By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 June 2026 at 10:07 am
Fee for whole season includes dedicated dock space and utilities
Photo by Tom Rivers: This 34-foot-long yacht was in Medina’s Canal Basin over the weekend. Brian Hellner and his son Rollin want to make it available as an Airbnb for short-term overnight rentals.
MEDINA – The Village Board, after months of discussion and research, on Monday evening approved a fee for leasing dock space in the Canal Basin. Medina will be charging $35 per foot for boats to have exclusive access to a dock for the entire canal season.
That $35 a foot also includes utilities – water, electricity and a dump station to pump out sewage.
Medina has two requests to have boats utilized as Airbnbs or short-term overnight rentals for the canal season, which runs until Oct. 14.
Brian Hellner and his son Rollin want to make a 34-foot-long yacht available for rent. At $35 a foot, the fee for dedicated dock space will be $1,190 for the season.
The Erie Floatel, LLC also is seeking a lease for its house boat. That 24-foot-long boat will have to pay $840. The Erie Floatel is operated by Andrew Meier and Svein Lilleby
The Erie Floatel debuted last year as the first short-term rental to be stationed at Medina in the Erie Canal. Last year, the lease agreement was $220 for dedicated space at the south end of the canal, plus $100 for electric and water consumption for the season.
The two boats will be on the eastern end of Medina’s docking area to free up space along the basin wall for transient users. Village Trustee Jeff Wagner said transient users who are visiting Medina can continue to use the docks for free.
Wagner said he was in frequent discussions with the State Canal Corp. about a lease fee and dedicated dock space for long-term users. The Canal Corp. told him there has been a surge in requests to have boats used as short-term rentals on the canal.
The boat owners who want to use them as Airbnbs also need to get a permit from the Canal Corp.
Brian Hellner, owner of the North Star II boat, asked the Village Board to prorate the charge and knock a third off the cost because the canal season started on May 15.
But Wagner said the season is still in the early stages with the whole summer ahead. The board declined Hellner’s request.
Hellner operated a boat ride business from a 20-foot-long pontoon boat in the basin from 2023 to 2025 but is taking a break from that this year. With that business, in 2023 he was charged $125 a month or $625 for the season to have exclusive access to one of the docks.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 June 2026 at 12:14 pm
Peters House considered outstanding example of Queen Anne style architecture
Photos courtesy of Christopher Schmidt: This Queen Anne-style residence on Salt Works Road has been recommended by the New York State Board for Historic Preservation to be included on the State and National Registers of Historic Places.
MEDINA – A Medina home in the Queen Anne architectural style has been recommended for inclusion on the State and National Registers of Historic Places.
The NYS Board of Historic Preservation met on June 4 and recommended the approval of the Peters House at 4018 Salt Works Rd. in Medina. The Board for Historic Preservation also recommended 19 other properties and districts for State and National Registers of Historic Places.
Constructed circa-1910 by George G. and Anna Peters, the two-story wood-frame residence is considered one of the finest and most intact examples of Queen Anne architecture in Western New York, said Christopher Schmidt, the current owner of the home.
More than a century after its construction, the houses continues to retain an exceptional degree of historic integrity, preserving many of the character-defining features that make the style so recognizable, he said.
“The Peters House is a fine example of the quality and craftsmanship that characterized residential construction during Medina’s period of growth and prosperity in the early twentieth century,” Schmidt said. “Its preservation allows future generations to appreciate both the architectural heritage and community history that helped shape Medina.”
Among the home’s most notable architectural elements are its asymmetrical façade, steeply pitched box gable roof, turret, bay windows, wrap-around porch, second-story porch alcove, overhanging eaves, classical columns, and decorative mix of clapboard siding and patterned shingles.
The residence is about 1 mile from Medina’s urban core. The house retains much of its original interior craftsmanship, including pine floors, wood trim, pocket doors, staircase, four-panel doors with original hardware, and extensive parlor woodwork, he said.
The property was recognized under National Register Criterion C for Architecture, reflecting its significance as a well-preserved example of the Queen Anne style. Despite modest updates over the years, including kitchen and bathroom renovations and porch modifications, the home continues to convey its historic appearance, materials, workmanship, and sense of place.
This photo from 1955 shows the horse racing oval by the property.
Beyond its architectural significance, the property occupies a site connected to an important chapter in Medina’s history. Prior to construction of the residence, portions of the property were part of the Medina Driving Park, a popular horse-racing and recreational venue established in 1871, Schmidt said. The Driving Park served as a social and entertainment center for the community, hosting horse races, bicycle competitions, football games, and other public events that drew visitors from throughout the region.
