James Hay earned a B.A. in American and European History from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1972. After touring Europe, playing music, and living in Scotland for 2 years, he immigrated to Canada. He completed a 4-year apprenticeship as a cabinetmaker through the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in 1981, and graduated from the Master of Art Conservation program at Queen’s University in 1987. After internships at CCI and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (working on furniture) and at the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC (working on musical instruments), he spent 12 years at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull, QC (working on projects including musical instruments, furniture, integrated pest management, and totem poles). He joined CCI in 2000, and remains involved in musical instruments, furniture, the history and technological development of woodworking, Northwest Coast art, and teaching.
