At a time when few women achieved national prominence in the arts, Huntington built a remarkable career and earned widespread acclaim for her public monuments. She created the first public monument by a woman in New York City—her renowned sculpture of Joan of Arc—and became a major force in American figurative sculpture. Brookgreen Gardens describes her as an award-winning sculptor whose success helped open doors for women artists in the public sphere.
In 1930, Anna and her husband, Archer Milton Huntington, purchased land in South Carolina that would become Brookgreen Gardens. Founded in 1931, Brookgreen became the first public sculpture garden in America, created to preserve and exhibit American figurative sculpture alongside the flora and fauna of the Southeast. What began as a vision centered on Anna’s own work soon expanded into one of the country’s most important outdoor sculpture institutions.
Today, Anna Hyatt Huntington is remembered not only for her masterful sculpture, but also for her lasting impact on American art, public monuments, and the preservation of sculpture as a vital part of the cultural landscape.
