By Miles Hilton
A new art gallery is coming to Jamestown! KayCo gallery, a space for Indigenous art and education, will hold its opening reception this Friday, February 23rd from 5:30-8:30pm at the gallery space in Suite 12, 20 West 3rd St. in Jamestown.
The opening exhibit will feature art by gallery founder and owner Kaycee Colburn. Colburn, who is Seneca and a Jamestown resident, is a multimedia artist currently working as Artist in Residence at Jamestown Community College.
“KayCo is excited to be part of the Jamestown community and is my way of continuing my goals as a Creatives Rebuild NY Artist at JCC with hopes of filling some gaps regarding culture and education that this area has a need for” says Colburn. Creatives Rebuild New York, the program that has funded Colburn’s residency at JCC, provides sustainable income for artists strengthening their communities across the state.
As JCC’s Artist in Residence, a position she’s held since 2022, Colburn has focused on making Indigenous culture accessible to Indigenous people in the area, as well as educating non-Indigenous residents about the rich cultural and artistic traditions native to this land. With her residency coming to an end in Spring 2024, Colburn was looking for a way to “keep the culture going”, an effective way of continuing the work she had begun at JCC.
She discovered just such an avenue during her 2023 bid for City Council. While knocking on doors, she realized through conversations that “lots of people want this kind of thing”, a dedicated space for Indigenous art, culture, and education, and set out to bring the gallery to life.
“I’m really excited about the opening of KayCo”, Colburn shared, and as we talk, it becomes clear much of that excitement is altruistic. Colburn’s vision for the gallery is deeply rooted in community, collaboration, and mutual aid. She hopes to take on interns as a way to help young Indigenous artists further their careers, and to showcase work by a wide array of Indigenous creators. She has a strong focus on education, and hopes to host workshops and educational events not only in the gallery space, but in community spaces around Jamestown. The word “accessible” pops up over and over again as she talks about bringing direct knowledge of Indigenous heritage, including cultural and artistic practices, to those who feel separated from their roots.
Colburn designed KayCo gallery to fill a very real need in Jamestown, the relative dearth of Indigenous-centric spaces, events, and outreach. Friday’s opening is just the start: for those who can’t make it, visit the gallery during its regular open hours, Monday and Wednesday from noon-4pm, and the first Saturday of each month from 4-7pm.