Vol. XXX — No. 3 — 2018 With cutting torches and arc welders Coventry sculptor created rich legacy of artwork rom the 1950s until his death in F 2013, a Connecticut Irishman used the tools of ordinary craftsmen — cutting torches and arc welders — to create ex- traordinary artwork that today is displayed throughout the nation and abroad. Fashioned from heavy steel, the sculp- tures of David Hayes are on display — to name just a few of many places — at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City; National Museum of American Art in Wash- ington, D.C.; Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Paris; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Carnegie Institute, Pittsburg; Dartmouth College, N.H.; Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown, Mass., Hartford Public Library; and on the campus of his alma mater, Notre Dame University. Entire city of Hayes creations In 2013, almost as if in a parting tribute to his contribution to the world of art, Dothan, Ala., sponsored a yearlong and The grandson of immigrants from County Cork and son of a father who was a gridiron star citywide outdoor exposition of Hayes sculp- for Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish, David Hayes, shown at work and with one of his sculptures, tures. “The 20 works,” explained the direc- won national and international honors for the artwork he fashioned out of industrial steel. tor of the Dothan Wiregrass Museum of Art, one of the sponsors of the event, “have been citywide exhibit, described the sculptor and giving each piece, no matter its size or pal- installed across the community. Located in his work: “A master of his media, Hayes’ ette, a bold presence in the community …” public parks and gardens, college campuses sculptures, unique in color, size and compo- Dothan is not the only city to have bene- and in front of municipal buildings, all are sition, stand tall and proud around fited from Hayes’ imagination. In 1998, accessible to allow for interaction and the Dothan’s parks and campuses. Some are Stamford on the Connecticut shoreline se- freedom to enjoy … Imagination is what the painted flat black and stand nearly 10 feet lected Hayes to help usher in spring at its museum wanted this exhibition to bring to tall while smaller works are painted bright annual downtown Sculpture Walk. The our city.” blue, red and yellow. All are abstracted A booklet published for the Dothan using various organic and geometric forms (Please turn to page 2) Norwich soldier’s pension Clare native was legend aided widowed mother … Page 6 on Connecticut River … Page 7 2 Hayes family excelled on gridiron and in world of art (Continued from page 1) vid, 6; James, 4; and Mary, 1. Members of ments into the trenches soon after. The result was hailed by the Stamford Advocate: the Hayes family were hard-working and 326th went over the top in August, advanc- “Spring has come with its natural burst of upwardly mobile. By 1910, Martin Sr. was ing behind an artillery barrage to capture colors and textures delighting the eye and superintendent in a “sewer fitter beds” three German machine gun positions. nurturing the soul, but throughout Stam- company. Michael was a civil engineer for a On Sept. 12, the regiment was exposed to ford’s downtown area metal shapes in a steam railroad and John was a lawyer. a mustard gas attack in the Battle of Saint variety of Crayola hues are vying for the Their younger brother David, the father Mihiel. A month later, the 326th suffered passerby’s attention. Like crocus and daffo- of the sculptor, was similarly resourceful. heavy casualties during the Meuse-Argonne dils, these organic shapes thrusting out of He studied at Philips Exeter Academy in offensive, the last campaign of World War I. the urban ground have their start in nature, New Hampshire. A football player as well as Hayes was wounded in the left leg in an but they are enhanced by the hand of man a student at Exeter, David Sr. was deter- attack on a German machine-gun nest on … The fanciful forms are mined to enter Notre Dame Oct. 20. He was evacuated back to the Unit- the work of David Hayes, University, maybe because ed States and after hospitalization in New a Coventry, CT, sculptor during his high school York City returned to Notre Dame and its whose list of past years the Fighting Irish had football team in 1919. achievements reads like become a gridiron power- Notre Dame championships an artist’s dream. house. In 1913, the Irish “Discovered early in his stunned Army 35-13 in a That season Notre Dame was undefeated career by a panel of trav- huge upset at West Point. and won a national championship. After the eling jurors from the