Community pride and public art are at the centre of the fourth profile in Discover Moose Jaw’s Her Voice series.
The weekly feature highlights women making an impact in Moose Jaw and surrounding communities through leadership, creativity and community involvement.
The fourth featured nominee is mural artist Carly Jaye, whose large-scale artwork can be found throughout Moose Jaw and across Saskatchewan.
Jaye said she was surprised and humbled to learn she had been nominated.
“I think my first reaction was, it made my day,” she said.
Bringing art back home
Known for her murals throughout Moose Jaw and other communities, Jaye said growing up surrounded by local art helped shape her path as an artist.
After moving to Toronto in her 20s and experiencing the city’s street art culture, she returned to Saskatchewan inspired to bring those influences home while building on Moose Jaw’s existing artistic community.
“I wanted to move back home to Saskatchewan and run with what I learned out there,” she said.
Jaye said many of her projects focus on helping businesses and organizations tell their stories visually through art.
“A lot of the time I’m working with a local business that wants to tell a story about its business and history,” she said. “Getting to commemorate that on their wall is so touching.”
Related Stories:
Building community through murals
Jaye said one of the biggest challenges people may not realize is the amount of work involved behind the scenes on each mural project.
“It’s the behind-the-scenes labour and devotion that’s the hardest part for sure,” she said.
One of her most recent accomplishments was completing a large-scale mural at Cuppa Joe’s after delays caused by winter weather conditions.
Jaye said the support and patience from the community during projects like that reflect the close-knit nature of Saskatchewan communities.
“We’re neighbours,” she said. “There’s that hometown pride.”
She said she still finds it surprising that her first major mural project, the Al Capone mural at the bottom of Main Street in Moose Jaw, eventually led to a full-time career in mural art.
“Looking back and thinking about how delusional I was to step up to a stucco wall like that and just hope for the best,” she said. “It was probably the best risk I ever took.”
Encouraging future artists
Jaye also spoke about the importance of encouraging younger artists and creators, especially those who may not see art as a viable career path.
“Art isn’t always assumed to be something you can be successful in,” Jaye said. “I want all those dreamers and creators growing up behind me to know that if I can do this, you can do it.”
Jaye credited her grandmother, Pat, as one of her biggest role models, along with fellow Moose Jaw artist and musician Megan Nash.
The Her Voice series continues weekly, highlighting women helping shape and strengthen the Moose Jaw community.
