Public Commissions & Works
Richard Hunt singularly made the largest contribution to public sculpture in the United States, with more than 160 public commissions gracing prominent locations in 24 states and Washington, D.C.
Public Art Archive
The Richard Hunt Legacy Foundation is excited to partner with the Public Art Archive to feature Richard Hunt's public art commissions. As America's most prolific public sculptor - creating more than 160 public artworks during his seven-decade career - Hunt’s artistic legacy is paramount to the history of public art in the U.S. His sculptures can be found across parks, universities, and a multitude of public spaces. The Public Art Archive site provides free online access to a comprehensive catalog of Richard Hunt’s extensive public art commissions throughout the U.S. Learn more at the Public Art Archive's showcase and interactive map of Richard Hunt's works.
1960
Spirit Ascending
(no longer extant)
Welded steel
Student Union, Southern University,
Baton Rouge, LA
1967
Figurehead
Welded aluminum
Ridgewood High School, Norridge, IL
1968-69
John Jones
Welded aluminum
The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, Chicago (originally commissioned by the Illinois
Sesquicentennial Committee and
installed at the University of Illinois
at Chicago Circle)
1969
Play
Welded Cor-Ten steel
John J. Madden Mental Health
Center, Maywood, IL
Centennial Sculpture
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Collection of the Richard Hunt Trust (originally commissioned for and installed at Centennial Forum, Loyola University Chicago)
1971
Cross
Welded bronze
Saint Matthew United Methodist
Church, Chicago
Large Hybrid
Cast bronze (ed. 1/4)
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture
Garden, Smithsonian Institution,
Washington, DC
Large Hybrid
Welded Cor-Ten steel
State University of New York
at New Paltz
Large Natural Form, Number 1
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Southern Illinois University,
Edwardsville
Planar Mountain
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Remis Sculpture Court, Tufts
University, Medford, MA
Sea Wall
Plaster, wood, and metal
Chicago Children's Museum (originally commissioned for and installed at Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center, Chicago)
Winged Hybrid
(current whereabouts unknown)
Welded steel
American Telephone and Telegraph
Company, 195 Broadway, New York
1972
Expansive Construction
Welded bronze
Theaster Gates Studio (originally
commissioned for and installed
at Johnson Publishing Company,
Chicago)
Natural Form, Number 1
Cast bronze
Private collection (originally
commissioned for and installed at
Kraftco Corporation, Glenview, IL)
Natural Form, Number 2
Cast bronze
Private collection (originally
commissioned for and installed at
Kraftco Corporation, Glenview, IL)
1973
Large Hybrid
Cast bronze (ed. 2/4)
Private collection (originally
commissioned for and installed at
Amalgamated Trust and Savings
Bank, Chicago)
Large Hybrid
Cast bronze (ed. 3/4)
The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, Chicago
Outgrown Pyramid, Number 1
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific
Film Archive, Berkeley, CA (currently
installed on Observatory Hill,
University of California, Berkeley)
Outgrown Pyramid, Number 2
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park,
Governors State University,
University Park, IL
Wall Piece with Extending Forms
Welded bronze
Private collection (originally
commissioned for and installed at Main Bank of Chicago)
1974
Dynamic Pyramid
Welded bronze
Collection of George E. Johnson, Sr. (originally commissioned for and installed at Johnson Products Company, Chicago)
Europa Hybrid
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Sculpture Garden, Nassau County
Museum of Art, Roslyn Harbor, NY
Expansive Construction
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Storm King Art Center,
Mountainville, NY
Hybrid Form, Number 2
Welded Cor-Ten steel
West Main Street and Front Street,
Niles, MI
Planar Hybrid
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park,
Governors State University,
University Park, IL
Triangulum
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Springfield Art Museum,
Springfield, MO
Why?
Cast bronze (ed. 1/3)
Smart Museum of Art (formerly
installed in Harper Quadrangle),
University of Chicago
Why?
Cast bronze (ed. 2/3)
Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture
Garden, Hammer Museum,
University of California at Los Angeles
Why?
