“The residency was an immensely valuable opportunity to have an extended and uninterrupted period of time to pursue my practice, to incorporate research and travel that inspired my work, and to develop close and rewarding relations with the international arts community.”
Artist Information
Michael B. Hays is a metalsmith creating holloware in silver, pewter, and copper. After graduating from OSU with a B.A. in Anthropology in 2000 he took up metalworking as a hobby at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center. In 2005 he co-curated with his wife, Carol Boram-Hays, the exhibition Bringing Modernism Home: Ohio Decorative Art 1890-1960, Columbus Museum of Art. Over the last nineteen years, he has exhibited throughout the U.S. and received numerous awards, including the Rio Grande Jewelry Award and recognition from the Ohio Arts Council. His work has been published in several books on contemporary metalworking, and is included in the permanent collection of the Ohio Craft Museum, Columbus, OH, and the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV. He has continued his education attending workshops by Tom Muir, Lisa Gralnick, and Fred Fenster. His bike rack design was chosen by the Columbus Art Commission for three local community centers.