CHICAGO, IL.- Jon Ott has been appointed as the inaugural executive director of the Richard Hunt Legacy Foundation. With his deep knowledge of Richard Hunt’s art and life, a successful career as an executive in the tech industry, and decades-long friendship with the artist, the foundation is thrilled to have Ott at the helm.

“Ott’s definitive expertise on Richard Hunt combined with his board leadership at the International Sculpture Center made him the most ideal candidate for this critical appointment,” says BK Fulton, chair of the Richard Hunt Legacy Foundation. “Richard Hunt is truly one of this country's greatest artists, and with Ott’s vision for leading the organization, Hunt’s elevated recognition in the canon seems assured.”

Ott transitions to the executive director role after serving as a founding member and vice chair of the Richard Hunt Legacy Foundation for two years. Through Ott’s leadership, the foundation has already established key partnerships with arts organizations, including the Public Art Archive to document nearly all of Hunt’s 160 public works across the U.S. Ott has acted as an exhibitions advisor for museums and galleries, as well as an editorial advisor for various exhibition catalogues and publications.

“My role as the executive director is the culmination of my life’s work in service of my dear friend’s legacy,” says Ott. “Richard Hunt’s sculptures embody expressions of growth, movement, and emancipation. Everyone has something to learn from Richard Hunt, whose works epitomize a universal desire for freedom and continue to inspire us all.”

Established in 2023, the Richard Hunt Legacy Foundation’s mission is to advance the public’s awareness, education, and appreciation of sculptor Richard Hunt through expert knowledge of his public and studio works and support for exhibitions, research, and scholarly publications.

As the foundation grows, Ott will develop and implement a strategic plan to build the infrastructure, leadership, and systems necessary for long-term success. The foundation plans to continue digitizing Richard Hunt’s extensive archive, conduct oral histories, and launch a catalogue raisonné project to become a central hub for scholarly information–building upon the extensive archival material acquired by the Getty Research Institute in 2022. In addition, the foundation will support exhibitions at museums, galleries, and public places, as well as projects to educate viewers about Richard Hunt.

Ott has been Richard Hunt’s friend for decades, and their relationship strengthened during the production of the artist's monograph, Richard Hunt (2022), which is considered the definitive survey of his work. Interviewing Richard Hunt for hundreds of hours provided Ott with key stories and biographical history to create a comprehensive illustrated chronology of the artist’s life and career for the publication.

“Your research and our dialogue put you in the unique position of being more knowledgeable of my history than any other person,” said Richard Hunt in a March 2023 letter to Ott. “I recognize I will not live forever, and that biographical evidence, interpretation and characterization of my works and life will be important for future generations to more fully appreciate my times and my art. I most fervently hope you will continue to tell my story.”

As Richard Hunt’s official biographer, Ott has appeared as speaker at the Chicago History Museum, Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM), and White Cube. Recently, he authored an essay, "Richard Hunt: Sculpting Freedom," for the ALPLM exhibition catalogue, Richard Hunt: Freedom in Form, and was the exhibition advisor for Richard Hunt: Early Masterworks at White Cube New York and Richard Hunt: Metamorphosis – A Retrospective at White Cube Bermondsey in London.

Ott’s latest essays will be included in the second edition of Richard Hunt: Synthesis, an exhibition catalogue by the Georgia Museum of Art, and 820 Ebony/Jet: Visions of an African American Icon, The Johnson Publishing Company. He is featured in the documentary film, The Light of Truth: Richard Hunt’s Monument to Ida B. Wells and is an advising producer of the forthcoming documentary, Richard Hunt: A Monumental Life.