Cast bronze (ed. 3/3)
Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, Chicago
1975
Extended Forms
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Extended Land Form
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Wichita Art Museum
From Here to There
Welded bronze (2 parts)
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Community Service Center, Chicago
Historical Circle and Peregrine Section
Welded Cor-Ten steel (2 parts)
Bentley Historical Library, University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Large Hybrid
Cast bronze (ed. 4/4)
Lincoln Medical and Mental Health
Center, Bronx, NY
Slabs of the Sunburnt West
Welded bronze
Richard J. Daley Library, University
of Illinois at Chicago
Sparrow Hill: Incline and Extension
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Sculpture Garden, Nassau County
Museum of Art, Roslyn Harbor, NY
1976
Cross
Welded bronze
Saint John AME Church, Chicago
Emerging Forms
Welded stainless steel
The University of Kentucky Art Museum, Lexington
Harlem Hybrid
Welded bronze
Roosevelt Triangle, Harlem, New York
Large Natural Form, Number 2
Welded Cor-Ten steel
The Woodlands, Woodlands, TX
Outgrowth
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Ben Hill Community Center, Tulsa, OK
Richmond Cycle
Welded bronze (2 parts)
Frank Hagel Federal Building,
Richmond, CA
1977
Ascending Descending Form
Welded bronze, brass, and copper
Joseph Caleb Community
Center, Miami
Cartwright Mound
Welded bronze
Cartwright Park, Evanston, IL
I Have Been to the Mountain
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Reflection
Park, Memphis (originally
commissioned for and installed
at Mid-America Mall, Memphis)
Jacob’s Ladder
Welded bronze
Carter G. Woodson Regional Library,
Chicago
Music for a While
Welded Cor-Ten steel (2 parts)
North Lawn, Ravinia Park, Highland Park, IL
Reaching Out
Welded brass and bronze
Waterloo Center
for the Arts, Waterloo, IA
Sentimental Scale and Wedge
Welded bronze (2 parts)
Cuyahoga County and Cleveland
Municipal Courts Tower, Justice
Center Complex, Cleveland
1978
A Bridge Across and Beyond
Welded bronze
Blackburn Center, Howard
University, Washington, DC
Bronx Victory
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Whitney Young Jr. School, Bronx, NY
Centennial
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Hobart Taylor Hall, Prairie View A&M
University, Prairie View, TX
Firebird
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Bayou Building, University of Houston–Clear Lake
Hybrid Figure
Cast bronze
Lubeznik Center for the Arts,
Michigan City, IN
Mountain Flight
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Greenville County Museum of Art,
Greenville, SC
Symbiosis
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Carnegie Hall, Howard University,
Washington, DC
1979
Fox Box Hybrid
Welded Cor-Ten steel
900 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
Orpheus
Welded bronze
Cultural Activities Center, Temple, TX
Tower Hybrid
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Laumeier Sculpture Park, Saint Louis
Windover
Welded bronze
James L. Allen Center, Kellogg
School of Management,
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Winged Hybrid
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Moraine Park Sculpture Garden
Highland Park, IL
1980
Farmer’s Dream
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Museum of Contemporary Art
Chicago (originally commissioned for
and installed at International Minerals Corporation, Northbrook, IL)
1981
Bridging and Branching
Welded stainless steel
Woodfield Office Campus, Schaumburg, IL
Pillar
(current whereabouts unknown)
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Michael Reese Hospital and Medical
Center, Chicago
Spirit of Freedom
Welded bronze
Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard,
Kansas City
1981–85
Wing Generator
Cast bronze and welded bronze
Emmanuel Episcopal Cemetery
Middleburg, VA
1982
Giant Steps
Welded stainless steel
DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital
Growing in Illinois
Welded Cor-Ten steel
College of Veterinary Medicine,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Iceberg
(no longer extant)
Welded and painted steel tubing
Piedmont Park, Atlanta
1982/2010
Maquette for Wing Generator
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Raclin Murphy (formerly Snite) Museum of Art, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN
1983
Active Hybrid
Welded bronze
Peoria Riverfront Museum (formerly
Lakeview Museum of Arts and
Sciences), Peoria, IL
After the Flood, Before the Fire
Welded and cast bronze
The Mather, Evanston, IL
The Bush Was Not Consumed
Welded brass and bronze
Olivet Nazarene University,
Bourbonnais, IL (originally
commissioned for and installed at
Temple B’nai Israel, Kankakee, IL)
Eternal Life
Welded bronze
Olivet Nazarene University,
Bourbonnais, IL (originally
