January 17, 2023

New Orleans Artist Cheryl Hayes Joins Joan Mitchell Foundation Board

We are pleased to welcome New Orleans-based artist and educator Cheryl Hayes to the Joan Mitchell Foundation Board of Directors. Hayes is a painter, printmaker, and Emeritus Professor at the University of New Orleans, where she served for 33 years as both a faculty member and Fine Arts Department Chair.

“As a New Orleans native who is deeply rooted in the local arts community, Cheryl brings to the Foundation both her experience as a practicing artist and her commitment as an educator to cultivating creativity in others. Her perspective will be an incredible asset to the Foundation’s board and staff as we continually evaluate and evolve our engagement with artists, both nationally and in New Orleans, the home of the Joan Mitchell Center artist residency,” said Christa Blatchford, Executive Director of the Foundation.

“Since retiring from the University of New Orleans in 2020, my goals have been to carry on as an exhibiting artist and do more good deeds,” said Cheryl Hayes. “I’m thrilled to now join the Joan Mitchell Foundation’s Board of Directors and look forward to contributing my voice and experience as we work to promote the work and talent of artists who deserve greater recognition on a national level.”

The Foundation’s board members serve three-year terms, with a maximum of two consecutive terms. Hayes joins the current nine-member board, which includes Sandy S. Lee, President; Paul Ramírez Jonas, Vice President; Marc Chennault, Treasurer; Linda Usdin, Dr.PH., Secretary; and members Jim Coddington, Miranda Lash, Danyelle Means, Juan Sánchez, and Jean Shin. Kemi Ilesanmi is on a one-year leave from the board for 2023.

Cheryl Hayes smiles in front of a painting with abstract gestures and scribbled letters. She has medium dark skin and curly black hair, and is wearing wire glasses, a brightly patterned dress, and two pendant necklaces.

About Cheryl Hayes
Cheryl Hayes is a painter, printmaker, and Emeritus Professor at the University of New Orleans, where she served for 33 years as both a faculty member and Fine Arts Department Chair. Hayes was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1962 and began her studies of studio art at Tulane University. She is a graduate of the University of New Orleans, where she received a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Fine Arts in Studio Arts. Hayes’ studio practice has focused predominantly on miniatures for the past ten years. Her work has been exhibited in New Orleans; Atlanta, GA; Houston, TX; Brooklyn, NY; Tokyo, Japan; London, UK; among many others.

In addition to her teaching at UNO, Hayes additionally served as Gallery Director of the UNO Lakefront Gallery. During a sabbatical, Hayes interned for Dr. James Putnam, Curator of Egyptian Antiquities at the British Museum in London. She has served on the Executive Board of the Contemporary Arts Center of New Orleans and on various panels for the New Orleans Arts Council. She has also taught on UNO’s Study Abroad Programs in Innsbruck Austria and Rome, Italy.