February 2025–Ongoing
Seven custom panels made from industrial sunshade fabric, installation hardware, dimensions variable
Along the Way is an installation on view in the Garden Street Alley downtown San Luis Obispo. Garden Street Alley has served as a vital service corridor for the businesses fronting on Higuera Street since the 1870’s. Tulsa, Oklahoma-based artist Rachel B. Hayes created eight vibrant and textured textiles to custom fit in the historic alley, creating an environment in which to explore and meander. Each panel was lovingly made in the artist’s studio, and installed in SLO with a collaborative team of contractors and designers. Inspired by modern quilts, abstract paintings and covered open air bazaars around the world, this handmade artwork both intimately responds to the changing light of the day, while boldly scaling to the surrounding architecture.
This project is supported by the City of San Luis Obispo’s Public Art Program.
About the Artist: Rachel Hayes received her BFA in Fiber from the Kansas City Art Institute, and her MFA in Painting from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is a recipient of many significant awards in painting and textiles. 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; and the Fruitlands Museum, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, MA;. 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.