The Medina Triennial is a new contemporary art triennial—rooted in place, shaped by community, resonant with global ideas, and free for all.

As the first initiative of its kind in the region, the inaugural Medina Triennial will bring together 35 artists and collectives from across the globe from June 6 to September 7, 2026, to realize a town-wide exhibition and public programs that are both expansive in scale and grounded in the local context.

Artist-led and community-centered, the Triennial is co-curated by Kari Conte and Karin Laansoo, and will reimagine how contemporary art can live in—and grow from—rural environments. Taking place every three years, it supports long-term research, site-responsive commissions, and collaborations that position small-town geographies as vital sites of cultural and critical imagination.

The Triennial was initiated in partnership with the New York Power Authority and the New York State Canal Corporation as part of a broader effort to revitalize the Erie Canal. It builds on alliances with art institutions and universities in Buffalo, Rochester, and beyond. These partnerships will shape the inaugural Triennial and will continue into the second edition in 2029.

Located in Medina, along the historic Erie Canal in Western New York, the Triennial draws on the town’s layered histories. With a population of 6,000, Medina embodies the convergence of industry, agriculture, immigration, and civic life, reflected in its preserved 19th-century architecture and engaged community. Though modestly-scaled, the town is rich in cultural and ecological significance, situated between Buffalo and Rochester and surrounded by farmland, wetlands, and canal infrastructure.

The Medina Triennial Hub launched in Fall 2025 as a space for collaboration and community engagement leading up to the 2026 Triennial. Located in the center of Medina, the Hub is a storefront that serves as both a public programming and residency site. Designed by Serweta Peck, the Hub combines workspace, program areas, a free art library, and adaptable gathering spaces. The inaugural residency season hosts artists Mary Mattingly and James Beckett. Mattingly’s Triennial commission, Floating Garden (2026)—a barge-based living artwork on the Erie Canal—began production this September with the participation of local residents and volunteers.