Mu- The star end in that victory season, the university published a football seum of Modern Art, was Knute Rockne, who by review with drawings of the players and Hayes’ colorful, abstract 1916 had become head under the sketch of Hayes a caption stating, towers of welded steel coach at Notre Dame. “Back from the front and full of pep! Two have gone on to appear in That year, David appar- seasons ago Dave made his name on the more than 80 one-man ently resorted to freight grid and he has lived up to it this year.” shows throughout Ameri- train hopping or riding the In Hayes senior year, 1920, the Irish were ca and more than 130 rails to make the long trip undefeated again. The postseason review national and internation- from Connecticut to South summarized Hayes’ career at South Bend: al group exhibitions. His This photograph of David V. Bend, IN. Once there, he “Wandered out to Notre Dame from the work has garnered Hayes Sr. appeared in the 1920 succeeded in finding em- bleak shores of Connecticut … and proceed- awards that include a edition of the Notre Dame Uni- ployment in a bakery, con- ed to set Cartier Field afire with his football Guggenheim Fellowship versity Football Review. vincing Notre Dame admin- feats … The next year found him with some and a Fulbright scholar- istrators to enroll him as a two million others in France … As an end, ship. His sculpture has been the subject of student and earning a spot on the freshman he is a personified reason why Notre Dame several documentaries, including ‘Welded football team. teams are called ‘The Fighting Irish.’ He has Steel Sculptures with David Hayes,’ and a In 1917, David made the Notre Dame done a big part in winning two champion- PBS broadcast, ‘The Sculptures of David varsity as a starting end on a team that ships and in making South Bend and Notre Hayes’ … “ included early grid greats like halfback Dame world famed …” Roots in County Cork George Gipp. That year, the Irish won six of That same year, a group of free-lance, eight games, including another victory, 7-2, semi-pro grid teams, mostly in the Midwest, David Hayes the sculptor was the grand- over Army. They played to a scoreless tie organized the nation’s first professional son of Irish immigrants Martin Hayes and with Wisconsin and suffered only one loss, gridiron league. It was named the American Margaret Fahey Hayes who were married 7-0 to Nebraska. Professional Football Association, but soon about 1876 in County Cork and came to However, the academic and gridiron was renamed the National Football League. America in the early 1880s with three sons. careers of David Hayes Sr. came to a sudden One original franchise, the Green Bay Pack- The 1900 census returns for Manchester, standstill after the 1917 season. The United ers, coached by former Notre Dame star, CT, list Martin as 45 years old and a team- States entered World War I in April that Earl “Curly” Lambeau, was sufficiently im- ster. The three sons born in Ireland were year and Hayes was inducted into the U.S pressed by Hayes to sign him as an end for Daniel, 21, a day laborer; Michael, 19, a Army on March 29, 1918. He was assigned the 1921 season. He was a starter at that motorman; and John, 17, still in school. And, to Company A of the 326th Infantry Regi- position for the first two seasons of the by that time, the Hayes household included ment, 82nd Division. The division arrived in Packers, and also played a few games for six more siblings all born in Connecticut: France in May and began sending detach- the Rock Island, Ill., Independents. Martin Jr., 12; Margaret, 10; Patrick, 8; Da- 3 Sculptures by David Hayes are eye-catching whether inside or out. Above, is a roomful of his small works in many different colors and shapes in an exhibit at the Hartford Public Library in 2015; at right, a tall black sculpture in downtown Longview, Texas, in 2006. David Hayes Sr. eventually returned to Dame University. Years later, another Con- around and think that you will be suddenly Connecticut and in 1928 married Adelaide necticut Notre Dame art student, Richard A. inspired. If you are an artist, you must work Brown, a native of Newark, N.J., and the Byrnes, wrote, “I remember shaking his at it everyday.” daughter of a father born in England and a hand in O’Shaughnessy Hall where the new His daily routine was to transform the mother born in Ireland. When the 1930 Art Department was located. It was imme- original sketches into small cardboard rep- census was taken David and Adelaide were diately obvious he was as seriously a com- licas, then weld them piece-by-piece in living in Manchester with a year-old son, mitted artist as I was.” quarter-inch steel plates.