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Anita Huffington facts for kids

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Anita Huffington (born December 25, 1934 – died March 15, 2025) was an American sculptor. She was well-known for her sculptures of the female body. She often used materials like stone and bronze to create her art.

About Anita Huffington

Anita Huffington was born in Baltimore in 1934. She loved many forms of art. She studied dance, drama, and art at the University of North Carolina. Later, she moved to New York City. There, she studied dance with famous dancers like Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham.

Over time, Anita became more interested in visual arts. She joined a group of artists in New York. This group included well-known artists like Willem de Kooning. She went back to college to study art. She earned her Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degrees from City College in New York.

Her Life and Art

Anita Huffington had a daughter named Lisa from her first marriage. In 1964, she married Hank Sutter. They lived in New York for many years. In 1977, they decided to move. They wanted a quieter life.

They found an old log cabin in the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas. They spent a year fixing it up. They also built a special studio for Anita's art. They called their new home "Arkady." Lisa, her daughter, joined them there. Lisa sometimes posed for Anita's sculptures. Hank, her husband, learned to help make molds for her bronze pieces.

In 1982, a sad event happened. Lisa was killed in a car accident. This tragedy deeply affected Anita. It also influenced the art she created in the years that followed. Hank Sutter passed away in 2006. In 2015, Anita moved to Augusta, Georgia. She went to live with and care for her good friend, Philip Morsberger. After Philip died in 2021, Anita returned to Northwest Arkansas. She lived there until her death on March 15, 2025, at the age of 90.

Awards and Recognition

Anita Huffington received many awards for her sculptures. Her work was highly respected.

  • In 1992, she received a fellowship from the Arkansas Arts Council.
  • In 1996, she had a special residency in France. This allowed her to create art at the Chateau de La Napoule Art Foundation.
  • In 1997, she won the Jimmy Ernst Award in Art. This award recognized her lifelong contributions to art. It came from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
  • In 2005, she received the Arkansas Governor's Individual Artist Award.
  • In 2014, the University of Arkansas gave her an honorary doctorate degree in Fine Arts.

One of her sculptures, a pink alabaster piece called "Persephone," was bought by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City in 2002. This was a very special honor. It's rare for a museum of that size to buy art from a living artist. Her art can also be seen in other important collections. These include the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Arkansas Art Center.

See Also

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