RICHARD HUNT
September 12, 1935 - December 16, 2023
"For nearly five decades, Hunt ranked among the foremost American sculptors."
- Randall Griffey, Head Curator, Smithsonian American Art Museum
Richard Howard Hunt, 88, of Chicago passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 16, 2023 at his home.
Born in Chicago on September 12, 1935, Richard Hunt was one of the most important sculptors this nation has produced. His prolific art career spanned 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 170 solo exhibitions and is represented in more than 125 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.
Remembering Richard Hunt
The New York Times, December 16, 2023 online; also in print on December 20, 2023, Section A, Page 21
"The goal is to wander, wander through the unknown in search of the unknown, all the while leaving your mark."
- Richard Hunt
From The New York Times
"The Artists We Lost in 2023, in Their Words"
Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture
"Hunt’s stature and impact cannot be overstated."
December 19, 2023
Smithsonian American Art Museum
"Hunt ranked among the foremost American sculptors."
December 21, 2023
The Washington Post
"Hunt’s early career paralleled the rise of the modern civil rights movement."
December 19, 2023
ARTnews
"An epic engagement with Black history."
December 18, 2023
ARTforum
"The world’s preeminent African American abstract sculptor."
December 18, 2023
School of the Art Institute (SAIC)
"One of School of the Art Institute's most heroic creators."
December 18, 2023
Hyperallergic
"The first Black artist appointed to the National Council of the Arts, Hunt is celebrated for public works rooted in civil rights and the natural world."
December 18, 2023
Artsy
"Hunt, known for his significant contributions to public art and the civil rights movement, has passed away."
December 18, 2023
Los Angeles Times
"Renowned sculptor of public art, inspired by the civil rights movement."
December 18, 2023
United Negro College Fund (UNCF)
"Hunt used his platform and influence to advocate for the United Negro College Fund and historically Black colleges and universities."
December 19, 2023
Chicago Tribune
"Hunt’s work has been recognized for the mark it has made on Chicago and the world."
December 17, 2023
Chicago Sun-Times
"A lifelong advocate for equity and inclusion, Hunt recently completed a model for a monument to Till that is to be installed at the childhood home of the civil rights icon."
December 16, 2023
NPR - WBEZ Chicago
Hunt was "one of the most important figures in art history."
December 22, 2023
Chicago Crusader
"A pioneering sculptor and beloved figure in the art world."
December 18, 2023
Chicago Defender
"The foremost African-American sculptor of the 20th Century."
December 18, 2023
Raclin Murphy Museum of Art (formerly Snite Museum of Art)
"Richard Hunt is among the most beloved figures in Contemporary art and one of the nation's finest sculptors."
December 19, 2023
The Art Newspaper
"One of the United States’s most prolific and important sculptors."
December 18, 2023