The listing on the State and National Registers of Historic Places recognizes the Peters House as an important cultural and architectural resource. Today, the Peters House stands as an enduring reminder of the village’s rich architectural legacy and the craftsmanship of a bygone era, ensuring that one of Medina’s historic treasures will continue to be appreciated for generations to come.
State and National Register listing can assist owners in revitalizing properties, making them eligible for various public preservation programs and services, such as matching state grants and federal and state historic rehabilitation tax credits.
“I encourage other owners of historic properties to explore historic designation and celebrate the unique history of their buildings,” Schmidt said. “There are many remarkable properties that deserve similar recognition.”
Once recommendations are approved by Kathy Moser, the commissioner of the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the sites will be listed in the New York State Register of Historic Places and then nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, where they are reviewed by the National Park Service. If approved they will be entered in the National Register.
Some other nearby sites that were recommended on June 4 for the State and National Registers of Historic Places include:
Cobb’s Hill Historic District in Rochester, Monroe County
Dunkirk Macaroni and Supply Company Building in Dunkirk, Chautauqua County
Farmers and Mechanics Savings Bank in Lockport, Niagara County
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 June 2026 at 8:36 am
Photos by Tom Rivers: Visitors of the Medina Triennial on Friday walk in “Reflection,” a piece created by artist Asad Raza of Buffalo. Raza made the 70-foot water channel in the former NAPA Auto Parts building at 345 Main St., which is the Hub for the Medina Triennial. Raza sought to mimic the Erie Canal and urges people to remove their shoes and walk on Reflection and feel the slow current. This is one of 39 works created by artists and featured in the Triennial, which opens today and runs through Sept. 7.
MEDINA – A major arts initiative will open today in Medina and the public is welcome to visit 39 arts installations around the village.
The Medina Triennial is free to visit, and organizers are anticipating 50,000 people will come to Medina during the Triennial’s three-month run. The project’s main sponsors include the New York Power Authority and the New York State Canal Corporation. Many other sponsors also are supporting the initiative.
It will be a busy weekend of exhibitions, performances, talks, tours, and gatherings with artists, organizers and the Medina community.
Today’s schedule
• 11:30 a.m. – Ribbon-cutting ceremony with public officials, the Medina Triennial team, and artists at the front lawn of the historic Medina High School, 324 Catherine St.
• Noon to 8 p.m. – Exhibitions open at all sites with extended hours
• 1 p.m. – Guidebook launch with designers Other Means, editor Sarah Demeuse, and writer Laura Marris at Medina Triennial Hub, 345 Main St.
• 2 p.m. – Live Work: Faithfully Recording by Lina Lapelytė at Medina Railroad Museum Grounds, 530 West Ave. Faithfully Recording unfolds through a small team of people coming together to sing while constructing a sculpture from fragments of reclaimed Medina sandstone.
• 3:30 p.m. – Curatorial Tour with Kari Conte and Karin Laansoo, co-artistic directors of Medina Triennial. The tour will be at the historic Medina High School, 324 Catherine St.
• 6 p.m. – Undigging with Futurefarmers starts at the Medina Triennial Hub, 345 Main St. The Futurefarmers will start from the the exhibition space of their artwork, 48 Encounters, and then move with props in a dérive: an un-digging of the Erie Canal.
• 8 p.m. – Opening Party at Mile 303 Cantina at 416 Main Street. Celebrate the opening of the Medina Triennial with artists, organizers, and the community. RSVP is required here.
Sunday, June 7
• Noon to 6 p.m. – Exhibitions Open
• 12 p.m. – Richard Ibghy & Marilou Lemmens talk and birdwatching at Rotary Park, 507 Main S. Ibghy and Lemmens will lead an artist talk and birdwatching session in collaboration with Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge and the New York State Bluebird Society. Beginning in front of their installation, Community Toolshed for the Birds, the artists will discuss their research into how birds use tools and transmit knowledge across generations, challenging human-centered ideas of intelligence. Afterwards, participants are invited to join the artists and local experts for guided birdwatching in nearby habitats. Binoculars will be provided to participants.
• 2 p.m. – Artist AKI INOMATA and writer Lilia Rocio Taboada will have a conversation at Medina Triennial Hub, 345 Main St., about the artist’s ongoing interest in forms of collaboration across species and environments. The artist’s ongoing project How to Carve a Sculpture, a collaboration with beavers, is on view at the Historic Medina High School.
