RICHARD HUNT DIED ON SATURDAY AT AGE 88 FOR THE WOODLAWN NEIGHBORHOOD IN 1935.

HE MADE MONUMENTAL SCULPTURES.

>> IN HIS STUDIO IN CHICAGO AND EXPORT OF THEM AROUND THE WORLD.

CHICAGO TONIGHT LAST SPOKE WITH RICHARD HUNT AT HIS STUDIO IN JUNE 2021, THAT'S WHERE PRODUCER MARK THAT ALI CAUGHT UP WITH HIM BEFORE THE UNVEILING OF A MONUMENT IN BRONZEVILLE.

HERE'S ANOTHER LOOK.

>> 50 YEARS AGO, THIS ONE-TIME ELECTRICAL SUBSTATION NEAR DEPAUL WAS CONVERTED INTO A SCULPTURES LABORATORY.

>> RICHARD HUNT HAS BEEN GRINDING WELDING AND CREATING HERE SINCE 1971.

>> WHEN GOT THIS PLACE IN THE BEGINNING OUT, THEY HAD TAKEN OUT ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT.

>> EXCEPT THE CRANE, WHICH OF COURSE, I'M GLAD THEY DIDN'T TAKE IT SO BIG HIGH CEILING OPEN SPACE, YOU KNOW, DEVELOP THINGS IN, MOVE THEM AROUND WITH THE CRANE, GET THEM OUT THE BACK DOOR.

>> HIS PROCESS IS INTUITIVE.

WAY THINGS START.

>> YOU KNOW, PUTTING SOME THINGS TOGETHER AND I HAVE AN IDEA ABOUT SUGGESTS SOMETHING.

>> SOME OF HIS 21ST CENTURY WORKS ARE CURRENTLY ON THE TERRACE OF THE MODERN WING OF THE ART INSTITUTE.

RICHARD HUNT GRADUATED FROM THE SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE IN 1957.

WITH A DEGREE IN ART EDUCATION.

BUT >> ONE YEAR.

YEAH, WORKING ON INCOME TAX.

YOU KNOW, I MADE MORE MONEY SELLING SCULPTURE THAN I DID FOR A FLIGHT TEACHING JOB.

AND SO DECIDED QUIT TEACHING AND JUST BE A SCULPTOR.

>> HE HAS CALLED HIS DIALOGUE BETWEEN HIMSELF, THE TECHNIQUE AND THE MATERIAL.

>> ITS DYNAMIC AND IS 3 DIMENSIONAL.

I MEAN, THAT IS SAY YOU HAVE A PAINTING OF SOMETHING ON THE WALL.

THERE IS SOMETHING THAT YOU LOOK AT THAT DOESN'T CHANGE.

BUT IF YOU SCULPTURE SOMEWHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT IT FROM HERE, YOU LOOK AT IT FROM THERE.

YOU LOOK AT IT FROM.

>> ANOTHER SIDE AND IT REVEALS ITSELF IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

>> HE WORKS WITH STEEL, BRONZE, COPPER, BRASS AND ALL KINDS OF SCRAP EARLY IN.

HIS CAREER-HIGH FOCUSED ON FOUND MATERIALS IN THE 1960'S STUDS TERKEL ASKED HIM ABOUT IT.

>> AS ABOUT HIS WORKS?

THESE TO WORKS SCULPTURE.

GOT THIS.

THAT'S THE MATERIAL KIND OF THIS COME TO WHAT THE >> I DON'T FEEL >> RICHARD HUNT SCULPTURES CAN BE SEEN ALL OVER THE CITY FROM THE WOODS AND REGIONAL LIBRARY.

TO MIDWAY AIRPORT.

HIS NEWEST WORK IN CHICAGO IS LIGHT OF TRUTH, A MONUMENT IN BRONZE TO IDA B WELLS.

THE CRUSADING JOURNALIST.

A LOCAL AUTHORS WHO IS IDA B WELLS.

GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER, SPENT 13 YEARS TO BRING TO LIFE THIS UNCONVENTIONAL CIVIC MEMORIAL.

>> WE MADE A DECISION BEFORE WE EVEN CONTACTED RICHARD THAT WE WANTED TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT WOULD NOT BE IN HER LIKENESS.

WE WANTED IT TO BE A MONUMENT VERSUS THE STATUE BECAUSE I IT IS LIFE AND HER WORK WAS SO MULTI-DIMENSIONAL.

SO MULTILAYERED THAT WE FELT TRYING TO CAPTURE ONE POSE.

WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY CAPTURE ALL OF WHO SHE WAS.

THE IDA B WELLS HOMES WERE RIGHT HERE ON THIS LAND.

FROM 1941, TO 2002, A TRIBUTE NEEDED TO BE GIVEN TO IDA ON THE LAND WHERE THE HOMES ONCE STOOD, WHICH IS ALSO REALLY CLOSE TO THE HOUSES SHE PHYSICALLY LIVED IN.

AND THIS IS BRONZEVILLE.

THIS THIS NEIGHBORHOOD HAS OF STRONG RICH HISTORY.

>> YOU KNOW, I'M REMINDED OF THE PAST AND AND THEN LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE OF THIS COMMUNITY.

>> IN THE STUDIO, HE'S AROUND FOR HALF A CENTURY.

85 YEAR-OLD RICHARD HUNT IS BACK TO THE GRIND.

>> IT'S INTERESTING HOW CITYSCAPE.

>> CHANGE.

AND OF COURSE, I I'M HAPPY THAT YOU KNOW, AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT A PIECE HERE, A PIECE THERE.

>> IT'S IMPORTANT THING ME ON MANY LEVELS.

>> FOR CHICAGO TONIGHT, THIS IS MARK.

BUT ALI.

AGAIN, ARTIST RICHARD HUNT DIED THIS PAST WEEKEND AT AGE.

88.

>> IT'S MY AUNTS TO IDA B WELLS IS CALLED LIGHT OF TRUTH AND STANDS AT 37TH IN LANGLEY BOULEVARD IN BRONZEVILLE IN HIS REGION.

SCULPTURE.

BOTH