GO Art! director says organization committed to new arts center at Fairgrounds
Foundations will be asked to support GO Barn!, which has been approved for $7.8 million state grant
Rendering by Red Green Design: The three-story GO Barn! building would have the look of a barn, with the silo having an elevator and stairs to access the three floors. GO Art! said the facility would boost arts programs, agricultural education and entrepreneurial initiatives.
KNOWLESVILLE – The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council is working on applications to foundations to back a new building at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds, a project that could top $20 million.
Go Art! is seeking to build the Go Barn! at the fairgrounds. It was awarded a $7,793,000 state grant in May 2025.
Gregory Hallock, the Go Art! executive director, said he is seeking $15 million more from other foundations.
“We’re applying for grants like you wouldn’t believe,” he said Friday during a celebration when Go Art! presented $165,685 in state funding to local artists and cultural programs in Orleans County.
GO Art! is proposing the new building at the fairgrounds to serve as a dynamic hub for arts, culture and community engagement in Orleans County, including: a multipurpose arts and cultural center inspired by the historic Wells Barn design; a dedicated space for fiber arts, workshops and artisan programming; and a greenhouse, designed to grow plants for fabric dyeing and art creation.
“It is happening,” Hallock said about the ambitious project. “We are still working on it. We’re raising money.”
Photos by Tom Rivers: Gregory Hallock, executive director for the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council, speaks during Friday’s award presentation to artists and organizations in Orleans County. GO Art! presented $165,685 in grants for projects and programs in Orleans County. The awards celebration was held at GO Art!’s historic building at 201 East Main St. in Batavia.
The building is planned for the west end of the fairgrounds near Taylor Hill Road. The fairgrounds is an ideal location for the cultural center, located between Medina and Albion, Hallock said.
The building would have flexible or adaptable space that could be used for many things. Hallock and Go Art! envision two art galleries, artist studios and a residence where artists could bunk instead of driving home in the wee hours of the night. Hallock would like to the building to be used for many art forms – culinary, folk, horticultural, literary, visual, muli-media and more.
The facility would be accessible and inclusive to all community members, Hallock said. The GO Barn! would have hands-on programs in arts, agriculture and sustainability that would provide workforce readiness. Hallock said GO Art! wants to partner with local schools and organizations in “fostering a lifelong learning environment.”
The Go Art! website says $14,960 has been donated towards the project so far. Click here for more information on how to support Go Art!
Linda Knipe, the Go Art! board president, praised Hallock for securing several grants for arts and cultural programs in both Orleans and Genesee counties.
“Gregory has been a prolific grantwriter, and he is good at it,” she said.
Knipe would like to diversify the funding for GO Art! and be less reliant on grants. She welcomes sponsorships and donations to assist the local arts council.
“We are seeking more contributors,” she said. “We can use everyone in the two counties to really talk up GO Art! and get people to support us.”
Linda Knipe, GO Art! board president, said the organization has been successful securing grants for programs in Genesee and Orleans counties. She urged the community to support GO Art! through sponsorships and donations.