The “Reflection” piece created by Asad Raza was popular during a preview of the Medina Triennial on Friday. He created a pebbled bottom on the 70-foot-channel that uses water from the Erie Canal. The water will be pumped out and replaced each week.
“There is something intimate and real about walking in flowing water,” Raza said.
Raza, a Buffalo resident, has been in other biennials or triennials in New York City, Cleveland and Pakistan.
He urges local residents to go see all the arts installations and they will discover a deeper appreciation for Medina.
“The Triennial gives people in an area a reason to explore their own community and see it from the eyes of an artist,” he said.
Mary Mattingly greets people who are ready to explore the “Floating Garden.” She repurposed a 30-by-80-foot industrial barge into a vessel with plants, fruit trees, herbs and vegetables. The public is welcome to forage from the plants throughout the summer.
People explore the old barge that Mattingly has repurposed into one filled with plants. Mattingly said she wants people to think about the canal as a potential food way where more fruits and vegetables could be grown for the local community. Some of the plants on the barge were shared by residents of Medina, who dug them out of their yards.
Mattingly started working on site last September and spent three months in Medina. She is one of five artists working on projects in residency as part of the Triennial.
Kari Conte, left, and Karin Laansoo are co-curators of the Medina Triennial, which has a theme, “All That Sustains Us.” They are shown inside the Triennial Hub building, greeting about 50 visitors who attended a preview tour.
Laansoo said she thinks Medina is the first smaller village to host a triennial arts project. The events are typically in large cities.
Medina was picked to host the Triennial of contemporary art partly due to its location between Rochester and Buffalo, and mainly because Medina is viewed as a model community that embraces its historic resources while welcoming offering a vibrant downtown and strong agricultural and manufacturing resources.
Kari Conte and Karin Laansoo welcome the visitors – media members and many arts professionals and partners in the Triennial.
Conte writes in a guidebook about the Triennial that Medina is the perfect place for the initiative.
“The Triennial was an ambitious idea from the start: an international contemporary art triennial in a rural, post-industrial canal village between Buffalo and Rochester, with a population of 6,000, a limited art infrastructure, and no regional precedent at this scale,” Conte writes. “However, Medina offered something more important. It had a historic Main Street with preserved sandstone buildings, a working canal, orchards and farms, and a hundred-year-old, light-filled former high school that seemed built for an exhibition. Above all, it had a community—good neighbors—that had been quietly tending these places for generations.”
Jean Shin, an artist who works out of New York City and the Hudson Valley, has given a new purpose to more than 400 trophies on display in the gymnasium of the old Medina High School. Instead of celebrating athletic achievements, Shin now has the trophies paying homage to everyday professions: caregivers, food service employees, postal carriers, sanitary workers and others whose labor is often unappreciated.
Shin’s trophy collection was first presented in 2009. Her installations use discarded materials – pill bottles, bottle caps, old shoes, worn garments, outdated phones and broken records – which are then used for new material explorations.
Shin is one of about 30 artists with work on display in the old high school.
Selva Aparicio, a native of Spain, created this piece called “Maintenance” that features a sculpture carved from anthracite coal, steel rail fragments and a railway sleeper.
This broom was inspired when Aparicio visited the Medina Railroad Museum and learned about a set of four brooms from more than a century ago that were found between the walls of the museum, a former freight house. The brooms were discarded when they were no longer usable.
Aparicio created the broom out of coal to recognize the workers who used them. The broom is at the railroad museum.
Erica Wanecski of Medina is a tour guide for the Triennial and she showed people the broom on Friday. Wanecski said she has enjoyed meeting many of the artists at the Triennial.
“The people who come up with this kind of art are deep thinkers,” she said. “She was able to use an everyday broom to highlight the labor. The artists are trying to integrate the history of our community. It’s so cool.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 6 June 2026 at 7:52 am
MEDINA – Today is shaping up to be a banner day at the Canal Village Farmers’ Market.
Taking place in its summer home at the corner of West Center and West Avenue, the market today will have several special features, according to market manger Gail Miller.
For the first time, there will be a food demo from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., featuring Chef Caitlin from Shelridge Country Club. She will be making a dish from local seasonal vegetables and fruit. She has previously appeared in “Chopped” on the Food Network on TV.
A new crafter who does watercolor cards will debut at the market, and Greenlief’s on the Go will be on site with a food truck
“We are very excited to have Oakfield Artisanal Cheese at the market for the first time,” Miller said. “It is very nice cheese.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 June 2026 at 9:47 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – A group of artists met on Thursday at Nola’s Gaming & Crafting Café in Medina to display artwork this month.
