Message from Hunt Slonem for CMON

In 2021, Harmon-Meek Gallery and the Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples (C’MON) teamed up to bring the works of Hunt Slonem to the children and families of Southwest Florida. This special exhibition of paintings and sculptures of animals by Hunt Slonem is a “first” in two respects – it is Hunt’s first solo exhibition in a children’s museum and it is the first solo exhibition by any artist to be presented in a children’s museum anywhere in the country.

Slonem draws on personal experiences and his lifelong love of animals to inspire his paintings. Hunt Slonem’s Zoo is a collection of colorful, animal-focused artwork. The exhibition at C’MON is provided by Harmon-Meek Gallery, which has lent exhibitions of Slonem’s works to more than a dozen museums nation-wide and has represented Slonem since 1996.

Works in the museum are paired with questions and activities specifically intended to engage children in Slonem’s works of art. For example, children are asked to find the monkeys in “Guardians”, count the butterflies in “Board Way Monopoly”, stack bunny blocks next to “Georgia Peach”, and hop like a frog next to “Two Frogs”. C’MON took inspiration from Slonem’s studio by painting the walls of the gallery bold colors, creating an amazing space for the works on exhibit. Children entering this space can truly experience Slonem’s world of neo-expressionism.