handworksbytrish.com/ArtistStatement.html

Information from the artist

** If you discover credit omissions or have additional information to add, please let us know at registrar@askart.com.

Share an image of the artist at images@askart.com.

"Man's Way, Nature's Way." Richard Hunt

"Art is Business" https://maps.app.goo.gl/h6mjLyQLn57EFCHM9

Lobby Sculpture: Richard Hunt

The staircase to the second floor is a stainless steel sculpture in the lobby. The artist, Richard Hunt, creates abstract metal works, each a unique shrine to the human spirit. Richard Hunt has completed almost 100 public sculptures, large and small. The sculpture, explicitly developed for the CalEPA building, is tentatively titled "Man's Way, Nature's Way." The theme, according to Mr. Hunt, "is some of the ways man and nature originate and modify form. In its complex spatial organization of internal, external, natural, and architectonic relationships, the sculpture seeks to represent sculptural ideas of building a base, frame, and reference for human interaction with the environment."

Mr. Hunt, a graduate of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, has been a professor or artist-in-residence at several prestigious universities. His work is displayed in several public buildings, as well as at the Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the National Gallery, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, to name a few.

Introduction to The Art of Rest with Gigi of Liminal Grace

https://www.patreon.com/liminalgrace/creators

Gigi held online conversations and presentations on the Pop Up Research Station CAFE this fall, discussing the "Art of Rest." 

When thinking about each presentation, I said, "It's hard to rest—to truly rest."  It's easy enough to be busy or lazy, but neither one is synonymous with rest nor displaces the need to rest. Rest is a necessity and a skill. You might even say it's an art.

In a busy, busy age and in our busy, busy lives, we must learn the art of rest. Our relationships are strained, our bodies suffer stress-induced disorders, and, worst of all, our worship of God is superficial. 

 “The more work there is in your life, the more time you should make for rest. It may sound like a paradox, but you must balance those two elements.”

Rest is a critical necessity, but it takes work to find proper rest. Being busy or lazy doesn't equate to resting or replacing the need for it. Rest is a skill and an art we must learn, especially in this active age. Without rest, our relationships suffer, our bodies become susceptible to stress-induced disorders, and our worship of God becomes superficial.

Spending hours online or on smartphones does not provide genuine rest. These activities are primarily empty and wasted. Socializing with friends and loved ones can be challenging since we must perform specific roles. We must learn to focus on activities that make us feel well-rested instead of what is most enjoyable.

Mindfulness practices, such as yoga, breathing exercises, and mind clearing, can help unite the body and mind. The best thing about mindfulness is that it's easy to incorporate into our daily lives. We can sit down with our eyes closed and follow our thoughts for a moment, letting them come and go on their own accord. This one practice alone can remind us that life is continuously changing and that we should accept it.

Renowned Chicago sculptor Richard Hunt dies at 88

Article reposted,   © 2023 Sandro  © 2023 Richard Hunt. All rights reserved. https://www.richardhuntsculptor.com/   

RICHARD HUNT

 © 2023 Sandro  © 2023 Richard Hunt.

September 12, 1935 - December 16, 2023

Richard Howard Hunt, 88, of Chicago, died peacefully on Saturday, December 16, 2023 at his home. A private funeral service will be held in Chicago. A celebration of art and life, open to the public, will be held in Chicago in the spring, with dates to be announced.

Born in Chicago on September 12, 1935, Richard Hunt was one of this nation's most important sculptors. His prolific art career spanned nearly seven decades. Hunt's metal sculpture is notable for its widespread presence in museum collections and many public monuments installed across the U.S. Despite challenges for African-American artists during his lifetime, Hunt held over 150 solo exhibitions and is represented in more than 100 public museums across the globe. Hunt made the largest contribution to public art in the United States, with more than 160 public sculpture commissions gracing prominent locations in 24 states and Washington, D.C.

A descendant of slaves brought to this country through the port of Savannah, Georgia, Hunt grew up on the South Side of Chicago, first in Woodlawn and then Englewood. His father was a barber, and his mother was the first Black librarian in the city of Chicago. During his youth, he was immersed in Chicago's cultural and artistic heritage through art lessons at the South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC) and the Junior School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Regular visits to Chicago's major public museums trained his eye and captured his interest in art. Hunt would go on to develop an extensive collection of African Art, which served as an inspiration for his work. 

In 1953, the landmark exhibition Sculpture of the Twentieth Century was held at the Art Institute of Chicago. During this exhibit, Hunt studied the artworks of welded metal and became inspired by the works of Julio Gonzalez, Picasso, David Smith, and Alberto Giacometti, among others. Hunt attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) on a scholarship from 1953-57, where he focused on sculpture while earning his B.A.E. 

