By Dana Tyrrell

(Image above: Jenine Marsh’s ‘Microcosm’).

Welcome to Hive Highlights; a weekly exhibits roundup from Buffalo Hive. This showcase is meant to point people to gallery openings, ongoing exhibits, closings, artist talks and happenings in the visual arts community of Western New York for the week/end ahead. These lists are not designed to be comprehensive, instead providing a keyhole into the creative hum of our region.

1. Jenine Marsh: Microcosm, on view at the Buffalo Institute for Contemporary Art (BICA)
   Opening Reception, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, 7:00-10:00 p.m.
   30D Essex St, Buffalo, NY 14213

This exhibition of new sculptural works by Toronto-based artist Jenine Marsh opens on Friday, January 24, from 7–10 PM, followed by an artist-led walkthrough on Saturday, January 25, at noon. Both events are free and open to the public. Marsh’s Microcosm invites viewers to navigate a world where ideals of paradise and progress fracture under the weight of history. By blending symbols of labor, currency, and utopia, the installation challenges us to consider how value is constructed and who is excluded in the pursuit of perfection.

2. Jay Carrier: Niagara, it’s Great to be Here, on view at Buffalo Arts Studio
   Opening Reception, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, 5:00-8:00 p.m.
   2495 Main Street, Ste. 500, Buffalo, NY, 14214

The exhibition features paintings, drawings, and assemblages created over Carrier’s career, offering an intimate exploration of the Niagara River as a personal and communal space. Carrier’s work delves into the dualities of his life as an Indigenous artist navigating the complexities of contemporary urban life in Niagara Falls, juxtaposed with his deep spiritual and physical connection to the surrounding landscape.

Born on Six Nations Reserve to Onondaga and Tuscarora parents, he holds an MFA from the University of Illinois and has exhibited widely across the U.S. and Canada. His work has been featured at institutions such as the Castellani Art Museum, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center and the Burchfield Penney Art Center.

3. Zombi X: A Solo Exhibition by Robert Pitts, on view at El Museo
   ON VIEW THRU, January 31, 2025
   91 Allen Street, Buffalo, NY, 14202

“Through images and symbols, Zombi X examines the varied and complex issues of how Black lives in America are often placed in a state of nonbeing by Western systems and institutions. Our bodies are buried only to be resurrected and commodified by society and ourselves. Our minds and souls are placed in various conflicting states of double and triple consciousness leaving us separated from ourselves but with the ability to return, much like the Haitian zombie.” – Robert Pitts

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