Jan. 24, 2014 | Jan. 24, 2014 | A large multi-colored glass suspended sculpture/chandelier entitled “Horizontal Sunrise” was installed in the lobby of the Psychiatric Research Institute on January 20.

The piece, which consists of 286 hand-blown pieces of glass, was created by renowned Arkansas artist James Hayes, whose work can be found in public and private collections throughout the United States.

The work, unveiled at a reception Jan. 21, was funded by a group of local donors. The sculpture is 14 feet long and 4 feet high, the largest creation of Hayes’ on display in Arkansas. The loose pieces of the artwork were strung to the frame with stainless steel wires by Hayes, who spent two weeks creating the individual parts of the structure and six hours on a scissor lift installing it. The sculpture can best be seen from the second floor of PRI, home to the center’s Walker Family Clinic.

“We wanted something cheerful for the patients and everyone who works in that department,” said Hayes, who relied on a palette of greens, reds, purples, oranges and blue to create the vibrant piece. “We wanted to fill that space with some happy colors.”

Hayes already has a large chandelier hung in PRI’s main stairway as well as numerous glass chargers hung throughout the first three floors of the building. His latest creation was a collaboration of the underwriters and local art consultant Greg Thompson, who has overseen PRI’s growing art collection.