Press Release - New American Art Wing to Open This Weekend

SAN MARINO, Calif.— The Jonathan and Karin Fielding Wing, a major addition to the American art galleries at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, will open to the public this Sat., Oct. 22, to reveal “Becoming America: Highlights from the Jonathan and Karin Fielding Collection,” an inaugural exhibition of more than 200 works of 18th- and early19th-century American art. The 8,600 square-foot, $10.3 million addition to the Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art was designed by Frederick Fisher and Partners and includes 5,000 square feet of gallery space with dramatic, colorful displays that showcase early American paintings, furniture, and works of decorative art—some of which are promised gifts to The Huntington—and offer visitors important insights into the history of American art practice.

“The collection, display, and contextualization of historical American art is among our chief priorities,” said Laura Skandera Trombley, president of The Huntington. “And the educational and inspirational value of the new wing is immeasurable. It brings to light unforgettable works made with American originality and is sure to delight and surprise visitors of all ages. We are profoundly grateful to Jonathan and Karin Fielding for their vision and generosity.”

Fielding Wing Architecture
Frederick Fisher and Partners, who also designed the Lois and Robert F. Erburu Gallery (a 2005 addition to the same building), developed the new Fielding Wing to feature eight new rooms for art display as well as a stately glass entrance and lobby on the south side of the building that mirrors those on the north side.

The new glassed-in lobby makes entering the galleries (that will total 26,000 square feet of display space) more intuitive and inviting. The new entry will draw visitors to the galleries naturally, with the lobby area serving as a beacon from a popular path that leads through the Shakespeare Garden from the Huntington Art Gallery, where the renowned European art collection is displayed. In addition, the new entry allows easy access to and from the historic Rose Garden Tea Room and the Patio Grill.

With this expansion of the Scott Galleries (the third since 2009), The Huntington becomes the home of one of the largest displays of historic American art in the Western United States.

“Becoming America”
“While the Fieldings have been collecting American art for a relatively short time, they have developed a focused and important body of historical works,” said Kevin Salatino, Hannah and Russel Kully Director of the Art Collections at The Huntington. “We have highlighted these in a creative installation that enhances their educational content as well as their powerful aesthetic qualities.”