MUSCATINE, IOWA (April 24, 2019) — An impromptu visit almost three years ago will soon result in public art and an exhibition for the Muscatine community to enjoy throughout the summer. “David Hayes, the son of the late American sculptor David Hayes, was in Iowa in June of 2016 and asked to meet with me,” explains Muscatine Art Center Director Melanie Alexander. “From that first conversation, we both thought there would eventually be a collaboration of some sort.”
In June of 2016, the Muscatine Art Center was in the middle of facility-upgrades and a capital campaign. “We exchanged e-mails for two years, and David suggested the Muscatine Art Center as one of three museums to host The Ventana Series.” The other two venues are the Swope Art Museum in Terre Haute, Indiana, and the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Artist David Hayes can be admired for his ability to sensitively capture natural forms while skillfully cutting, welding, and transforming steel, a material historically associated with tools, weapons, and architectural marvels. A student of American sculptor David Smith and a friend of Alexander Calder, Hayes created sculptures that are graceful and organic.
The Ventana Series is comprised of ten works and is a continuation of Hayes’ explorations of physical screens which the artist first began in 1976. Hayes imaginatively utilized the concept of a screen. His outdoor sculptures became welded works — sometimes monumental in scale — that reframed a landscape and challenged viewers to confront the unexpected. In the exhibition, a gouache study for each work is on view, presenting a glimpse of Hayes’ vision, and perhaps inner-dialogue, as the artist worked through his ideas on paper and then in smaller-scale metal constructions.
Four full-scale sculptures will be on loan to the Muscatine Art Center and will be placed in public spaces throughout Muscatine before the end of May 2019. “The timing of this public art loan is perfect,” states Alexander, who has been involved in beginning a Public Art Advisory Commission for the City of Muscatine. “These pieces allow the new Advisory Commission to look more closely at where public art can be placed and provide the broader community with opportunity to engage with, and think about, public art. I hope the introduction of these pieces will lead to more dialogue about art in public spaces.”
To celebrate the opening of the exhibition, the Muscatine Art Center is hosting Business After Hours through the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday, May 9, 5-7PM. The event is free and open to the public. David Hayes, son of the artist, will attend the reception.
The Muscatine Art Center is located at 1314 Mulberry Avenue in Muscatine, Iowa. Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10AM-5PM, Thursday evenings until 7PM, and Saturday and Sunday, 1-5PM. Admission is free. Donations are appreciated. Visit www.muscatineartcenter.org for more information about programs and events and to download a class brochure.
