In SW Michigan works can be found at Kalamazoo College, Jackson Community College, St. Joseph, Benton Harbor and Dowagiac. His was the inaugural exhibition at the Frederick Meijer Gardens Sculpture Galleries (2000-2001) in Grand Rapids, and one of his larger pieces, Column of the Free Spirit, is permanently displayed in the sculpture garden. In January, Lake Michigan College honored Hunt with its Cultural Arts and Diversity Award for the work he has done to advance the community of Benton Harbor. Hunt’s works are generally abstract metal works, each a unique shrine to the human spirit. His images are those of strength, endurance and wit. They are able to be viewed on all sides and are built to withstand the ages. His goal is to “draw in space.” Often his work incorporates the imagery of wings invoking birds, angels, airplanes and childhood dreams. Of his use of wings, he has said, “My use of these forms has roots and resonances in the African-American experience and is also a universal symbol.” His presence in Benton Harbor adds resonance to a community that is working to take wing, fl y, and recreate itself with strength, endurance and wit.

The Richard Hunt Studio Center:
The juxtaposition of sculpture and photography

IT IS EASY to drive through Benton Harbor and never see the lively arts area one block away from the main street. Chief among the galleries and studios is the large building that is the workspace and museum of the famous sculptor Richard Hunt, and his colleague, photographer Jesus Lopez. Richard Hunt, sculptor, and Jesus Lopez, photographer, became friends because of the juxtaposition of a newspaper article in the Chicago Reader in 1995. Articles about each of them had been placed side by side. They were intrigued, met, and a professional alliance was formed that continues to this day. Richard Hunt had bought an abandoned car dealership building in Benton Harbor and was hoping to turn it into working studios for Chicago artists looking for affordable studio space. The building fi t Lopez’s needs perfectly, and he became the Richard Hunt Studio Center’s Artist in Residence. Through the years, the building has remained Lopez’s primary working space and a secondary studio for the world-renowned sculptor, Richard Hunt. Additionally, the building has become a museum celebrating Hunt’s works, a space for private parties and receptions, a classroom for Lopez’s art and photography classes, and exhibition space for African artifacts from Hunt’s signifi cant collection. Because the building was designed for indoor car displays, the large spaces are perfect for Hunt’s large-scale works. The Richard Hunt Gallery is open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 6 pm. Lopez is the gracious host, escorting visitors through airy rooms filled with Hunt’s works, large and small. The metal sculptures are, in the words of Joseph Becherer from the Frederik Meijer Gardens, “visionary”, and “reflect an industrial and progressive America which extends from the early 20th century to the present.” Richard Hunt: America’s Premier Sculptor Born and raised in Chicago, Richard Hunt was educated at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and has spent more than forty years creating sculpture. His works are displayed from coast to coast, primarily in public spaces. He has more sculpture on public display than any other sculptor in America. Works can be found at the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art as well as in more than 30 sites in Chicago.

Jesus Lopez: Holographic Laser Photography

The work of Jesus Lopez is of an entirely different sort and equally as intriguing. He has developed a technique for laser imprinting on glass and preserving it as a holograph. The process he uses, called Modern Lippman Photography, is his own invention, and he continues to improve it through meticulous study and experimentation. Part laser science and part art, the results are completely captivating. He, too, has works exhibited worldwide, and he is in demand as a teacher and lecturer in art history and laser photography. Lopez specializes in the female form. The women seem to draw the viewer deeper into the work both visually and emotionally. Many of the holograms are small scale and demand the viewer’s complete focus and attention.

African Art at the Richard Hunt Studio

Richard Hunt is also a collector of African art and artifacts, and part of the second floor of the Studio is dedicated to his collection. Visitors will find textiles of all sorts, masks, musical instruments, and other artifacts as well as examples of African art displayed museum-style. No trip to the art district of Benton Harbor is complete without a visit to the Richard Hunt Studio Center, which is located at 258 Territorial Road. Combine your visit with lunch at the Ideal Place or Charlie’s Piggin’ N Grinnin, both located just down the street.
Richard Hunt Studio Center
258 Territorial Road, Benton Harbor
269-927-0062
Hours: Sat. and Sun. 10 am-6 pm.

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