For most of his life, art has been a passion for artist Jay Carrier. Now that passion is finding extensive interest, with exhibitions in New York City and Buffalo showcasing his work.
Born on the Six Nations of the Grand River, Carrier relocated with his family to Niagara Falls as a young boy. Both locations have influenced his art.
"I had a great upbringing. And, I knew intimately the rivers I swam in and fished in," Carrier said.
"I looked at it as a place of sanctity, the Niagara Gorge specifically. I looked at it as a place of healing, and I looked at it as a place of enrichment."
While art was his passion, Carrier made his living working in the city's chemical industry providing insight into the city's sad environmental legacy. He also understood how the industry "employed hundreds of people that raised their families in and around Niagara Falls."
His current exhibition at Buffalo Arts Studio "Niagara, It's Great to Be Here" reflects the many levels of Carrier's experience. He says the title came from a sign on a tank at a Niagara Falls chemical plant.
"That's incredible how they think. That's how they're trying to bamboozle people."
While the showing at Buffalo Arts Studio continues through April 5, the exhibition of Carrier's work at the 47 Canal gallery is wrapping up in New York City. When WBFO visited with Carrier, he said one of his pieces was in the process of being sold at an impressive price. The buyer, he said, is an influential collector who often leads art-purchasing trends.
"Art isn't new to Indigenous people, but the world of (Native) art in galleries and museums seems to be really opening up."
