Building Growing


Building Growing, 2012
Richard Hunt
Chicago State University campus
9501 South King Drive

            Unveiled on November 7, 2012, Building Growing is by renowned Chicago sculptor Richard Hunt (born 1935). Commissioned by The Capital Development Board of the State of Illinois and expedited by the Chicago State University Foundation, Building Growing is a towering, 50-foot tall welded stainless steel work that weighs 20,000 pounds. The sculpture arrived at the site in two parts and had to be assembled in mid-air. The art rigging and installation firm Methods & Materials, Inc. assisted Richard Hunt and his team with the assembly process.
            Recipient of the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Sculpture Center, Richard Hunt is a prolific and highly respected Chicago artist who has completed more public sculptures than any other artist in the country. One of the recurring themes in his work is the reconciliation of the organic and the industrial, and his sculpture expresses this idea in formal terms, in the use of welded steel to create both geometric and curvilinear forms. This monument starts with a firm foundation, proceeds into an inverted triangle shape that may be read as a pedestal, and culminates with a writhing form that appears both angular and twisted. In conjunction with the title Building Growing, the sculpture seems a fitting tribute to a public, urban university that seeks to provide a strong educational foundation so that students are better prepared for the challenges of growth, whether professional, social or spiritual.


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