HUNTINGTON, W.VA.- The Huntington Museum of Art participates in the City of Huntington’s yearlong celebration of its 150th birthday with a special exhibit and publication of a new art reference book. Both the exhibit and art reference book highlight the work of Huntington artists.

The Huntington Sesquicentennial Exhibit Presented by City of Huntington and the 150th Anniversary Committee is on view at the Huntington Museum of Art from Sept. 18, 2021, through Jan. 16, 2022.

“The Huntington Museum of Art is very pleased to be part of the City of Huntington’s celebration of its sesquicentennial,” said HMA Executive Director Geoffrey K. Fleming. “Huntington has been the home to hundreds of artists and the Huntington Museum of Art is proud to spotlight the work of many of the city’s most successful artists in this new exhibit.”

Beginning with a bronze portrait of city founder Collis P. Huntington by famed sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington, the exhibit includes early landscape paintings that depict the genesis of the built environment in Huntington and move forward to more contemporary representations by artists such as former Marshall University professor Stan Sporny. A selection of decorative objects that were made in Huntington have been included, such as pottery from the Wyllie China Company and glass from manufacturers such as Huntington Tumbler Company and Rainbow Glass Company.

The work of Huntington artists such as Chuck Ripper, Adele Thornton Lewis, Billy Scott, June Kilgore, Theresa Polley-Shellcroft, Vernon Howell, Klaus Ihlenfeld, Tina Williams Brewer, and Don Pendleton is being highlighted in the exhibit.

HMA announced that a new biographical dictionary on artists who have lived in Huntington will be released during the city’s anniversary year. Titled "Eclectic Rhythms: The Artists of Huntington, West Virginia 1871-Present," the book is dedicated to noted art historian Chris Petteys (1927-2006), who authored the groundbreaking work titled "Dictionary of Women Artists: An International Dictionary of Women Artists Born Before 1900."

The new book contains nearly 600 biographies of artists of every type who made their home in the city at some point during their careers. "Editing a book about the artists of Huntington, West Virginia, was both a daunting and rewarding task," said Fleming. "Huntington has been blessed with a number of talented artists and I believe this book highlights the talents of each one of them while providing a valuable research tool for anyone interested in the city’s artistic past."