Brookgreen Gardens will host a series of programs to investigate the legacy and influence of Anna Hyatt Huntington, prominent early-twentieth-century sculptor and founder of Brookgreen Gardens. The series will launch with the Anna Hyatt Huntington Awards Luncheon on March 27, 2025, featuring keynote speaker Thayer Tolles. Other events will include an exhibition, lectures, and performances. SC Humanities supported this program series with a Major Grant.
This project will educate and celebrate the extraordinary life and art of Anna Hyatt Huntington. Anna Hyatt Huntington was a trailblazer in a time when female sculptors were extremely rare. In 1930, Anna Hyatt Huntington and her philanthropist husband Archer M. Huntington purchased 9,127 acres of land. Here, the Huntingtons created the first public botanical sculpture garden in America. In 1932, the Huntington’s opened Brookgreen Gardens to the public, having established it as both a public ornamental and sculpture garden and nature preserve with an opportunity to display and preserve plants and sculptures.
The Anna Hyatt Huntington Awards Luncheon will take place on Thursday, March 27, 2025, bringing together art enthusiasts, community leaders, and supporters of Brookgreen Gardens to honor Anna Hyatt Huntington’s lasting impact on the arts and recognize individuals who are shaping the next generation. Thayer Tolles, the Marcia F. Vilcek Curator of American Paintings and Sculpture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, will be the keynote speaker. Her captivating address will delve into the contributions of women in the arts with a special focus on the treasures of the Brookgreen Gardens Collection. The luncheon will also recognize nationally recognized curator and art historian, Robin R. Salmon, who has dedicated 50 years of her career to Brookgreen Gardens. More information about this ticketed event is available here: https://www.brookgreen.org/events/anna-hyatt-huntington-woman-vision-award-luncheon.
The exhibit “Brookgreen Inspires – Women Create” will be on display from May 3 – July 20, 2025. It presents the beauty and power of Brookgreen Gardens and its collections as seen through the eyes of sculptors, painters, and photographers who are members of the South Carolina Chapter of the National Association of Women Artists. The exhibit will open with a gallery talk and include an interpretive catalogue.
Other elements of the project include the creation of interpretive panels depicting the history of Huntington’s career and accomplishments, which will be on display at all related events, and a monologue performance about Huntington’s life will be scripted, to be performed in the gallery during the exhibit. Finally, three public “Brookgreen 101” lectures will be scheduled while the exhibit is on display: “Brookgreen Inspires – A Panel Discussion of Artists,” “The Legacy of Anna Hyatt Huntington,” and “Two Horsy Women – Belle Baruch and Anna Hyatt Huntington.” More information about these activities will be shared soon.
The mission of Brookgreen Gardens is: to collect, conserve, and exhibit figurative sculpture by American artists; to cultivate a display garden and exhibit sculpture therein; to collect, conserve, and exhibit the plants, animals, and cultural materials of the South Carolina Lowcountry; to educate a diverse audience about sculpture, horticulture, and the ecology and history of the Lowcountry; to provide additional artistic and cultural opportunities for members, guests, and the community; and to sustain the institution and all of its assets with visionary leadership, sound management, and prudent fiscal policies. Learn more about Brookgreen Gardens: https://www.brookgreen.org/.
The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. Established in 1973, this 501(c)3 organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state. It presents and supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos, and other humanities-based experiences that directly or indirectly reach more than 250,000 citizens annually. South Carolina Humanities receives funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as corporate, foundation and individual donors. The National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.
Image: Diana of the Chase by Anna Hyatt Huntington (1922)
