We recently had the chance to connect with Carson Ferri-Grant and have shared our conversation below.
Carson, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
All three: intelligence, energy and integrity, work together to harmonize one’s mind, soul, and spirit. Each nurtures my artistic goals for today and for my future. Honesty with myself guides my care toward my next project. My exploration of new viewpoints of our surrounding universe and how I fit into the puzzle of life fascinates me.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Carson Ferri-Grant, USA Actor and Artist:
My early years in Rhode Island and Massachusetts with their ocean weather patterns, along the New England coastline, meadows, and forests, have helped shape my vision and emotional projections; a direct influence on my fluid brush strokes.
My dedication to environmental conservation merged with my passions as a creative visual artist and theatrical thespian, formed a series of events throughout the five decades living in NYC.
Turning seventy years old 2019, wanting to experience the western coast, I drove a twenty-four-foot Penske truck cross-country to settle in Los Angeles. California Energies have opened new visual pathways for me to interpret. When analyzing my creative process, I first question our human and environment conditions, dream the imagery, then manipulate the mediums to produce a visual art piece. With my acting and artwork, I seek to involve my audience in a sensational brain tease of activities igniting their five senses, intellectually challenging, and emotionally nourishing their souls.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
My teachers recognized my creative skills and positively supported my experimentation. Looking back through my seven decades of life there are two distinct moments where my energy was defined more clearly.
First, 1962 at twelve years old I was prolific in creating artworks over the six years of grammar school, and was recommended by my teachers to attend RI School of Design weekend drawing and painting courses. The unrestricted and intellectual transition into college Art Courses was exciting and challenging to me. Drawing class was nude sketching which gave me a healthy attitude for nudity in my future adult life. In Art class each week we were given art concepts to incorporate into our sketches, like a life lines, volume, and lighting. One assignment was to draw using color pastels capturing light and dark areas of the figures. Within fifteen minutes of sketching with lime green and cobalt blue pastel colors, I juxtaposition-striation of the human figures’ energy. The teacher and other students stared with pleasant enjoyment. That day I understood my natural talents to see beyond the image before me, my artistry.
Second, 1978 and 1979 during Hunter College summer break for two months I backpacked and walked much of the USA photographing damaged natural reserves. I had a safe place to crash at a relative’s house in Rapid City, South Dakota whose property was adjacent to the Black Hills range. The Black Hills is geographically east of the Thunder Basin National Grasslands. For 3 days I hiked up to a top ridge to meditate and try to sense how a young Indian would see the world in earlier 1800 times. I chanted for hours impulsive- non-sequitur melodic sounds and rhythms naked on my camping mat. I carried an assortment of dried fruits, nuts, cheese and water in my backpack. In the heat of the afternoon the beautiful clear blue sky would fill with dark clouds which thunder-hail-rained upon me. The clouds would pass, and the sunny conditions found me feeling energy from the powerful universal force. I joked with myself when the thunder bolts clashed above my head, “If the Earth wants me, here I am”. Truthfully using common sense, I did not use my F1 Nikon- metal casing during the electric storm, not wanting to tease fate. The photos attached are as the storm was approaching and myself at that age. The experience gave me foresight in my dreams to see darkness coming toward me and others. Though my life, I took steps to protect myself and others against incoming storms. This 1979 summer, I march with the Lakota Sioux Indian, Benton Harbor Farms, Rapid City, South Dakota, ‘Black Hills National Gathering of the People’, as part of the ‘No-Nukes’ MUSE concert tour 1979 against uranium mining on Indian lands. Returning to NYC I photographed the lower Manhattan ‘No Nuke’ MUSE concert on the underdeveloped World Financial Center land next to the Hudson River. I created my one-man exhibition, ‘Nature-Nuclear: The U-Cave’ constructed a large climb-up-into “scarred Mother Earth Uterus” – post nuclear with her next distorted generation traveling down her maimed single fallopian tube into her contaminated womb (30′ x 40′). The installation encouraged public consideration of alternative energy sources to protect our future generations and environment. “…provoked quite a stir… (Times: 11-30-79)
In May 1980 Carson Ferri-Grant established ‘Environmental Arts United’ as an educational art organization by filing a 501-3C application for a ‘not-for-profit’ status to NYS. On September 2, 1980, EAU ‘Environmental Artists United’ was approved by NYS, whose purpose was to create educational art exhibitions merging art and environmental conservation. EAU received grants from ‘America the Beautiful Fund’ and ‘The Avon Foundation’.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I encourage all artists with these words to my younger self that patience is a virtue and all will be revealed as need be. Rushing through a new experience deprives the evolutionary course of events. I would say to trust and follow your instincts. Destiny welcomes pleasant journeyers.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
My own projects. Commitment to actualize myself and answer why my being has been placed in this century. I ask myself how can I contribute to the better good, to further positive human experiences, to respect our Earthly environment, and help guide all of us to a stronger sense of worth. My honesty in my acting and artwork reflects my interactions with other living beings sharing this planet, creates a mantra of life moving forward in our existence.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. When do you feel most at peace?
Waking up to a California sunrise, smelling an orange blossom, an iris, a rose, a lily opening on a clear day. Listening to the chirping of the birds, the cooing of the doves, seeing the flutter of a butterfly, and all the insects busy with their goals, lifts my heart. The multicolored hues in the California skies fill my reserves. The quiet of the stars and full moon nights with local music flowing through the night air. When I complete a project self-actualization takes place, and I smile.
My recent episodic project ‘Second Chances’ with my redemptive role Alby Junky, written and directed by Michael Caissie, has been released on Tubi- USA-TV. My demo scenes of Alby Junky are on my IMDB page. I was honored to receive Best Supporting Actor by Ideal International Film Festival for my role of William in ‘A Life Well Lived’ written and directed by Asger Folmann. Soon to be released is the film ‘Bound’ written and directed by Jiaxu Zhu, with Jody Jaress and Carson Grant sharing a dramatic married-senior self-suicide theme. I was honored by Roman International Movie Award to receive Best Actor award for my role of Francisco Santos in the film ‘Amazon Queen’ written and directed by Marlin Darrah, which scored fifth most watched feature film on Movie Central charts on YouTube for two years. About 40-50 million views around the world now can be viewed via multiple popular steaming platforms such as Apple TV, Roku Channel, Amazon Prime, Google play, Tubi, Plex. I will be exhibiting my latest two painting series, ‘Cali Nestia’ (photos) and ‘Cali Rosesia’ in the LA Art Show 2026, January 7-12, 2026, at the LA Convention Center represented by FilmPens Studio Booth # 1009. Stop by to enjoy my artwork and share a positive conversation.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www,carsongrant.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cferrigrant
- Linkedin: https://www.artsy.net/artist/carson-ferri-grant
- Twitter: X: https://twitter.com/CarsonGrant
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Carson Ferri-Grant
- Yelp: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0335300/
- Youtube: http://youtube.com/carsongrant
- Soundcloud: https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/Carson Ferri-Grant Artistbio2026
- Other: http://FilmPens.com/
Image Credits
Stephen Cutler Linsley, professional
Rodolfo Silva Cavallaro, casual
Carson Ferri-Grant, artwork and Black Hills thunderstorm
