President's Message: As the Year Turns

Dec. 28, 2021

In spite of these difficult times, the transition from 2021 to the new year provides an opportunity to reflect on all we’ve accomplished together. Although 2021 opened amid a COVID-19 surge, there was much promise for vaccines, yet uncertainty as to when they would become widely available. Nevertheless, we persevered. As we were greeted by countless individuals thanking us for keeping the gardens open, we realized that we are a critical respite for many during a very challenging time. I continue to be humbled by the hard work of the staff, who has kept The Huntington functioning through it all.

It has been more than one year since the first COVID-19 vaccine was given in the United States, and—despite the recent and worrisome Omicron surge—the vaccines have made a huge difference. In April, with the pandemic finally relenting in LA, we were fortunate to be able to reopen our galleries and finally show visitors Thomas Gainsborough’s restored Blue Boy. Following 800-plus hours of painstaking work by paintings conservator Christina O’Connell, Gainsborough’s portrait continues to dazzle and charm.

Simultaneously, we opened “Made in L.A. 2020: a version,” which was delayed for 10 months because of the pandemic. A collaboration with the Hammer Museum, the show was met by critical acclaim, drew thousands of visitors, and showcased 30 artists, several of whom created works in specific response to The Huntington’s collections. These artists demonstrated the ongoing relevance and inspiration that our collections provide for contemporary artists as well as scholars. In October, we installed Kehinde Wiley’s new work, A Portrait of a Young Gentleman, a response to the Blue Boy himself, with the present speaking to the past, across 250 years of history. This, in a nutshell, is the essence of The Huntington.

We also collaborated with the Los Angeles Public Library and Library Foundation of LA to create an installation in Chinatown, showcasing works in both LAPL’s and The Huntington’s collections that provide a window into Chinatown’s fascinating and complicated history. Consisting of a fence-wrapped installation at a vacant lot, this project includes an online component as well. The possibilities for additional off-site experiences are great, given the nature of our collections and the multitude of stories we can tell.