Eleonora Hayes


About Eleonora
Eleonora Hayes has been painting and drawing since childhood. In Europe, she learned traditional techniques of the old masters, while her education in the USA introduced her to contemporary methods and theory, culminating in an MFA in painting and drawing. Her works have been exhibited in museums, colleges, universities, and galleries across the country.
Hayes' artistic practice juxtaposes realistic and dreamlike elements, integrating contrasting approaches of objective and subjective expression. Living in Northern Michigan for about 20 years has deeply influenced her work, drawing her into the beauty and serenity of her surroundings. She primarily paints special places where she finds peace, using various materials and techniques to convey her emotional connection to nature and its importance in her life. Through her work, she hopes to inspire viewers to appreciate and preserve the gifts of Mother Nature.
Hayes has also dedicated two decades to teaching art, sharing her knowledge with both children and adults through various organizations, including Central Michigan University (CMU), Mid Michigan Community College (MMCC), Midland Center for the Arts, Crooked Tree Art Center, and College for Kids.
Grants/ Fellowships (Awards/Honors, etc)
2014 Second Place, Bay Pointe Community Church, Traverse city , MI
2013 Honorable mentioning, Bay Pointe Community Church, Travers city, MI
2013 Honorable mentioning, The Face pardon the expression , The Village at Grand Traverse Commons,
Traverse city, MI
2003 Best 2-D award, Faces of Woman, 13th Annual National Juried Art,
Exhibition, Las Vegas Arts Council, Las Vegas, NM
1999- 2002 Graduate teaching assistant, Central Michigan University, MI
1999 Diploma and membership National Society of College Scholars
Indicating Outstanding Scholarship, leadership and service)
1998 Research grant for project in painting Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI
Exhibitions
2021 AllArtworks, Virtual Exhibition
2020 Annual Regional Juried Exhibition, Oliver Art Center, Frankfort, MI
2020 Northport Virtual Plein air Exhibition, MI
2020 Leelanau Virtual Benefit Exhibition, MI
2020 Art of the Garden virtual Exhibition, MI
2020 Arbor Gallery, Glen Arbor, MI
2020 Leland Virtual Plein Air, MI
2020 AllArtworks Virtual Exhibition
2018 ArtPrize, Gerald R. Ford International Airport, Grand Rapids, MI
2018, 2019 All Art Works Juried Exhibition, ArtPrize Hub, Grand Rapids, MI
2018 Faculty Exhibition, Crooked Tree Art Center, Petoskey, MI
2018,2019 Glen Arbor Plein Air Exhibition,Glen Arbor, MI
2018, 2019 Plaint Grand Traverse Quick Paint Exhibition, MI
2018, 2019 Plein Air Exhibition, Leland, MI
2018, 2019 Benefit Exhibition, Leland, MI
2018 Garden Exhibition, Leland, MI
2018 Water= Life=Art, Glen Arbor, MI
2017 ArtPrize, MoDiv Downtown Grand Rapids, MI
2017 Traverse city Paint Out, Crooked Tree Art Center, Traverse City, MI
2017 Hot Art Live, Traverse City, MI
2017 Glen Arbor Plein Air, Glen Arbor, MI
2017 Northport Plein Air, Northport, MI
2017 Leelanau Benefit&Exchibition, Leland, MI
2017 ArtRapids, Elk Rapids, MI
2017 Leelanau Community Cultural Center, Plein air, Leland, MI
2016 ArtPrize, Homewood Suites by Hilton Downtown Grand Rapids, MI
2016 Oliver Center for the Arts, Frankfort, MI
2016 Plein Air, Glen Arbor, MI
2016 Hot Art Live, Traverse city, MI
2016 Leelanau Benefit & Exhibition, Leland, MI
2016 Arbor Gallary, Glen Arbor, MI
2016 Visitor Center, Leland , MI
2016 Fishtown Plein Air,Leelanau Museum, Leland, MI
2016 Leelanau Community Cultural Center, Plein air, Leland, MI
2016 Leelanau Community Cultural Center, Flower and Garden exhibition, Mi
2016 Bay Pointe Community Church, Traverse city, MI
2015 Leelanou Studios, Traverse city, MI
2015 Oliver Art Center, Juried competition, Frankfort, MI
2015 ArtPrize, Boardwalk condos GR, Grand Rapids, MI
2015 Plein air, Glen Arbor, MI
