Friday Sessions

Nov 7, 2025, 2–3:30 PM
Medina Triennial Hub

2–3:30 PM

Panel: Reimagining the Erie Canal for Its Third Century

This conversation with Gabrielle Barone, Rebecca Hughes, and Dave Mellen— moderated by Shannon Mattern—reflects on the Erie Canal as it enters its third century as a living system that has shaped landscapes and economies across New York State. Together, the speakers will explore how the Canal might be reimagined not only as a feat of engineering, but as a cultural organism that is fluid, adaptive, and continuously remade through collective stewardship.

Within the context of the Medina Triennial, this conversation will consider how infrastructure can become a site of renewal rather than decay. It will also ask: What might it mean to care for a waterway as one cares for a work of art or a community?


Participant Biographies

Gabrielle Barone is VP of Business Development at the Orleans Economic Development Agency.

Rebecca Hughes is Deputy Director of Canals at the New York Power Authority.

Shannon Mattern is the Penn Presidential Compact Professor of Media Studies and the History of Art at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dave Mellen is Regional Manager and SVP of Canals at the New York Power Authority.

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