Dawn Hunter’s Creative Projects and Artistic Exploration of Science
The professional landing page for Dawn Hunter Art®—a boutique web network presenting the creative, scholarly, and visual work of artist and professor Dawn Hunter through curated websites, exhibitions, and publications.
Creative Fusion:
Dawn Hunter stands out as an Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina, a Fulbright Scholar renowned for her insightful visual artistry, and a creator with a prolific output. Celebrated for her art exhibitions across prominent universities and galleries for over two decades, she is acclaimed internationally for her artistic portrayal of Santiago Ramón y Cajal, the trailblazer of modern neuroscience. Dawn is also well known for other works such as the emblematic 'Art Department' painting, captures the metaphorical essence of university life among faculty and administrators with a profound narrative quality. To make her thematic collections more accessible and facilitate easier discovery, Hunter has curated a landing page for her unique websites, each dedicated to particular themes and content.
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Cajal Artwork Portfolio
DawnHunterArt.com: Embark on a delightful journey with Dawn Hunter as she explores the life and accomplishments of Santiago Ramón y Cajal, widely recognized as the pioneer of modern neuroscience. Through her evocative artwork, gain insight into his world and witness the enthralling intersection of art and science where he thrived.
The collection showcases a diverse array of completed artworks, developed during her time researching the Instituto Cajal archives as a Fulbright Scholar, as well as her imaginative and surreal paintings inspired by Cajal's writings and literary works he cherished. If you're visiting the NIH, be sure to explore the dedicated page containing information about the exhibit showcasing her Cajal-inspired artwork alongside seven original scientific drawings by the master himself, all on display at the John Porter Neuroscience Research Center.
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Gallery of Pop Art
DawnHunterGallery.com: This website features Dawn Hunter's one-of-a-kind collection of drawings and paintings about popular culture! Here you can explore Dawn's take on everything from celebrities to everyday life. There are bodies of artwork about the famed Mattel toy Barbie, luscious paintings that feature Dolly Parton, and her Spectacle Spectacular series, which is a suite of portfolios that function as a visual essay critique of Condé Nast print publications.
As an artist, Fulbright Scholar, and USC professor, Dawn has a unique perspective on the world around us which is showcased in her artwork. Additionally, her USC Foundations Studio Art courses, the Fundamentals of Art and Color and Composition, are featured on her student work portfolio page (see header menu). A platform that is a resource for the beginning or experienced art teacher.
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Studio Currents Blog
DawnHunter.blog: Dawn has operated a blog since 2013. It began as a way to journal her studio practice, but it has evolved to focus on three topics: 1) documenting her process in researching Cajal's life and creating artwork about him 2) her personal journey as an artist, and 3) intellectual property topics. To that end she publishes helpful and informative articles that help academics copyright PowerPoint presentations, artists copyright their artwork in batches of ten, and general topics associated with the right to publicity.
Visit my blog link below to discover why being "fifty is nifty" and "age is just a number" in an article about her real life experience navigating being a contemporary female artist creating and exhibiting artwork in her fifties. She also shares content about her favorite living artist, Yayoi Kusama (b. 1929), who continues to make compelling artwork at the age of 93.
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Daily Drawings and Paintings Sketchbook
DawnHunterVisualArtist.com: Welcome to the website that features a collection of artwork that Dawn has created for herself, spanning a variety of drawing and painting mediums. Although her current artwork is based on research about Santiago Ramón y Cajal, her drawing and painting practice is essential to her daily routine as a means of exploring and understanding the world around us. Some days she may only produce one piece of artwork, while other days she may create as many as ten. The drawings are snapshots of her life. They document the people and places that are important to her, as well as the things that she finds fascinating. There are too many drawings to post on one website, but if you explore the portfolio links, Portraits, Landscapes, Rodin Studies and Still Lifes you'll get a good sense of her work. Each section represents a different aspect of her life and art practice.
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South Carolina Sunshine
DawnHunter.com: The mission of this site is to celebrate South Carolina culture and its people. The content is updated monthly, featuring interviews with influential South Carolinians. Dawn Hunter co-established Dawn Hunter Art ® | South Carolina Sunshine with her daughter, Darcy. On the platform they also experiment with and share their creativity. Darcy creates photo essays that invite visitors to glimpse into her cooking passions and favorite recipes on the Dish with Darcy™ page.
Dawn shares a monthly review of her creative practice on the Studio Visit page. She focuses on the pragmatics of being a practicing, professional exhibiting visual artist, like preparing for an art exhibition, and the process in creating a new body of artwork. Take time to enjoy the site!
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Best of Soda City
SouthCarolinaSunshine.com: Celebrating the innovative spirit of Columbia, SC, your definitive guide to the city's vibrancy! An extension of South Carolina Sunshine | Best of Soda City. This site puts the spotlight on Columbia, showcasing the best it has to offer. Updated biannually, you're guaranteed to keep abreast of the city's latest happenings. In addition to providing you with a handpicked selection of activities, dining experiences, and cultural attractions, the site also offers a glimpse into Dawn's atelier and her University of South Carolina students' art creations - reflecting the richness of Columbia's artistic community. Benefit from personalized recommendations and insider tips for an unforgettable exploration of Columbia's lifestyle scene. Immerse yourself in a comprehensive view of the Soda City and partake in its flourishing creative life.
The Transmitter
Dawn Hunter featured in Q&A with writer Rebecca Horne in leading neuroscience magazine!
Above, illustration by Dawn Hunter of Cajal’s first sketchbook from Valencia. Access granted by the Instituto Cajal and Legado Cajal.
Diverse Inspirations and Acclaimed Artistry
Dawn Hunter draws inspiration from a diverse array of sources including the punk movement, Vogue magazine, Madonna, Dolly Parton, the natural landscape, and neuroscience. She is especially renowned for her drawings and paintings centered on Santiago Ramón y Cajal, for which she was awarded a Senior Research Fellowship from the Fulbright foundations.
Frequently sketching from life, Hunter uses these perceptual experiences to inform and shape her artistic interpretations of pop culture. Her travels to locations such as New York City, Madrid, Spain, and Oregon, where she creates plein air drawings and caricature sketches, provide rich material for her artwork. Consequently, her sketchbook significantly influences the color and texture choices in her studio practice. Over the past two decades, Dawn has become well-known for her extensive, in-depth projects.
Her Pop Art portfolio has been exhibited at prestigious venues including the Drawing Center in New York, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Delaware Contemporary Art Center, and Brown University. It has also been featured in New American Paintings and Artnet. Dawn’s Cajal portfolio has received acclaim, with exhibitions at the National Institutes of Health and the Instituto Cajal, and coverage in publications such as Scientific American, The Scientist, and the Consilience Journal.
Her sketchbook drawings continue to garner attention, with numerous exhibitions featuring her work, including Artfields, the Yellowstone Art Museum, and Notre Dame of Maryland University.
The Neuroscientist
Dawn Hunter serves as lead author on an article about the influence of Albrecht Dürer on Cajal’s aesthetic development in art and scientific illustration.
Above, Cajal’s schematic illustration of the cerebellum. Image courtesy of the Cajal Institute, Cajal Legacy, Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain.
New Book
Discover Santiago Ramón y Cajal's life through Dawn Hunter's monograph. This book, filled with full-color artwork, offers a unique visual journey into Cajal's personal and professional spaces. Hunter has explored Cajal's archives in Madrid and visited his significant locations throughout Spain, creating an artistic and scientific blend that enhances our understanding of this pioneering neuroscientist.
Contact me.
dmhunter@email.sc.edu
770-815-9008