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Cycle of Life reveals Richard’s exceptional artistic rigor and vision—an aesthetically stunning masterwork that is also an engineering marvel. It is also emblematic of the KMA’s commitment to the art of the region and to collecting the work of contemporary artists of international repute. To learn more about the seven-part narrative of the Cycle of Life check out the gallery below.

In order to safely accommodate the tremendous weight of the work, an array of structural interventions to the Ann and Steve Bailey Hall was necessary, including the addition of dozens of support beams. Jolley created three massive metal plinths—each weighing 1,500 pounds and anchored onto the wall approximately 11 feet above the floor—to serve as a structural foundation.

Thanks to our exceptional board of trustees, generous supporters, community leaders, and dedicated staff, we are able to present Richard’s magnificent sculpture in a refurbished and expanded facility. The 25th Anniversary Campaign funded the comprehensive $6 million renovation of the museum and its campus, added to the operating endowment, and established a dedicated art acquisition fund. We are grateful to campaign chair Stuart Worden and the hundreds of donors who have made this significant investment at this critical juncture in our history. Now the museum’s landmark Edward Larrabee Barnes building glows like new and provides a fitting setting for Richard’s magnum opus. We are profoundly grateful to Ann and Steve Bailey, whose extraordinary generosity inspired Richard to ‘dream big’ (monumentally, in this case). They have immeasurably enriched the KMA experience for our visitors, and provided a new must-see highlight amid the region’s cultural offerings. In appreciation, the KMA Board of Trustees renamed the Great Hall—the Ann and Steve Bailey Hall—in their honor.

This project (was/is) supported, in whole or in part, by the federal award number SLFRP5534 awarded to the State of Tennessee by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.