Woskob yearly wall piece to debut early October

The Woskob Family Gallery will debut its yearly wall commission— Syzygy by Rachel Hayes, a textile artist based in Tulsa, Oklahoma—on October 4, 2019. The title, Syzygy, means a fusion of two parts, systematically existing in a predisposed arrangement. Viewers can expect one of Hayes’s signature large-scale, colorful, fabric works, made from translucent and opaque fabrics. Visible from the street, the work will stretch from the front window to the wall on the opposite side of the space. The work will remain on view through fall 2020. The gallery will host a reception and First Friday celebration from 5:00–8:00 PM on October 4.

Hayes draws inspiration for her work from traditions of quilt making, sculpture, painting, stained glass, and fabric craft. Oftentimes her works cast colored shadows and reflections, dialoguing with the sites in which they are installed.

“My work embraces exquisite beauty, converses boldly with architectural spaces, and responds to radiant light, becoming anything from a minimalist sculpture to an abstract painting to a massive stained-glass patchwork quilt. I use processes and materials based in craft and design to create abstract compositions that embrace the language of painting while interacting with space in a sculptural/architectural manner,” says artist Rachel Hayes.

Hayes has gained recognition for her architectural textile installations. Her work has been showcased in museums, institutions, and galleries across the US. Syzygy will prompt an immediate sense of comfort, warmth, and joyfulness through its use of vibrant pattern, light, and color. Frequently compared to stained glass, Hayes’s work captures natural light and shadow, allowing it to dance over ceilings, walls, and floors. As natural light changes from dawn to dusk, it will filter through the piece differently throughout the day.

“We are delighted to be working with Rachel Hayes, an artist whose work I have long admired. Rachel’s work hovers somewhere between painting, sculpture, installation, and architecture. Her frequent use of lighting gels from theatrical productions makes her work an especially nice fit for our space, which shares a building with the Downtown Theater Center,” says gallery director, Ann Tarantino.

Woskob Family Gallery, located on Allen Street in downtown State College, is a space for contemporary arts, culture and community engagement, sponsored by Penn State’s College of Arts and Architecture. For more information, visit https://woskobfamilygallery.psu.edu.