Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1513368
Then there's the 1873 Romanesque Revival Watres Armory in Scranton, Pennsylvania — the artist's most heroic restoration. The 100,000-square-foot brick-and-stone 19th- century survivor was in danger of being torn down and its city block converted to a parking lot when Slonem swooped in. The place is steeped in American history: Five U.S. Presidents, including Woodrow Wilson and JFK, delivered campaign speeches from its drill hall. Completing his portfolio are two Louisiana homes, Madewood in Napoleonville and Lakeside Mansion in Batchelor. Madewood has frequently made film appearances, from Sofia Coppola's The Beguiled to Beyoncé's music video Lemonade. The earliest of Slonem's properties, Lakeside's 18,000-square-foot raised cottage, dates from 1832 and was built on the original land grant bestowed by Thomas Jefferson upon Marquis de Lafayette for his assistance with the Louisiana Purchase. This month, the artist alights in Dallas, showcasing recent work that documents his obsession with the bunny's cousin, the hare, with a personal appearance, talk, and signing of his newest book, The Spirited Homes of Hunt Slonem (Gibbs Smith). It all takes place at his longtime Texas dealer, Laura Rathe Fine Art, with much fanfare and a salon-style installation inspired by his fleet of Gilded Age palaces (exhibition through February 10). "Hunt Slonem: Hare Salon," Saturday January 13, 4:30 to 7:30 pm, artist talk at 6 pm, followed by book signing, at Laura Rathe Fine Art, Dallas Design District, 1130 Dragon St.; RSVP requested: janice@ laurarathe.com. Clockwise from top: Searles Castle by Stanford White, 1885-1888. Hunt Slonem's Green Hatch Crossroads, 2023, at Laura Rathe Fine Art. Belle Terre, 1906. The two-story atrium in the center of Searles Castle. The art- and antique-lined second-floor hallway of Watres Armory, Scranton, Pennsylvania. Hunt Slonem in his New York studio. 42