During your visit to the art museum, discover the importance, meaning and relevance of American Art through the museum’s amazing architecture, stunning permanent collection and exciting temporary exhibits.
The Hunter Museum of American Art Architectural Features
See how architecture has changed over a 100 year period. The Hunter Museum’s three buildings are a prominent feature of the Chattanooga skyline, a panorama that is equaled only by the exceptional collection of American art inside the museum. The Edwardian-style mansion acquired by the Chattanooga Art Association in the early 1950s was transformed into Chattanooga’s first art museum and opened to the public on July 12, 1952. In 1975 a modern building made of concrete with a dramatic central atrium was designed by Chattanooga architects Derthick Henley and Wilkerson and built as an addition to the museum. When the Hunter Museum became part of Chattanooga’s 21st Century Waterfront Plan in 2002, restoration of the 1905 mansion took place, an outdoor sculpture plaza was created and the museum’s permanent collection reinstalled.
Hunter Art Museum’s Collection
The Hunter Museum of American Art’s permanent collection is comprised of an estimated 3,500 pieces of art that span the history of American art from the Colonial period to the present day. Considered one of the finest American art collections in the Southeast, pieces from the museum’s permanent collection are displayed throughout the building’s permanent collection galleries. Discover works by renowned artists: Thomas Cole, Fitz Henry Lane, Winslow Homer, Robert S. Duncanson, Mary Cassatt, Childe Hassam, Robert Henri, John Marin, Thomas Hart Benton Rauschenberg, Sam Gilliam and Andy Warhol. Holdings within the museum’s permanent collection include paintings, works on paper, sculptures, furniture and contemporary studio glass covering a diverse range of style and periods.
Hunter Museum of American Art Sculpture Plaza
Explore the museum’s sculpture plaza. Linking the museum’s buildings and encircled by a wrought iron fence designed by sculptor Albert Paley, the sculpture plaza features works by Jim Collins, Edward Lee Hendricks, John Henry, William King, Cabot Lyford, George Segal and Kenneth Snelson. In addition to the sculptures found in the plaza, sculptures can also be found on the museum’s front lawn by artists such as Dan Jackson, John Dreyfuss and Wayne Trapp.
You can shop for gifts and keepsakes in the Hunter Museum Store. Browse through books about Chattanooga artists or spice up your home with unique décor. Featuring an assortment of one-of-a-kind items, no visit to the Hunter Museum of American Art is complete without a visit the Museum Store.
Travel Tips
- In addition to its permanent galleries, the Hunter Museum of American Art hosts special exhibits that feature a wide variety of art being made in America today.
- While guests are free to take personal photographs in the museum’s permanent collection galleries, in the museum’s outdoor spaces and sculpture gallery, the Hunter Art Museum asks that visitors refrain from taking photos in the temporary exhibit galleries.