commissioned for and installed at
Temple B’nai Israel, Kankakee, IL)
From the Sea
Welded bronze
Private collection (originally
commissioned for and installed at McDonald’s Corporation,
Oak Brook, IL)
Hybrid Construction
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Miami University Art Museum,
Oxford, OH
Organic Construction
Welded bronze
333 Wacker Drive, Chicago
Victory Construction
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Potter Center, Jackson College,
Jackson, MI
[Installed 1995]
1984
Icon
(current whereabouts unknown)
Welded and cast bronze
Hamburger University, McDonald’s
Corporation, Oak Brook, IL
Illinois River Landscape
Welded steel
Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Springfield, IL
(Originally commissioned for and installed at the James R. Thompson Center, formerly the State of Illinois Center, Chicago)
Meander
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Durand Art Institute, Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, IL
Sea Change
Welded Cor-Ten steel
University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC
Senator Adelbert H. Roberts Memorial
Cast bronze
State Capitol Rotunda, Springfield, IL
Starwalk
Welded bronze
Sharp Museum Sculpture Garden, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
1985
Dune Growth
Welded stainless steel
Regional Transportation Center,
Gary, IN
Interchange
Welded stainless steel
Regional Transportation Center,
Gary, IN
1986
Build-Grow
Welded stainless steel
York College, City University
of New York, Jamaica, Queens, NY
Growing Orbit
Welded bronze
Private collection (originally
commissioned for and installed
at FMC Corporation, Chicago)
Sea Change
Welded bronze
Institute of Environmental
Sustainability, Loyola University Chicago (originally commissioned
for and installed at Northern
Trust, Chicago)
1987
Elements
Welded stainless steel
United Technologies Engineering
Building, University of Connecticut,
Storrs
Winged Form
Welded bronze
Aon Center (formerly Amoco Building Plaza), Chicago
1989
Anvil’s Reach
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Mott-Warsh Collection, Flint, MI
(currently on loan to Applewood–
Ruth Mott Foundation, Flint, MI)
Eagle Columns
Welded bronze
Jonquil Park, Chicago
Flavor Cone
Stainless steel
Givaudan Flavors Corporation,
Cincinnati
Freedmen’s Column
Welded bronze
Cramton Auditorium, Howard University, Washington, DC
From the Ground Up
Welded bronze
Private collection (originally
commissioned for and installed at
Logan Circle Historic District,
Washington, DC)
1990
Wisdom Bridge
Welded stainless steel
6295 Shannon Parkway, Union City,
GA (originally commissioned for and
installed at Atlanta Public Library)
1991
Altar, Lectern, Tabernacle, and Crucifix
Stone, steel, and stainless steel
Holy Angels Catholic Church (Our
Lady of Africa Parish), Chicago
Expansion Column
Welded bronze
United Missouri Bank, Overland Park, KS (originally commissioned for and
installed at United Missouri Bank
Plaza, Saint Louis)
Sculptural Improvisations
(originally titled Sculptural
Improvisations, Number 2)
Welded bronze
BPS Gardens, Michigan State
University, East Lansing
(installed 2008)
Spatial Interactions: Aerographic Forms and Cantilevered Confluence
Welded bronze
Hunter Museum of American Art,
Chattanooga, TN
1992
Build-Grow, Four Growth Columns, and Swan Column
Welded bronze
Edward Bennett Williams Building,
Washington, DC
Pass Through
Stainless steel
The University of Kentucky Art Museum, Lexington
1993
Explorer Column
Welded stainless steel
Asnuntuck Community College,
Enfield, CT
Freeform
Welded stainless steel
Michael A. Bilandic Building
(formerly State of Illinois Building),
Chicago
Nature’s Palette
Welded bronze
Festival Playhouse, Kalamazoo
College, Kalamazoo, MI
Planar Hybrid
Welded bronze with Cor-Ten steel base
McMichael Residence Hall,
Monmouth College, Monmouth, IL
1994
Trilogy: Growth, Development, Interaction
Welded stainless steel (3 parts)
McHenry County College, Crystal
Lake, IL
Sculptural Improvisation, Number 1
Welded bronze
North Lawn, Ravinia Park, Highland Park, IL
1995
Ascending Descending Ascending
(current whereabouts unknown)
Welded bronze
Law Offices of Bradley, Arant,
Rose and White, Birmingham, AL
Sculptural Enlightenment
Welded bronze
Roosevelt University, Schaumburg, IL
1996
Bookends
Welded stainless steel
Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL
1997
Active Hybrid
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Rudy Park, Dowagiac, MI
Ascension
Welded stainless steel
Knoblauch Hall, Western Illinois University, Macomb
Chi-Town Totem
Welded bronze and stainless steel
McCormick Place South, Chicago
Harp Song
Welded bronze
Weinberg Community for Senior
Living, Northbrook, IL
Saint Procopius
Welded bronze
Saint Procopius Abbey, Lisle, IL
Winged Column
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Shiawassee Arts Center, Owosso, MI
Wingways
Welded stainless steel
