commission in 1967 known as Play, which was commissioned by the State of Illinois Public Art Program. The making of this sculpture led him to many other public commissions and was considered to be his second career as a public sculptor. Hunt has completed more public sculptures than any other artist in the country. His signature pieces include Jacob's Ladder at the Carter G. Woodson Library in Chicago and Flintlock Fantasy in Detroit. His 1972 sculpture, Natural Forms II, can currently be seen at the Delaware Art Museum. He was appointed by President Lyndon Johnson as one of the first artists to serve on the governing board of the National Endowment for the Arts and he also served on boards of the Smithsonian Institution. From 1980 to 1988, Hunt served as Commissioner of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American Art. From 1994 to 1997, Hunt served on the Smithsonian Institution's National Board of Directors. Hunt is the recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees. In 1971, Hunt acquired a deactivated electrical substation near northern Chicago and repurposed it into a metal welding sculpture studio. The station came equipped with a bridge crane, which was convenient for moving large sculpture pieces, and a spacious 40-foot ceiling. While handling the metal, Hunt works with two assistants. Hunt describes metalworks as "free play of forms evolving, developing and contrasting with one another." Hunt has continued to experiment throughout his successful career, employing a wide range of sculptural techniques. Through his work, Hunt often makes comments on contemporary social and political issues. National Endowment for the Arts Hunt was the first African American visual artist to serve on the National Council on the Arts, the governing body of the National Endowment for the Arts. Hunt was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. He was the fourth African American on the council, after Marian Anderson, Ralph Ellison, and Duke Ellington. Monuments Hunt has sculpted major monuments for some of America’s greatest heroes, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Mary McLeod Bethune, John Jones, Hobart Taylor, Jr., and Ida B. Wells. His massive 30-foot wide bronze, “Swing Low,” hangs from the ceiling of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, a monument to the African American Spiritual. Another welded Hunt sculpture, “Hero Construction,” now stands as the centerpiece of The Art Institute of Chicago. Obama Presidential Center Commission On February 26, 2022,