The group, the Medina Art Initiative, formed to promote local artists and to piggyback on the visitors who will be in the area for the Medina Triennial. That arts initiative opens on Saturday and runs through Sept. 7 and is expected to bring 50,000 people to the community to see work from 39 artists from many countries.
Pictured from left at Nola’s include Rosie Patronski, Arthur Barnes, Patrica Greene, Amirah Hicks, Kira Sinclair, Shirley Nigro and Amy Mayne.
Additional artists with work that will be featured include Mike O’Keefe, Ninandre Bogue, Amy Belotti, Terry lake, Angela Udell and Rhonda Parker.
“We want to make the most of the opportunity we have with people coming into Medina who love art,” said Mayne, who is leader of the local group. “We want to share it.”
Mayne created a large oil painting, 4 by 3 feet, of her family’s cat named Calico. That cat was orphaned and in rough shape when it was rescued by the Mayne family.
“She was ugly and sickly,” Mayne said. “But then she turned into a sumptuously coated cat. She has never met someone she didn’t like.”
Mayne said the painting has a message that everyone has intrinsic value and shouldn’t be cast aside even when things may be going rough.
The art show features about 30 pieces altogether. It will be on display until July 5 at Nola’s, 525 Main St.
That business is a creative location that works as an ideal spot to display artwork, the artists said.
Steven Sones, co-owner of Nola’s, said he is pleased to welcome the local artists and also is excited about the Medina Triennial.
“Anything that brings people to Medina is a good thing,” he said.
The Medina Art Initiative will see how the first art show goes before looking at their next venture. Some of the artists said they hope it is a springboard for more shows and arts programs in the community.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 2 June 2026 at 11:58 am
Provided photo: Volunteers join students with disabilities as they parade in the Special Tracks event Thursday at Wise Intermediate School.
MEDINA – The 2026 Special Tracks event took place at Wise Intermediate School on Thursday afternoon, with 49 kids signing up to participate.
Special Tracks for children with disabilities has taken place in Medina since 2006, with the exception of 2020 because of Covid restrictions.
Mary Lou Tuohey, whose daughter Nicole was born with Triple X Syndrone, first learned about Special Tracks when Nicole attended Summit Educational School in Amherst.
“They did Special Tracks there, but there was nothing like that here then for special education kids. I talked to the school here, but they said they couldn’t afford it,” Tuohey said. “Then the PTSA stepped in and did fund-raising for the event.”
Now Debbie Tompkins, secretary at the High School, funds it, Tuohey said.
Travis Phillips and Alex DiLaura now coordinate the event, and Tuohey supports it in the background, she said.
Tuohey said participation in Special Tracks has steadily increased. Students get to choose three events in which to take part. Choices are 40-, 60- and 100-meter runs, softball throw, distance kick, standing and running long jump and relay race. Favorite events are the 40-meter run, distance kick and softball throw, Tuohey said.
Each student gets a ribbon for each event in which they participate, a medal and certificate with their name, event and date on it. Participants also get a cookie from Hans’s Bakery and free pizza.
Buddy volunteers are sought for each child.
“It’s a lot of fun to see the kids’ faces when they compete,” Tuohey said. “Even if they don’t win, they get a ribbon and a T-shirt which reads, ‘Special Tracks’”. They get so excited.”
Originally, Special Tracks was managed by Pam Maryjanowski, retired gym teacher at Medina Central School. Maryjanowski has always had an interest in children and adults with special needs. Early in her career, she was instrumental in getting sleds built by inmates at the prison for sled hockey participants. She also ran the Special Olympics for a number of years. She just returned from Nassau County where she attended their physical challenge games. She directed the special games at Brockport for 14 years. As a graduate student, it was her job to organize the games at Brockport, she said.
Maryjanowski retired from the Medina School System six years ago, but continues to support games for the physically challenged.
“I’m happy to see Special Tracks still going,” she said. “I am thrilled there are still people willing to organize and recruit volunteers for this program.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 1 June 2026 at 10:02 pm
Provided photo: The Mini Mustang Marching Band was formed to allow fifth- and sixth-graders to become familiar with marching band before they become eligible to join the Mustang Marching Band in seventh grade. They are shown by the Olde Pickle Factory before the Memorial Day parade a week ago.
MEDINA – A new group of musicians has joined the band program at Medina High School – the Mini Mustang Marching Band.
