artist statement and bio
Haley Bates is an artist based in Fort Collins, CO whose work explores human interconnectedness through the lens of function, design, and craft. She is interested in the unlikely intersections of digital and traditional craft practice, utilizing materials as diverse as vellum, wood, and steel. However, she finds that her head, hands, and heart are most closely aligned when she is in the studio, working with the traditional tools and techniques of silversmithing. This dynamic relationship between maker and material, idea and object, mediated by process, has anchored her studio practice for the last two decades.
Originally from Texas, she received her BFA from the University of North Texas and her MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art. She hold the position of Professor of Art and is the head of the Metalsmithing & Jewelry program at Colorado State University. In addition to teaching at CSU, Haley has led demonstrations and workshops at schools and institutions throughout the United States. Her work is included in numerous private collections, and is in the permanent collection of the Metal Museum in Memphis, TN. Her artwork has been published in American Craft and Metalsmith magazines and exhibited both nationally and internationally.