When Hunt was nineteen years old, he witnessed the open-casket funeral of Emmett Till in Chicago. Till, who was abducted, tortured, and lynched in Mississippi in 1955, had grown up only two blocks from the Woodlawn home where Hunt was born. Hunt would later remark, "What happened to [Till] could have happened to me." Hunt went on to create art shaped by this experience, which influenced both his artistic expression and his commitment to the cause of Civil Rights. 

Inspired by Sculpture of the Twentieth Century, and shaken by the death of Emmett Till, Hunt taught himself how to weld and began composing found metal objects into art. Only two years later, he gained national recognition when the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York acquired his sculpture, Arachne. In 1967, after the Chicago Picasso was unveiled, Hunt began creating works of Cor-Ten steel and later bronze and stainless steel which he continued using throughout his career. Hunt also created works of cast metal, usually aluminum or bronze, and was an accomplished draftsman who created drawings, lithographs, and screenprints, in addition to many sketched works. 

After graduating from the SAIC, Hunt went to Europe for a year to study art and worked at the famous Marinelli foundry in Florence. While in Italy, Hunt married fellow SAIC classmate Bettye Hunt in Florence in 1957. They welcomed a daughter, Cecilia, in 1962 and subsequently divorced in 1966. He returned to the U.S. in 1958 when he was called to serve in the military. During that same year, Hunt held his first solo exhibition in New York at the Alan Gallery. 

On March 16, 1960, while serving in the U.S. Army and stationed at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, Hunt desegregated the Woolworth's lunch counter in Alamo Plaza. Hunt was the very first African American served there. This brave action made San Antonio the first peaceful and voluntary lunch counter integration in the South. 

Hunt was the first African American visual artist to serve on the National Council on the Arts, appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. Hunt created abstract welded sculptures by acquiring bumpers and fenders from scrap yards, which became a signature of Hunt's work. He was only 35 years old at the time of his 1971 exhibition at MoMA, the first retrospective for an African American sculptor at the museum. The exhibit titled The Sculpture of Richard Hunt included fifty-five sculptures, eight drawings, and twelve prints. In addition, in 1981 Hunt served as one of eight jurors, the sole African American, for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial competition in Washington, D.C.

Hunt sculpted major monuments and sculptures for some of our country's greatest heroes, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Mary McLeod Bethune, Jesse Owens, Hobart Taylor, Jr., and Ida B. Wells. His sculptures commemorate events from the slave trade and the Middle Passage to the Great Migration. His massive 30-foot, 1,500-pound bronze, Swing Low, a monument to the African American Spiritual, hangs from the ceiling of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Hunt's masterpiece, Hero Construction, stands as the centerpiece of the grand staircase at the Art Institute of Chicago. In 2022, Barack Obama commissioned Richard Hunt as the first artist to create a work, Book Bird, for the Obama Presidential Center.

A major artist's monograph, Richard Hunt, was published in 2022, becoming the definitive survey of Hunt's work and career. In addition, that same year, the Getty Research Institute (GRI) acquired the Richard Hunt Archive. The GRI noted that "throughout his career, Hunt was central to important landmarks in African American art history and Civil Rights-era action." Hunt's archive, over 800 linear feet, is one of the largest artists' archives in the country. 

Hunt considered artistic freedom to be the most important aspect of his career, "I am interested more than anything else in being a free person. To me, that means that I can make what I want to make, regardless of what anyone else thinks I should make." That artistic freedom was recognized and celebrated by the many institutions from which he received 18 honorary degrees and held over twenty professorships and artist residencies at institutions such as Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Northwestern, the School of the Art Institute, and the University of Illinois. 

Hunt served on dozens of boards, committees, and councils, including serving as a Commissioner for the National Museum of American Art, part of the Smithsonian Institution. Hunt received more than 30 major awards, including the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Sculpture Center, the Fifth Star Award from the City of Chicago, and the Legends and Legacy Award from the Art Institute of Chicago. This year, April 24, 2023, was proclaimed "Richard Hunt Day" by Illinois First Lady MK Pritzker, celebrating his life's achievements and recognizing Hunt as one of our country's greatest artists. 

Hunt recently completed the sculptural model for a monument to Emmett Till, Hero Ascending, to be installed at Till's childhood home in Chicago. It will commemorate Till and the tragic event that gave rise to the modern Civil Rights movement and shaped the career of the sculptor Richard Hunt. Hunt is survived by his daughter Cecilia, an artist, and his sister Marian, a retired librarian, both of whom live in Chicago.