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A landmark exhibition of the sculpture of Anna Hyatt Huntington has wowed thousands of visitors to the Mary M. Torggler Fine Arts Center at Christopher Newport University and has now impressed a panel of experts in the art world.
The exhibition, A Grand Menagerie: The Sculpture of Anna Hyatt Huntington, will receive the 2024 Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC) Gold Award, equivalent to first prize in the prestigious competition. The Torggler’s award is in the category of exhibitions costing more than $100,000 to mount.
“SEMC is our regional museum association and represents museums, large and small, across the Southeast,” said Holly Koons, inaugural executive director of the on-campus arts center that is now in its third year. “This award provides welcome recognition for the Torggler as a new organization, and for Christopher Newport University as a whole. It is also a strong validation of our commitment to excellence in our exhibitions program.”
A Grand Menagerie brings together nearly 90 of Hyatt Huntington’s works from more than 30 museums across the United States. She was a prolific American sculptor renowned for her dynamic and evocative animal sculptures, equestrian statues, and monumental figures. Her work often celebrated the beauty and vitality of the natural world, capturing the essence of her subjects with remarkable skill and detail.
SEMC said it received a record number of applications from a variety of museums for awards this year. “Winning entries were well-designed exhibitions of merit with educational value and demonstrated respectful treatment of objects,” the organization said in its announcement. “Recipients of the awards were judged by an appointed jury of museum professionals across the region who specialize in curatorial studies and exhibition design.”
The prize-winning exhibition in the Anne Noland Edwards Gallery closes Oct. 6.
“There is still time to enjoy this extraordinary exhibition,” Koons said. “If you miss it, though, be assured we have other fascinating works of art and exhibitions to inspire you now and in the future, and visiting the Torggler is always free.”
Koons will accept the award at a Southeastern Museums Conference in Louisiana and A Grand Menagerie will be featured in an upcoming SEMC publication.