Two music teachers – Andrea Busch, music teacher at Oak Orchard School, and Kyla Leno-Denise, assistant band director at the Junior-Senior High School – worked together to start the Mini Mustang Marching Band this year.
“Kyla and I wanted to find a way to get young students excited about marching band,” Busch said. “This gives them the opportunity to try it out before they are eligible to join the Mustang Marching Band in seventh grade.”
She said fifth and sixth grade students were invited to join, and 24 signed up.
“We didn’t know what to expect, this being the first year,” Busch said. “We are hopeful more will become involved next year.”
The Mini Band has already performed for their parents on a special preview night and in Medina’s Memorial Day Parade. Parents are also welcome to come to rehearsals to see what students do. They will perform again at Oak Orchard Elementary School and Wise Junior High on Flag Day.
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Mini Mustang Marching Band heads down main Street and gets ready to make the turn on East Center Street during the Memorial Day parade.
The Mini and regular Mustang Marching Band got to perform their spring shows for each other during warmup for the Memorial Day Parade.
“It was a wonderful moment to see the high school students supporting the younger students, and then to see the younger students in awe of the older students,” Busch said. “We hope this helps build excitement in our music program and encourage more kids to join the Mustang Marching Band when they are finally old enough.”
“They are not a competitive group,” Busch said of the Mini Marching Band. “This just gives them a platform to have fun and perform before a crowd before joining a competitive group.”
The Mini Marching Band students practice from 5 to 6 p.m. two nights a week. Many have already signed up for fall marching band, Busch said.
“Kyla and I are so proud of the students,” Busch said. “We really are excited about their bright future with the regular Mustang Marching Band.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 28 May 2026 at 4:19 pm
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Jim Hancock helps Barb Gorham ready the Tourism Visitors’ Center for its season opening on Tuesday. The booth is now open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays until Labor Day, after which it will be open on Saturdays through September.
MEDINA – The Medina Tourism Committee is anticipating a record-breaking visitors’ season this summer, as they open the Visitors’ Center in Rotary Park.
Jim Hancock, chair of the Tourism Committee, and Barb Gorham who oversees volunteers for the Visitors’ Center, officially opened the booth for the season on Tuesday. Assisting them were Dawn Borchert, Orleans County Tourism director; Isabella Zasa, Tourism assistant; and Maureen Sanderson, tourism booth volunteer.
Medina’s Tourist Visitors’ Center in Rotary Park opened for the season on Tuesday. Tourist personnel on hand to help with the opening are, from left, Jim Hancock, chair of the Medina Tourism Committee; Barb Gorham, who oversees volunteers for the season; Dawn Borchert, Orleans County Tourism director; Isabella Zasa, tourism assistant; and Maureen Sanderson, volunteer.
Tourism is on schedule to have one of the busiest seasons in Medina this summer, with the return of 650 cyclists in July and the first-of-its-kind event in a small town – the Medina Triennial. The Triennial itself is predicted to bring 50,000 people to Medina from June 6 though Labor Day.
Hancock said they have 16 volunteers signed up for the season, but still welcome anyone who would like to become a volunteer.
“We can always use substitutes,” Gorham said.
This summer, the Arc GLOW is sending volunteers under the guidance of Tracey Hendrick with Arc’s Pre-Vocational Program and Terry Kingdollar with a Self-Advocacy group.
“This is a wonderful way for them to get volunteer experience and gain social and leadership skills,” Gorham said.
Gorham started as a volunteer five years ago, and last year offered to take over scheduling volunteers.
“I was surprised how many people come here, not only from all over the United States, but the world,” Gorham said. “We have had people from Argentina, France, England and Australia, as well as other countries.”
Maureen Sanderson is one of the dedicated volunteers.
“I love meeting people,” she said. “They always have an interesting story to tell.”
The Visitors’ Center first began in 2009, when they shared space with United Way on Main Street, then were located at City Hall for a time. Their move to Rotary Park came about after Tourism got permission from the village to use the Santa House as a Visitors’ Center during the summer.
The move proved to be a popular one, with hundreds of tourists visiting the site each year. Last year, 328 visitors signed the book, and there were many more who did not.
Volunteers work three-hour shifts, either from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday until Labor Day.
Last year, for the first time, the booth stayed open on Saturdays during September, and that proved very successful, Hancock said.
“We will do that again this year,” he said.
