Hunter Museum of American Art

This has been a busy—and exciting—time in the Hunter’s Curatorial department.

We have just finished packing up the Lesley Dill exhibition, and it is now on its way to Smith College, where it will be on exhibit throughout the summer. One of our staff members will travel to Smith to help them put up the more complicated pieces. After Smith, the exhibition will travel to the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, Florida.

"I Heard a Voice: The Art of Lesley Dill" is the Hunter’s first nationally touring exhibit, and we’re both sad to see it leave, and thrilled that it will continue to have a life beyond our walls.

Installation for our next exhibition, "Dale Chihuly: Selections from the George R. Stroemple Collection," begins next week. Mr. Stroemple is generously loaning us several works by glass artist Dale Chihuly. We have installers driving here with all the glass pieces from Portland, Oregon and they will help to put up the magnificent 16-foot-wide "Laguna Murano Chandelier."

Part of the Stroemple Collection will also be exhibited just a short walk away at the Tennessee Aquarium as part of three-year "Jellies: Living Art" exhibition. This exhibition is a joint project with the Aquarium and the Hunter. In addition to the Chihuly pieces, Jellies will also have work by other glass sculptors: Cork Marchesi, Stephen Rolfe Powell and local artist, Tommy Spake. Cork was here last week from San Francisco installing his work, and Tommy and Stephen are coming this week.

It’s been fun for me to get a sneak peek at all the new types of jellyfish I’ve never seen before. It is truly a unique partnership for us to work with the Aquarium, and have this opportunity to think in new ways about how living things inspire contemporary artwork. Glass is just inherently beautiful and all of these artists have brought out the very best of its qualities. They promise to be spectacular installations.

We’re also in the midst of public voting for a new piece of sculpture for Miller Plaza. The winners of the Renaissance Park voting, Terry Allen and the Robert Stackhouse/Carol Mickett team, are both visiting over the next few weeks to pick the site for their pieces and begin the serious design work on the sculptures. Both sculptures have to be designed, engineered, cast and [we hope] installed by the end of this year!

As I mentioned, everything is continuing at full speed, and we’re looking ahead to planning for our fall exhibitions.

Nandini Makrandi, Curator of Contemporary Art