As 2023 comes to an end and preparations are being made for the holidays, the Alliance Art Gallery is a perfect place to find gifts for those on your list… from wood to pottery, jewelry to wall hangings, paintings to greeting cards. When in doubt, a gift card is always a great choice. Some of our artists will also have special holiday items. We often hear that you can’t buy a piece of art as a gift because you don’t know if it will fit the tastes of the recipient. Some of my greatest treasures are pieces that were gifted to me because it is something my friends wanted me to have and I am reminded of them every time I glance at it.
During the month of December, the Alliance Art Gallery welcomes a returning guest artist and Hannibal native, Haley Cassiday Wayman. Haley has always had a love of jewelry and found renewed confidence in her art skills while in art classes at Hannibal High School.
As an adult, she and her future husband moved to New Orleans where she was constantly inspired by the culture there. Later they moved to Denver where she found a metalsmith who was willing to take her on as an apprentice for several months and Haley set up a small studio in her home.
They moved back to St. Louis in order for her husband to attend law school and she now works from a studio in her mother in law’s home. She and Matt go often to museums and galleries, particularly the St. Louis Contemporary Art Museum where she continues to find inspiration.
Haley has worked for some time with a 90-year-old stonecutter who sends her stones. She works primarily with buffalo turquoise and uses the variety of shapes of the stone to dictate the design of her pieces.
When asked if she was particularly inspired by any one artist she answered with a profound “Yes, Pamela Love, a jewelry artist from New York.” In fact, when Haley inherited a piece jewelry from her grandmother, she sent a stone from the piece to Pamela for her to design and set in her own wedding ring. On a trip to New York in 2020, Haley’s husband asked on the plane what she would most like to do on their trip. She told him meet Pamela Love. While dining outside at a Brooklyn restaurant with friends one of them asked if she would rather meet Oprah or Pamela Love and she instantly answered Pamela Love. He said good, because I think she just walked in and because Ms. Love had designed her wedding ring, she felt she had to perfect reason to introduce herself. Pamela took photos of her wearing her ring and, of course, made Haley’s day.
I am personally excited for Haley’s return. As her art teacher and the owner of one of her necklaces, I anxiously await spending time with her and seeing her latest work.
Come meet Haley and visit with many of our 20 artists on our 2nd Saturday Event on December 9th from 4:00 to 7:00. This coincides with the Historic Downtown Hannibal’s popular event, Living Windows.
