Richard Hunt American, b. 1935 Muskegon Together Rising Welded Stainless Steel, 2008 Gift of Patricia & Charles E. Johnson II, Robert & Corky Tuttle Fund, The Michigan Economic Development Co., and Alcoa Foundation Collection of Community Foundation for Muskegon County, 2008

The iconic “Together Rising” art structure in the roundabout at Western Avenue and Third Street was unveiled in 2008 after Muskegon was awarded a Cool Cities grant from Michigan. Created by famed artist Richard Hunt, this 60-foot tall piece with shapes resembling waves, wings and arms quickly became an iconic work of art symbolizing the long-awaited and planned resurgence of downtown Muskegon.

The magnitude and energy of Muskegon, Together Rising, geometric to organic, is rendered more spectacular by the imposing taper of its inverted triangle. Narrowing to about ten feet in diameter, it serves a practical purpose: to insure the visibility and sight lines necessary for the motorists’ comfort and safety as they circle the roundabout. The taper also has an aesthetic function: it identifies the center of the roundabout as the root, surrounded by indigenous Great Lakes limestone, from which the —and a new Muskegon—emerge. Installed, the height of Muskegon Together Rising is an inspiring, nearly 60 feet of stainless steel. It is muscular and vigorous, stalwart and mighty, its skyward reach aggressive and urgent. Its reflections shimmer with startling brightness or whisper a subtle glow. The textured surface of the polished steel suggests a gentle breeze across familiar waters.

Richard Hunt was born in 1935 in Chicago, . He studied at the School of the , where he graduated in 1957. In 1971, at age 36, Hunt received a retrospective exhibition at the Museum of in New York. His prestigious and prolific career as a preeminent American sculptor has continued. Today he is one of the most prolific and best known artists of public sculpture in the nation. On the cusp of his 80th birthday, Hunt recently stated in an interview in the Wall Street Journal, “I am more interested in making more things than developing a legacy plan.” Hunt opened a satellite studio in the Benton Harbor Arts District in 1995.