Dawn Borchert, Orleans County Tourism director, and Jim Hancock, chair of Medina’s Tourism Committee, compare notes while assisting with the opening of the Tourism Visitors’ Center in Rotary Park on Tuesday.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 27 May 2026 at 3:16 pm
Arts initiative expected to bring 50,000 visitors from June 6 to Sept. 7
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Quincey Miracle, co-artistic director of the Triennial, works on a model of the Erie Canal, titled “Diversion”, in the Triennial Hub headquarters, located in the former NAPA building at the foot of Main Street. When complete, it will be filled with filtered water from the canal.
MEDINA – There’s been a buzz in the air around Medina for the past year, and it centers around what is being called “The Medina Triennial,” which the nation’s premier art publications Art in America and ARTnews have featured as one of the best art events to visit in the country this summer.
In the fall of 2025, the Triennial was announced and the former NAPA building on North Main Street was identified as the Medina Triennial Hub. Headquartered there is Federico Rosario, community engagement and program coordinator for the Triennial, and in the back space is a giant project in the works called “Diversion.” It is a replica of the Erie Canal with filtered water from the canal, in which people may walk.
Sculptors Tim Noble and Trevor Gross from the University of Buffalo are collaborating with James Beckett on this exhibit on digital quarrying on the lawn of Mustang City (former Medina High School).
In spite of many articles on the Triennial, many people are still asking, “Just what is this Triennial?”
Basically, it is an initiative of the New York Power Authority and Canal Corporation who was looking for a way to re-imagine the canal by creating a contemporary arts event with a triennial structure which would tie in with the canal’s 200th anniversary, according to Lielle Berman, Sustainability Project Manager at the New York Power Authority.
The inaugural 2026 Triennial is titled “All that Sustains Us,” and features more than 100 artworks across 10 sites in Medina, curated by Kari Conte and Karin Laansoo. Sites include Rotary Park, State Street Park, Mustang City (the old Medina High School), Medina Railroad Museum, Triennial Hub (former NAPA Auto Parts), floating barge in the Erie Canal basin, YMCA, Sacred Heart Church, Medina Memorial Hospital and Medina Theater.
At its core, the Triennial asks, “What essential efforts and commitments are required to sustain life in our fractured world?”
Of course, “triennial” means three, and the Medina Triennial, the first of its kind in the United States in a small town, will return every three years for two more times. Previous triennials in the nation were held in Boston, New Orleans and St. Louis.
One question on everyone’s mind is, “Why was Medina chosen?”
Berman’s answer was, “Medina is the widest part of the canal’s 363 miles. It has the only aqueduct, Medina Falls and the culvert. This is a very rich spot,” she said. “Medina is going through a renaissance, with culinary arts and community events.”
Conte explained the curatorial approach grew from close attention to Medina’s landscape and material culture – its historic sandstone, canal infrastructure and agricultural traditions. She added her experience with the village has been extraordinary.
The event is drawing international interest. Thirty-nine artists from around the world were invited to participate in Medina’s Triennial, and only two declined.
“That is incredible,” Conte said.
While several participating artists are from across the globe, some are from Western New York, Toronto and Detroit. A participating artist from Ireland is showing her work in America for the first time.
Some of the Triennial’s highlights are Mary Mattingly’s “Floating Garden,” a barge-based living artwork in the canal; James Beckett, who is working on “digital quarrying” of Medina sandstone; Selva Aparicio, whose residency is in collaboration with Medina Railroad Museum; and Michael Wang, who is researching maple sap production in the region.
Working at the Railroad Museum is Lina Lapelyte, who recently won the Golden Lion Award, the highest prize given in the Venice Biennale. Her workers are constructing a Medina sandstone walkway and singing while they work. Their performances at 2 p.m. on Saturdays are tentatively scheduled to air on Medina’s downtown speakers.
“So much of this is behind the scenes,” Conte said. “The artists are coming to Medina because they want to show their work here. This is first and foremost about art.”
At Medina High School, Beckett’s project is dominating the front lawn. There, he is collaborating with Tim Noble and Trevor Gross from the University of Buffalo in building a sculptural wall, using limestone slabs sandwiched with a top layer of Medina sandstone. All the material is reclaimed building pieces from across Western New York, Noble said. Its total weight is in excess of 60,000 pounds.
The Triennial officially opens to the public on June 6 and will be open from noon to 8 p.m. Regular hours throughout the summer will be from noon to 6 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays to Sept. 7. Programs, maps and other information on the Triennial will be available to visitors at the Triennial Hub on North Main Street.
Mary Mattingly walks away from the barge in the canal basin, which she is transforming into a floating garden.
