GO ART! looking to develop multi-million-dollar site in Medina for cultural programs

Photo by Tom Rivers: Gregory Hallock (right at podium), executive director of the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council, greets about 75 people during an announcement on Saturday for $210,000 in grants to local arts programs. He is joined at Hoag Library in Albion by Mary Jo Whitman (left), the education and Statewide Community Regrant Program coordinator; and Jodi Fisher (center), the GO ART! administrative assistant.

ALBION – The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council wants a site in Orleans County for an art gallery and also as a base for cultural programs.

Gregory Hallock, the executive director of GO ART!, said the organization is looking to develop a site in Medina, a project that could be about $10 million.

Hallock said the agency will be reaching out to foundations and raising money through donors.

The agency isn’t releasing any plans or more specifics about the project right now, Hallock said on Saturday during an presentation for $210,000 in grants to 50 artists and organizations.

Hallock said GO ART! wants a vibrant arts program in both Genesee and Orleans. In addition to the project in Medina, Hallock said GO ART! will be looking to expand and modernize in Batavia. He expects the fundraising and development will be a major focus for the organization from 2024 to 2027.

“We’re going to have state-of-the-art everything,” he said.

Hallock said the program in Orleans has been helped through partnerships with the local libraries and the Orleans County YMCA. But he said a dedicated site that would offer classes and other programming is needed in Orleans County.

“We will be adding space in Medina,” he told a crowd of about 75 people on Saturday. “More details to come.”