Company Info
For nearly 30 years, the man behind SCULPTURE RESCUE has been designing, creating and installing his outdoor bronze monuments, over thirty so far.
Edd Hayes’ own natural talent, honed by self-study of masters of the sculpted form, continuing, diligent research along with careful study of the anatomy of both humans and animals plus a strong determination to seek perfection in his work, has brought this native Texan to the forefront of American sculptors creating monumental bronze sculpture.
Before turning to a career in art, Hayes was involved in the welding technology fields for about 10 years, in sales and servicing of all kinds of welding equipment. He attended schools in California and Texas for specialty welding technologies and metallurgical science, special welding applications and power sources. He spent a few years in commercial building construction and in the oilfield welding business out in West Texas.
“My level of training is my ‘background’, literally involving every work experience I have had in my life. It all now serves me very well in my chosen field of creating bronze sculpture and even more so with SCULPTURE RESCUE. I am a ‘hands on’ person, I have always learned by doing and by listening to those that knew more than I did. Experience is a wonderful teacher.”
Hayes started SCULPTURE RESCUE after experiencing what a horrible job a so called conservator did to one of his monuments. Almost immediately the beautiful, original “French Brown” patina was turned a dirty black, and in a few months, yellowish flakes were peeling away from the bronze surfaces. Eventually Hayes himself successfully completed the refurbishing of this monument.
Our commitment at SCULPTURE RESCUE is to always treat each sculpture like it was one of his own, to never do ‘unnecessary’ work or to take any kind of ‘short cuts’, to always use the very best methods and finest materials, sealants and waxes. The combined years of experience of our technicians along with consultants are over 100 years in the fields of the creation, restoration, conservation and preservation of life-size and monumental bronze sculpture. We really do want to preserve Americas’ Heritage, one sculpture at a time.
A twenty-seven foot tall bronze monument, designed and created by Hayes, titled, “The Champ”, stands as the center piece and the ‘official logo’ for The Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of The American Cowboy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This monument along with about ten other outdoor bronzes is maintained by SCULPTURE RESCUE.
“Wild and Free”, also designed and created by Hayes is a 200 foot long by 22 foot tall sculpture that was originally installed at the entrance to the Astroarena in Houston in 1992. In December 2003, under Hayes’ close supervision, this sculpture was relocated to its new home next to Reliant Stadium. The sculpture depicts six, 1 ½ life-size, wild mustang, in a setting of native Texas stone, plants and grasses along with two waterfalls and a creek surrounding the sculpture.
Sculpture by Hayes can be found in collections around the world as well as in the permanent collections of museums in California, Colorado, South Dakota, Texas and Russia. Two bronzes that were in the first ‘Bush’ White House are now in The George Bush Presidential Library at College Station.
In October, 1998 Hayes was named by The Texas Legislature as The Official Texas State Sculptor. He now maintains a studio just north of Houston in historic Old Town Spring, Texas.