GALESBURG — What was a gift among family is now a gift to Sandburg for the entire community to share.
The college held a ceremony Thursday in the Student Center to commemorate the donation of a piece created by the late, famed sculptor Richard Hunt. Hunt’s work, “Winged Hybrid,” was given to Sandburg by his second cousin, Naomi Law, and her son, Anthony Law III.
“This sculpture by Richard is far more than just a visual landmark. It's a symbol of innovation, perseverance and creativity, and these are values that align so closely with our mission here Sandburg,” said Eric Johnson, chief advancement officer for the Sandburg Foundation. “As one of the most prolific and celebrated public sculptors in American history, Richard Hunt's work has graced major institutions, cultural centers worldwide and civic spaces across the country. Today, it's an incredible honor to now include Sandburg among those spaces.”
Hunt, who passed away in 2023, grew up on the South Side of Chicago and became one of the most prominent sculptors of the 20th century. He studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he developed his artistic practice and devoted himself to working with metal. Hunt taught himself to solder and later weld discarded metal he scavenged from local scrapyards.
Throughout his seven-decade career, Hunt staged over 170 solo exhibitions at major museums and galleries and secured more than 160 large-scale public sculpture commissions. Among his works, Hunt paid tribute to American icons such as Martin Luther King Jr., Mary McLeod Bethune, Jesse Owens, Hobart Taylor Jr. and Ida B. Wells-Barnett. In 2022, former President Barack Obama commissioned Hunt to create a sculptural work, “Book Bird,” for the Obama Presidential Center.
While standing only about 8 inches tall, “Winged Hybrid” conveys something of a grander scale. The asymmetrical metal sculpture resembles a winged object leaning forward, aiming to reach new heights as it ventures into the unknown. At the base of the piece is Hunt’s signature and the year it was created, 1975.
Anthony Law, who serves as Sandburg’s coordinator of diversity and inclusion, said “Winged Hybrid” was first given by Hunt to Law’s great-grandmother. It wasn’t until many years later that he learned that “Cousin Richard with all of this stuff in the shed” was also a world-renowned artist.
“It gave us a new perception. You could be our cousin Richard and be known around the world for your talents as an artist,” Law said. “Richard's work, when it first came out, people would look at it and say, ‘What is that? I don't understand. I have an opinion.’ He pursued and persevered to become who he was, but he never stopped being Cousin Richard. He never stopped having inspiring words of encouragement and support for us, the younger cousins, and I always appreciated that from him.”
Noting that the college’s mission is to transform the opportunities and lives of students who walk through its doors, President Dr. Seamus Reilly pointed to the sculpture as a fitting reflection of that task.
“‘Winged Hybrid,’” Reilly said, “is a personification of that exact transformation which takes place here every single day.”
Enclosed in a glass case, the sculpture is available for public view in the Student Center on Sandburg’s Galesburg campus.
“I truly hope that you accept this gift from my mother, myself and the rest of our family in the spirit that it was given,” Law said. “When you walk past it, when you look at it, see the wings and fly high.”
Richard Hunt's "Winged Hybrid" in its display case at the dedication ceremony in the Student Center.
Richard Hunt's "Winged Hybrid."
Sandburg students, faculty and staff stand near the display case for Richard Hunt's "Winged Hybrid" at Thursday's dedication ceremony in the Student Center.