Art Therapist Exhibits Paintings Aimed to "Dismantle the Merry-Go-Round"
Beginning Feb. 10, the Milliken Art Gallery at Converse College will host a selection of paintings by Hendersonville, NC artist and art therapist Heidi Hayes. Dismantling the Merry-Go-Round features the collision of Hayes’s occupation as a therapist and her artwork. On display will be images, says Hayes, that capture the “complexity and energy, horror and humor which bring us into the realm of mystery, magic and healing.” The exhibition will continue through March 10.
A Gallery Talk with the Artist, followed by a reception, will be held Thursday, Feb. 10 at 6:00 pm in Milliken Art Gallery. Hayes will discuss her career and art process during the talk.
All events are free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Monday—Friday 9:00 am—5:00 pm, Sunday 2:00—5:00 pm. The gallery is closed during school holidays.
According to Hayes, “This exhibition reflects how others’ stories become intertwined with our stories of survival, desperation, need and triumph. It reflects how engaging in the creative process is a means of digesting and divulging information, providing opportunity to heal on both personal and collective levels.”
Hayes published a book entitled Dismantling the Merry-Go-Round in conjunction with this exhibition. The book will be available for purchase throughout the exhibition.
The paintings of Heidi Hayes have been featured in solo and group exhibitions in galleries and cultural centers, including the Virginia Beach Museum of Art in Virginia Beach, Virginia; the University of Georgia in Athens; and the Levy Gallery in Philadelphia.
Hayes studied fine art in Cortona, Italy and at the Rhode Island School of Design. In addition, she received a B.F.A. from Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia and a M.S. in clinical art psychotherapy from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia. She was born in South Carolina.
For more information about this exhibition, contact Kathryn Boucher, Milliken Art Gallery Director for Converse College, at kathryn.boucher@converse.edu.
