Hunter Museum of American Art

Go behind the scenes of Saya Woolfalk: Empathic Universe coming soon to the Hunter. The Hunter's curatorial team has been hard at work on this site-specific retrospective. The digital and tangible elements–from projections to garment-based sculptures–require meticulous planning. This exhibition has been years in the making, and we’re so excited for you to finally see it, even if it’s just a peek for now! Join us for the opening reception on Thursday, May 21, from 5-8PM. At 6:15PM, the artist joins us in-person for a special conversation. __ The Hunter Museum presents an adaptation of Saya Woolfalk: Empathic Universe originally presented at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York, 2025. Saya Woolfalk: Empathic Universe is presented locally by Guardian Investment Advisors and is supported by EPB.

We’re just a week away from the opening of Saya Woolfalk: Empathic Universe here at the Hunter. Saya Woolfalk: Empathic Universe uses immersive digital artwork featuring kaleidoscopic video and sound to explore imagined future realities through an all-encompassing, science fiction storyworld. Ready to join us? 🗓Thursday, May 21, 5:30-8PM At 6:15PM, Woolfalk joins us in-person for a special conversation. Sure, you can see the exhibition until September 7th, but you don’t want to miss this one-time opportunity. __ The Hunter Museum presents an adaptation of Saya Woolfalk: Empathic Universe originally presented at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York, 2025. Saya Woolfalk: Empathic Universe is presented by Guardian Investment Advisors and is supported by EPB.

Meet the artist: Saya Woolfalk! Born in Japan (1972), American artist Saya Woolfalk explores future realities through an all-encompassing science fiction storyworld. Empathic Universe, first displayed at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, is at the Hunter all summer long before it travels to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. Woolfalk invites you to join her in-person at the Hunter on Thursday, May 21 to celebrate the opening of Saya Woolfalk: Empathic Universe. At 6:15PM, Woolfalk will join us for a special in-person conversation. Opening Reception (with the artist!) 🗓 Thursday, May 21, 5:30-8PM __ The Hunter Museum presents an adaptation of Saya Woolfalk: Empathic Universe originally presented at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York, 2025. Saya Woolfalk: Empathic Universe is presented by Guardian Investment Advisors and is supported by EPB. Image Credit: Arthubcoppenhagen

One of the world’s finest art forms? Motherhood. That’s why ahead of Mother’s Day, we’re taking special time to celebrate the beauty of maternal figures and all they do. Join us for Celebrating Motherhood on May 14 from 6-7PM. This gallery experience in partnership with Sii and SJ Fine Arts explores images, poetry, music, dance, and hands-on activities in celebration of Mother’s Day.

Join your friends from the Hunter, Houston Museum, and Downtown Public Library this Sunday for activities and drop-in art-making in the Hunter’s lobby. Sunday Studio will also feature a special youth dance performance from The Pop-Up Project you won’t want to miss. 🗓Sunday, May 10, 2-4PM __ Regular admission applies. Members and youth 17 and under are free. Adult admission to this program is free with a Chattanooga Public Library card if you’re attending with children. Free Youth Admission is generously supported by First Horizon Foundation.

During the 20th century when Black sculptors were expected to create figural works, artist Richard Hunt instead embraced abstraction. Beginning in the 1960s, Hunt was prolific in the public sculpture sphere, with over 160 commissions across 24 states. One major commission is at the Hunter! We’re proud to have Hunt’s Spatial Interactions: Aerographic Forms and Cantilevered Confluence on view. “Aerographic” refers to the study of the air or mapping the atmosphere, while the phrase “Cantilevered Confluence” contrasts images of rigid, structural elements with the fluidity of rivers and streams. Notice how the welded bronze twists and turns like water in motion. Hunt enjoyed exploring nature through industrial elements. This piece was commissioned in the 1990s when the museum lobby was in a different location. In 2004, when the Hunter built a new wing, the artist reworked the sculpture to fit its current home. Now you can enjoy the work from different angles—from beneath as you enter the new lobby, and at eye level from the West Wing’s second floor. Come take a closer look! __ Richard Hunt (1935-2023), Spatial Interactions: Aerographic Forms and Cantilevered Confluence, 1990-91, welded bronze. Museum purchase, supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Federal agency, 1991.27

Sewanee artist Jessica Wohl visits the Hunter for a special Art Wise talk this Thursday at 6PM! Wohl’s vibrant, hand-sewn work is on view in the mansion stairwell. Using the language of quiltmaking, Wohl explores domesticity, family, and memory. Alongside Hunter Associate Curator Lauren Nye, Wohl will share more about her process and inspirations. __ Art Wise talks are generously supported by Martha Mackey. This event is free and open to the public thanks to the generous support of Art Bridges Access for All.

Paris is closer than you think! Yes, THAT Paris. Currently on view are over twenty photographs of the City of Light, right here in the Scenic City. Garrett Strang: Paris in the Raw has been extended until July 13, giving you more time to experience this striking photographic series. Strang, a native Chattanoogan, now lives and works in Paris, taking enough photos to fill a book! Seriously, his book “Paris in the Raw” is available to view at the exhibit, or you can get your own copy in the museum store.

All your favorite programs, plus a new special exhibition this month! Scroll through May Hunter events and plan your visit. __ Art Wise programs generously supported by Martha Mackey. First Horizon is the proud sponsor of Free Youth Admission.

Book lovers… this one’s for you! 📖 Our Museum Store Spring Book Sale is happening until May 6, featuring titles from past exhibitions, our permanent collection, and even rare out-of-print catalogues you won’t find anywhere else. Whether you’re an art enthusiast, collector, or just love a good find, these books are priced to sell and won’t last long!

Step into the galleries and see student creations next to the Hunter pieces that inspired them. STEM school students will be present to discuss their creativity with visitors on April 30 from 5:30-6:30PM. Free to STEM students and their friends/families.

To all our wonderful Terrace at Twilight sponsors, we couldn’t do it without you. Your generosity helps us connect people of all backgrounds to creativity, knowledge, and ideas. What is your wish for next year’s theme? Comment below! We’ve done “A Night in the Garden” and “Alice in Wonderland.” What might be next for this spring soiree?