Rachel B. Hayes, use vibrant fabrics that respond to the changing light and winds of the day, creating an environment to explore and meander.

Visitor Center Installation
Rachel Hayes
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Radiate
2025  
Various textiles, vinyl, nylon webbing, thread

Bonsai Courtyard Installation
Rachel Hayes
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Radiate
2025  
Various textiles, vinyl, nylon webbing, thread

Farm On Ogden Installation
Rachel Hayes
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Ebb and Flow
2025  

ARTIST STATEMENT

Artist Rachel B. Hayes, based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, created three site-specific installations of vibrant and textured textiles to custom-fit the Chicago Botanic Garden’s main campus and Farm on Ogden location. Each work creates an environment to explore and meander. Inspired by modern quilts, abstract painting, stained glass, and covered open-air bazaars around the world, this handmade artwork intimately responds to the changing light of the day, while boldly scaling to the surrounding architecture. 

ARTIST BIO

Rachel B. Hayes received her B.F.A. in fiber from the Kansas City Art Institute, and her M.F.A. in painting from Virginia Commonwealth University. Often using fabric to create large-scale work, she is interested in inserting color and form into both built and natural environments. She is a recipient of the Joan Mitchell Award in Painting and Sculpture and the Augustus Saint-Gaudens Memorial Fellowship in Sculpture, among others. Hayes has attended many artist residencies including the Marie Walsh Sharpe Space Program, New York, NY and Sculpture Space Residency, Utica, NY. She has exhibited her work at many institutions around the world including the Sculpture Center in New York City, NY; Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY; Nevada Museum of Art, Reno, NV; Fruitlands Museum & deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, MA; Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, VA; Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, KS and the Roswell Museum of Art, Roswell, NM. Hayes has collaborated with the Italian fashion house Missoni on four projects, culminating with a solo exhibition during Milan Design Week. Recently, she exhibited site-specific installations with ISTANBUL74 during the 16th Contemporary Istanbul, Turkey. Her work has been covered by The New Yorker, The New York Times, Architectural Digest, Vogue, Interior Design, Whitewall, LA Weekly, Los Angeles Times, Harper’s Bazaar, Boston Art Review and Artforum among others, and she was featured in the new documentary ‘Being Missoni.’ 

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