Experience the ineffable Presence of Art

The Hunter Museum of American Art is reopening safely, with fresh artworks on view and a wide palette of online offerings, too ...

BY JENN WEBSTER

The Hunter Museum of American Art never ceased to function, but when its doors were closed during the lockdown, we all missed the ability to stand rapt in front of our favorite sculpture or painting.

Already Chattanoogans and out-of-towners are flocking to the museum, enjoying the collection safely, and reporting favorably on their experience.

A return to the museum resembles a reunion with old friends. Pieces from the permanent collection may have been rotated on or off of display, making for delightful surprises. And there are new installations, too.

“Before the pandemic hit, we had just finished an installation by Baggs McKelvey, a local artist and educator,” says Cara McGowan, Director of Marketing and Communications for the museum. “She created a site-specific installation in the East Art Lounge, a small gallery overlooking the river.”

Called Indigo, the site-specific installation is a response to Robert Rauschenberg’s painting Opal Reunion from the Hunter’s collection (and currently on view in Gallery 17). McKelvey uses strips of denim to create a web-like space.

“As you walk into the space, the installation is all around you,” McGowan says. “The denim was crowdsourced from families and friends who gave the artist jeans and other denim clothing they no longer wore.

“McKelvey created wide strips of denim rope from the clothing and wove them throughout the space. The work comments on the idea of our consumer culture and how we buy and discard clothes every year. It also references the history of slavery in this country with the production of cotton and dying fabrics with indigo.”

Watching the Tennessee River flow by, guests will be able to meditate on the material cultures coming together to produce this beautifully serene installation.

Indigo will be on display until spring 2021. The F Word

On Aug. 21, an exhibition called The F Word will celebrate the 100th year of women’s suffrage in the U.S. with a display of some of the museum’s pieces by women artists. Subtitled “We Mean Female,” the exhibition will incorporate art in many different mediums.

“It’s a range of work, everything from textiles and video to paintings and sculpture,” McGowan says. “Before COVID, we had launched the Year of the Female Artist, YoFA, in honor of the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage. The F Word is the centerpiece of that effort. It calls special attention to some of the gems in our permanent collection. Because of the scale of some of the pieces, we don’t put them on view that often.”

Local performing artists will also take part in The F Word, which will run through the end of 2020.

The Hunter Online

While the community is eager to see the Hunter in person again, many people may not yet feel safe going out—or may be ready to take their experience of art to the next level. Luckily, the Hunter has been enhancing its online offerings during the pandemic, McGowan says.

“When we closed our doors, we knew we wanted to be able to continue to connect people to artwork,” she says. “In some ways, it felt like connecting with something beautiful and thought-provoking was even more important during the time everyone was sheltering in place. We created a new section of our website, Virtual Hunter, which is

still available and is expanding all the time.”

From the bottom of the museum’s home page, visitors of all ages can navigate to art activities, coloring pages, even images from the permanent collection to use as a unique Zoom background. For those looking for a deeper dive, lectures, videos and articles are available, including Noel Anderson’s powerful Blak Origin Movement lecture and dozens more.

Still, as McGowan says, “There is something really that you can’t replicate in terms of standing in front of an original artwork. There’s something unique and powerful about looking at a creation face to face.”

Visiting Safely

People returning to the Hunter will notice changes to promote their safety and that of staff and volunteers. Masks are required for all patrons age five and older, and recommended for those age two to five.

“We came up with comprehensive guidelines to create as safe an experience as possible,” McGowan says. “We have increased our cleaning. We encourage physical distancing in galleries with fun, artistic signage. We’re also encouraging online ticketing to create a more touchless experience.”

Visit the Hunter

Book tickets online at huntermuseum.org/visit

Hours:

Monday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Tuesday: Closed

Wednesday: Closed

Thursday: 10 a.m.–8 p.m.

Friday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Saturday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Sunday: Noon–5 p.m.

“Seated Fiture” from the F Word exhibit