LITTLE ROCK – Renowned glass artist James Hayes, an Arkansas native whose work has been shown at numerous exhibitions throughout the country, will have the largest permanent collection of his artistry ever displayed with the opening of the Psychiatric Research Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

Hayes, who was born in Pine Bluff and operates the James Hayes Art Glass Company in Pine Bluff, has designed a series of unique and colorful pieces that will be displayed throughout the psychiatric facility, scheduled to open Dec. 2. The 44 wall hangings were designed to honor donors who have made significant contributions to the Institute. The artwork will be accompanied by small plaques recognizing the donors.

“From the very beginning, we wanted to have this Institute include some form of artwork that complemented its design, which includes a lot of glass and natural lighting,” said G. Richard Smith, M.D., chairman of the UAMS Department of Psychiatry and director of the Psychiatric Research Institute. “The opportunity to not only have the work of one of the South’s best-known artists of his kind and to pay tribute to those people who have done so much to help us accomplish our goals was too good to pass up.”

Soon after receiving an art degree from Conway’s Hendrix College in 1988, Hayes enrolled at the Arkansas Arts Center Museum School in Little Rock to study glassblowing. He has also studied the art in Murano, Italy; Columbus, Ohio; and the Pilchuck Glass School near Seattle, Wash. Hayes’ work has been featured in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s “High Profile” section, on the cover of At Home In Arkansas magazine and in Southern Living magazine. He has won the “best of media” award at the Shreveport Louisiana Red River Revel Arts Festival and “best of show” at Riverfest in Little Rock.

UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with five colleges, a graduate school, a medical center, six centers of excellence and a statewide network of regional centers. UAMS has 2,652 students and 733 medical residents. Its centers of excellence include the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, the Psychiatric Research Institute and the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging. It is one of the state’s largest public employers with about 10,000 employees, including nearly 1,150 physicians who provide medical care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS’ Area Health Education Centers throughout the state. UAMS and its affiliates have an economic impact in Arkansas of $5 billion a year. Visit www.uams.edu.