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 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.

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, the Triennial also builds on alliances with art institutions and universities in Buffalo, Rochester, and beyond. These partnerships will shape a dynamic collateral program of public engagement and creative exchange, amplifying the Triennial’s reach.

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.