2015 Artist market, Leland, MI
2014 Plein air show, Glen Arbor, MI
2014 Old School Gallery, Glen Arbor, MI
2014 ArtPrize, heli Hybrid Power and Light and The Koinonia Foundation, Grand Rapids, MI
2014 Bayview Church, Community, Juried competition, Traverse city, MI (second place)
2014 Plein air show, Traverse city, MI
2013 Traverse City Art & Design Studio, Traverse City, MI
2013 ArtPrize, Grand Rapids, MI
2013 April Showers, Juried Competition, Traverse city, MI
2013 Bay view church, Peace, Juried competition, Travers city, MI (honorable mentioning)
2013 The Face, Pardon the Expression, Juried competition, The Village at Grand Traverse Commons,
Traverse city, MI (honorable mentioning)
2013 Solo exhibition, City Opera House, Traverse city, MI
2012 Mercato, Traverse city, MI
2012 Nature speaks, Juried exhibition, Madonna University, Livonia,, MI
2012 Northwestern Michigan Juried Exhibition, Dennos Museum, Traverse city, MI
2010 Instructor/ Student Show, Traverse city Library, Traverse city, MI
2010 Balance an Artists’ Collaborative Game, traveling exhibition,
2010 Duderstadt center, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, MI
2010 River’s Edge Gallery, Wyandotte, MI
2010 The Reflection Gallery, Finlandia University-Hancock, MI
2010 Holland Area Arts Council, Holland, MI
2010 Member show, Traverse city Art center ,MI
2007 Solo exhibition, Portraits and landscapes, North Peak, Traverse City, MI
2006 Solo exhibition, Traverse City Library, Traverse city, MI
2006 National Juried Plain air Exhibition, Crooked Tree Art Center, Petoskey, MI
2006 D’ Art for Art 2006, Brek-N-Ridge Farms, Harbor Springs, MI
2006 78th Annual International Juried Exhibition, Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
(Juror Kathryn Calley Galitz, assistant Curator Metropolitan Museum of Art)
2006 Getaway to Imagination, Juried exhibition (slides selection), Farmington Museum,
Farmington, NM
2006 Aloha spirit of Islands, Art Center, Traverse City, MI
2006 National Juried exhibition, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA
2005 Juried exhibition, Traverse City Art Center, MI
(Juror Don Desmett, Director of Collections and Exhibitions at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts)
2005 Group exhibition , Traverse City Library, Traverse City , Mi
2005 Faculty exhibition, Traverse City Art Center, Traverse City, MI
2004 Leelanau Community Cultural Center, Leland, MI
2004 34th Annual Juried Art Exhibition, Traverse City Chamber of Commerce, Traverse City, MI
2004 Faculty/Student exhibition, Traverse City Art Center, Traverse City, MI
2003 Faculty exhibition, Midland Center for the Arts, Midland, MI
2003 Faces of Woman, 13th Annual National Juried Art Exhibition, Las Vegas, NM
(Juror Laura Addison Curator of Contemporary Art at the Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe)
2003 Michigan Fine Arts Competition, Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center,
Birmingham, MI (juried exhibition, Juror noted artist Richard Nonas)
2002 MFA Exhibition, CMU Art Gallery, Mount Pleasant, MI
2002 Faculty exhibition, CMU Art Gallery, Mount Pleasant, MI
2001 Solo exhibition, Multicultural Center CMU Mt. Pleasant, MI
2001 International Expo CMU, Mt. Pleasant, MI
2001 Solo exhibition, Art Reach, Mount Pleasant, MI
2000 Faculty exhibition, CMU Art Gallery, Mount Pleasant, MI
1999 Faculty exhibition, CMU Art Gallery, Mount Pleasant, MI
1999 Student competition, Northwood Gallery, Midland MI
1998 Graduate student exhibition, CMU Art Gallery, Mount Pleasant, MI
Exhibition Juried
2016 Plein Air and Best classic car painting, Crooked Tree Art Center, Mi
2016 Theme Hope, Bay Pointe Community Church, Traverse city, MI
2015 Theme Battles, Bay Pointe Community Church, Traverse city, MI
2015 Plein Air, Crooked Tree Art Center, Traverse City, MI
2010 Portraits, People, Pets and Animals, Art Center, Traverse city, MI