Watch, Read, Listen

The Huntington will produce a major exhibition and book on Black artist Sargent Claude Johnson, whose powerful works—masks, portrait busts, and figural sculptures created in the 1920s and 1930s—have become emblems of the Harlem Renaissance. This will be the first exhibition devoted to Johnson in over 25 years.

In 1905, Henry E. Huntington asked his superintendent of grounds, William Hertrich, if it was possible to grow an avocado orchard. Hertrich replied that he would be willing to make the experiment. More than a century later, the avocado experiment continues, linking communities and expanding our understanding of plant science.

Spanning more than 450 years, the works come from a diverse group of artists from across the globe, including Edward Mitchell Bannister, Agostino Brunias, Dominique Fung, David Hockney, Letitia Huckaby, Mineo Mizuno, Kenjiro Nomura, Sandy Rodriguez, Betye Saar, Lilly Martin Spencer, Nari Ward, and Qiu Ying.

Vincent Lugo, whose family papers are at The Huntington, helped build the beloved La Laguna de San Gabriel playground, also known as “Monster Park.” The so-called monsters are play sculptures of an octopus called Ozzie, a whale known as Minnie, and a starfish named Stella, among other smiling sea creatures.

The Huntington has announced the acquisition of Zhou Dunyi Admiring Lotuses, a rare hanging scroll painted by Qiu Ying (ca. 1495–ca. 1552), one of the most celebrated Chinese artists of the 16th century.

Art exhibitions in the late 18th and early 19th centuries created rich immersive environments of fine art working in tandem with other media, which today can seem like a bewildering jumble. The Huntington’s “Paintings, Peepshows, and Porcupines” conference will begin to make sense of this apparent chaos.

With the aim of engaging a more diverse cross section of people, The Huntington created the Meet Me in the Garden program as a way of welcoming visitors with different sensory needs. The program is geared toward families with members who identify as disabled, but all guests can participate.

Items range from handmade jewelry to frameable art and home goods, all in tune with The Huntington’s remarkable library, art, and botanical collections.

Renowned American artist Betye Saar’s large-scale work “Drifting Toward Twilight” will go on view Nov. 11, 2023, in the Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art.

Some people assume that the Gutenberg Bible is the oldest printed book at The Huntington. But there’s a much older one that dates back almost 1,000 years ago! Curator Li Wei Yang explores the connections between the printing cultures of China and Europe.

The Huntington’s Botanical staff members routinely collaborate with other institutions to tackle conservation challenges. Most of the time, these are carefully planned projects: propagating rare and endangered species, making gardens more resilient to the changing climate, and teaching cryopreservation or culturing plant tissue. But sometimes, the unexpected happens.

The Desert Garden is one of the world’s premier collections of succulent plants, covering more than 10 acres and comprising more than 5,000 arid-adapted plants. The Desert Garden Entrance Project, nearing completion, will make it possible to showcase more of this collection and spotlight the significance of these plants.