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.

View of historic high school in Medina, New York

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.

View of the Erie Canal in Medina, New York

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.

The Medina Triennial will act as a connective tissue—bridging artistic practices with rural knowledge, industrial history, and ecological futures.

Upcoming

Past

Press Releases

  • Jul 1, 2025

    Medina Triennial announces its inaugural edition

    ( pdf )
  • Sep 9, 2025

    Medina Triennial annouces first artist commission and pre-triennial public programming

    ( pdf )

News

  • Jul 1, 2025

    Artnet News

    ( link )
  • Jul 1, 2025

    Artribune

    ( link )
  • Jul 3, 2025

    Surface

    ( link )
  • Jul 4, 2025

    Ocula

    ( link )
  • Jul 16, 2025

    Orleans Hub

    ( link )
  • Jul 17, 2025

    Il Giornale dell'Arte

    ( link )
  • Sep 9, 2025

    University at Buffalo News

    ( link )
  • Oct 7, 2025

    Bloomberg

    ( link )

Medina Triennial Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in New York. Your support powers a bold new triennial grounded in place, shaped by artists, and committed to long-term impact. Please make a tax-deductible donation today, whether it’s $5 or $5,000 all support will go toward the realization of our free and accessible programming.

Please donate online below or make checks payable to “Medina Triennial Inc.” and mail to:

Medina Triennial Inc.
345 N Main Street
Medina, NY 14103

Donate Now

Medina Triennial 2026

  • Kari Conte 
    Co-Artistic Director
  • Mary Fellios
    Curatorial and Programs Manager
  • Matthias Hollenback
    Head Producer
  • Karin Laansoo
    Co-Artistic Director
  • Federico Rosario

    Community Engagement and Programs Coordinator
  • Ekrem Serdar 
    Associate Curator, Planning (until September 2025)
  • Shirley Verrico
    Operations Manager
  • Other Means
    Graphic Design

Steering Committee

  • Joyce Hwang 
    Professor of Architecture, University at Buffalo, State University 
of New York
  • Margot Muto
    Lead Academic and Donor Engagement Specialist, Memorial Art Gallery, University of Rochester
  • Aaron Ott

    Curator of Public Art, Buffalo AKG Art Museum 
  • Scott Propeack
    Executive Director, Burchfield Penney Art Center
  • Karol Wight

    President and Executive Director, The Corning Museum of Glass

NYPA Team

  • Angelyn Chandler
    Vice President of Planning
  • Joana Pacheco
    Capital Planning Manager - Canals

Work With Us

  • Check back soon

Medina Triennial Hub
345 N Main Street
Medina, NY 14103

The Medina Triennial Hub is open to the public every Saturday from 12 to 6 PM and during programs.

General Inquiries:
[email protected]

Sponsorship and Partnership Inquiries:
[email protected]

Media Inquiries:
Caterina Berardi
Director, Cultural Counsel
[email protected]

Subscribe to our newsletter