Hunter Museum of American Art

The day I most look forward to each month is First Sunday. On that day, the Hunter opens it doors to the community and welcomes all of our neighbors with complimentary admission.  These days are a whirlwind of activity and often leave the staff breathless but they also provide some of the most exhilarating moments. While the Hunter is certainly a place in which fabulous works of art are housed, we are also a place of, and for, the community. This is most obvious on first Sundays.

As hundreds of visitors stream through our doors, we see excitement on countless faces.  I feel so fortunate to greet each one and to roam through the galleries witnessing the magic of people interacting with works of art. Sometimes I'll see a child, fresh from participation in our drop in craft activity, carrying an activity guide with her - squealing with delight at seeing a work of art in person that she just learned about in through the craft activity.  Sometimes I'll hear a grandfather sharing with a grandchild a story about a work of art and how he remembers that work from a school field trip. Or I may come upon a moment of discovery - a teenager finding awe in a work of studio glass or a couple experiencing the natural wonders found in our landscape paintings.  And then there are times when a visitor approaches me with a question or to share a thought about a piece or a gallery, a thought that in turn will literally transform the way I see a piece myself.

Any day at the Hunter you can witness these encounters and Free First Sundays are perhaps the most enriching of all. If you haven't come on a First Sunday, please join us to look, listen and experience. And if you have visited us and have experiences you'd like to share, please comment and let us know about them.

- Adera Causey, Curator of Education