Southwestern Illinois College
(formerly Belleville Area College),
Granite, IL
1999
Growing
Welded stainless steel
Tomahawk Creek Parkway Sculpture
Garden, Leawood, KS (originally
commissioned for and installed at
City Hall, Leawood, KS)
Linked Forms
Welded stainless steel
Laumeier Sculpture Park, Saint Louis
2000
Celestial Conversation
Welded bronze
Caroline Hall, Mount Mary University,
Milwaukee
Column of the Free Spirit
Welded bronze
Frederik Meijer Gardens and
Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, MI
Man’s Way Nature’s Way
Welded stainless steel
California Environmental Protection
Agency, Sacramento
2001
Three Crosses
Welded stainless steel and bronze
University Park Baptist Church,
Charlotte, NC
2002
And You, Seas
Welded stainless steel
Krasl Art Center, Saint Joseph, MI
(installed at Silver Beach County
Park, Saint Joseph, MI)
Flight Forms
Welded stainless steel
Midway International Airport, Chicago
Memorial Cross
Welded bronze
Immanuel Lutheran Church,
Valparaiso, IN
Open Book
Welded bronze
Schaumburg Township District Library,
Schaumburg, IL
Tower of Aspiration
Welded stainless steel
Springfield Village Park, Augusta, GA
Uplifted
Welded stainless steel
Flossmoor Sculpture Gardens,
Flossmoor, IL
2003
Oasis
Welded bronze, brass, copper, and
stainless steel
John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook
County, Chicago
2004
Progress
Welded stainless steel
General Classroom Building,
North Carolina A&T State University,
Greensboro
Victory, Victory
Welded stainless steel
Fort Des Moines Memorial Park,
Des Moines, IA
2005
Timescape and Steelaway
Welded Cor-Ten steel
North Carolina School of the Arts,
Winston-Salem
We Will
Welded stainless steel
The Heritage at Millennium Park,
Chicago
2006
And They Went Down Both into the Water
Welded bronze
Springfield Village Park, Augusta, GA
Crossroads
Welded bronze (7 parts)
Crossroads Plaza, Lewis and Clark
Community College, Godfrey, IL
Quest for Peace
Welded stainless steel
Adlai E. Stevenson High School,
Lincolnshire, IL
2008
Muskegon, Together Rising
Welded stainless steel
Western Avenue and Third Street,
Muskegon, MI
Silver Linings
Welded stainless steel
Lakeland Medical Center, Saint
Joseph, MI
2009
Sea and Sails
Welded stainless steel
600 North Lake Shore Drive,
Chicago
2010
Of the River Mounds and Bridges
Welded stainless steel
East Saint Louis Center, SIU
Edwardsville, East Saint Louis, IL
2011
Angled Angel
Welded Cor-Ten steel
Kenmore Plaza, Loyola University
Chicago
Build a Dream
Welded stainless steel
Jefferson Avenue and Thirty-First
Street, Newport News, VA
Columnar Construction
Welded stainless steel
Applewood–Ruth Mott Foundation,
Flint, MI
2012
Joan's Bench
Welded stainless steel
Freehling Room, Ravinia Park, Highland Park, IL
Beyond the Frame
Welded bronze
Park View Restaurant, Ravinia Park, Highland Park, IL
Building Growing
Welded stainless steel
Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black
Literature and Creative Writing,
Chicago State University
Valpo Variations
Welded stainless steel
Brauer Museum of Art, Valparaiso
University, Valparaiso, IN
Yes
Welded stainless steel
Chicago State University
2013
Piano Passion
Welded stainless steel
Bennett Gordon Hall, Ravinia Park, Highland Park, IL
Steel Garden
Welded stainless steel
Collection of the Richard Hunt Trust (originally commissioned for United States Steel Corp. and installed at Rainbow Beach Park, Chicago)
2015
From Our Past, Toward Our Future
Welded stainless steel
University Quad, University of
Southern Indiana, Evansville
2016
Diapason
Welded stainless steel
Voxman Music Building, University of Iowa, Iowa City
Swing Low
Welded bronze
National Museum of African
American History and Culture,
Smithsonian Institution,
Washington, DC
2017
Spiral Odyssey
Welded stainless steel
Romare Bearden Park, Charlotte, NC
2018
Eternal Flame of Hope
Welded stainless steel
Soldier Field, Special Olympics
Drive, Chicago
Rising Crossing Tides
Welded stainless steel (2 parts)
Krasl Art Center, Saint Joseph, MI
2019
Growing Flowing
Welded bronze
Illinois Governor’s Mansion, from Governor and First Lady Pritzker
2020
Becoming
Welded bronze
Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago
2021
FireKeepers Flame
Welded stainless steel
Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the
Potawatomi, FireKeepers Casino
Hotel, Battle Creek, MI
The Light of Truth Ida B. Wells National Monument
Welded bronze
South Langley Avenue, Bronzeville,
Chicago
Rising
Welded stainless steel
Thrivent, 600 Portland Avenue
South, Minneapolis, MN
2023
Book Bird
Welded and cast bronze
Reading Garden, Obama Presidential
Center, Chicago
[to be installed in 2026]
FORTHCOMING
Hero Ascending
Welded stainless steel
Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley House, Museum, and Theater, Chicago
Spirits Ascending
Welded bronze
Richard Hunt Memorial
Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago