Bronzeville in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Richard Hunt

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 28, 2026

1. Richard Hunt Marker

Inscription. "Sculpture is not a self-declaration but a voice of and for my people — over all, a rich fabric; under all, the dynamism of the African American people."
- Richard Hunt
Born on the South Side of Chicago, Richard Hunt (1935-2023) was one of the most important sculptors this nation has produced. His distinguished art career spanned seven decades, with works represented in more than 100 museums. Hunt made the largest contribution to public sculpture in the United States, with more than 160 public commissions gracing prominent locations across the U.S.

Hunt was a central figure in Civil Rights-era action and commemorated many African American icons, including Emmett Till, Martin Luther King, Jr., Mary McLeod Bethune, Jesse Owens, and Ida B. Wells. His body of work explores themes of the African diaspora, African and Western art, mythology, and Hunt's own ancestry. His metal sculptures are noted for their thematic expressions of growth and freedom.

Erected 2025 by Ida B. Wells Commemorative Art Committee.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music

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• Civil Rights. A significant historical year for this entry is 1935.

Location. 41° 49.597′ N, 87° 36.61′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Bronzeville. It is at the intersection of South Langley Avenue and East 37th Place, in the median on South Langley Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3729 South Langley Avenue, Chicago IL 60653, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Chicago’s South Side and in Chicago’s Bronzeville.

It is also in the American Midwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Ida B. Wells-Barnett (here, next to this marker); Ida B. Wells Public Housing Community (here, next to this marker); Stephen Douglas (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Great Migration Centennial, 1916-2016 (approx. 0.3

Richard Hunt Marker near the Ida B. Wells Monument image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 28, 2026

2. Richard Hunt Marker near the Ida B. Wells Monument

miles away); Stephen Arnold Douglas (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Ida B. Wells Homes (approx. 0.3 miles away); Stephen A. Douglas: The Chicago Years (approx. 0.3 miles away); Stephen A. Douglas: Douglas and Lincoln (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

More about this marker. This marker was added to the site in 2025, along with one dedicated to the Ida B. Wells Housing Project community and another for the donors who helped erect the Light of Truth Ida B. Wells National Monument.

Also see . . .
1. Late Sculptor Behind Ida B. Wells ‘Light Of Truth’ National Monument Honored With Ellis Park Plaque. From Block Club Chicago.

Excerpt: "In unveiling a plaque honoring Richard Hunt, the Ida B. Wells Commemorative Art Committee also honored the donors who made the 20-foot monument possible. The monument was one of the last installations created by Hunt, a Chicago native who died in 2023, and is stationed at Ellis Park, 3729 S. Langley Ave."

(Submitted on September 28, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

2. Art Institute of Chicago: Richard Hunt.

Excerpt: “Born
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 28, 2026

3. Richard Hunt Marker
37th Place is in the rear.
in Woodlawn, Hunt had an innate love of art that was nurtured by classes he took at Chicago’s South Side Community Art Center. In 1948, he enrolled in the Junior School of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) and later attended SAIC on a scholarship (1953–57), where he focused on sculpture while earning his bachelor of arts in education. Inspired by Julio González and Pablo Picasso’s metal sculptures that he saw at the Art Institute of Chicago’s 1953 exhibition Sculpture of the Twentieth Century, Hunt taught himself how to solder and weld. He scavenged car parts, old pipe and other scrap metal from Chicago streets and junkyards, using a torch like a paintbrush in his 'direct-metal' welding technique, to create work marked by a sense of transformation or motion.”

(Submitted on September 28, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

3. A Monument To Journalist, Civil Rights Activist Ida B. Wells Is Unveiled In Chicago. A 2021 news report about the unveiling of the Ida B. Wells monument. (Submitted on September 28, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Light of Truth monument image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 28, 2026

4. Light of Truth monument

Credits. This page was last revised on September 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 28, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 4 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 28, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.