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Taos-area artist, Claire L. Haye, is a native of Chicago who was raised in New York City. The daughter of dancer and choreographer, Beatrice Lees, and niece of improvisational theater master, Viola Spolin, Claire spent her early years surrounded by theater and dance. As a young adult Claire joined the theater, studying at the Goodman Theater School and performing with Second City and the Body Politic. Worn out by the demands of stage performance, marriage, and child rearing, Claire turned to simple art projects to restore her spirit. She gradually began to identify herself as a visual artist as she discovered her considerable tactile skills and unique creative style.
When Claire's husband, Michael Haye, suffered his first heart attack while living and working in Chicago, the family crisis drew Claire, Michael, and their two young daughters to the mountains of Northern New Mexico. With her children in school and her husband at home, Claire began to create a body of work that has garnered acclaim and established an international collector base. Her large, striking ceramic sculptures have won prizes in museum exhibitions; her bronze sculptures, paintings, monotypes, and woodblock prints are collected by other artists and by connoisseurs of the bold.
Exploring new media, Claire turned her sculpting skills to jewelry-making. Her distinctive designs captured an instant audience. Claire's original jewelry in sterling silver, bronze, and gold has since found an international following, and the number of dedicated collectors continues to grow. Steeped in the rich and complex history built by the sculpture and painting that preceded it, Claire's unique jewelry design is embued with symbolism and spirituality that speaks universally to women of all ages and walks of life. Whether a woman is a teacher, judge, homemaker, athlete, or student, she is certain to find a piece of Claire's original jewelry that will enhance her life and enchant her spirit.
Today, Claire Haye is a widow with two grown daughters and grandchildren. She continues to explore and express her own vision in mixed media paintings, sculpture, and jewelry.
Visitors who make their way down the long, dusty road to the charming mountain village of Arroyo Seco, New Mexico, will find ClaireWorks Gallery, the exclusive showcase for the jewelry and fine art of Claire L. Haye. Within this serene art space and sculpture garden, visitors are allowed to contemplate and to play. The bronze sculpture is meant to be touched; the jewelry is displayed to encourage visitors to try each piece.
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