OLEAN, N.Y. — The current Tri-County Arts Council exhibit, “Haudenosaunee, Art of the Now” “Survive, Alive, Thrive,” featuring the works from culminating show for Seneca-Iroquois National Museum’s artist in residency program funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Area Development fund. Artists in the residency program include Samantha Jacobs, Lorinda John, Penelope S. Minner, Alicia Sanford, Antoinette Scott, Bernadette Scott, Kristina Tome, and Leeora White.
In late summer of 2021 Appalachian Regional Commission Area Development with Southern Tier West grant funding came through for the Pathways to Success: Artist in Residency (AiR) Program at Seneca Iroquois National Museum. A call out for indigenous artists to apply went out in October 2021. Eight artists heeded the call from both Cattaraugus and Allegany territories. Their talents ranged from making corn husk dolls and weaving to painting and sewing. Each AiRs received a modest stipend to participate in a variety of activities that would inspire them to create a piece of art that they would donate to the museum. This show at Tri County Arts is an acknowledgement of the challenges met during this time, but more importantly a celebration of the successes of overcoming obstacles and the creativity that arose as a result.
In late summer of 2021 Appalachian Regional Commission Area Development grant funding came through for the Pathways to Success: Artist in Residency (AiR) Program at Seneca Iroquois National Museum. A call out for indigenous artists to apply went out in October 2021. Eight artists heeded the call from both Cattaraugus and Allegany territories. Their talents ranged from making corn husk dolls and weaving to painting and sewing. Each AiRs received a modest stipend to participate in a variety of activities that would inspire them to create a piece of art that they would donate to the museum. This show at TriCounty Arts is an acknowledgement of the challenges met during this time, but more importantly a celebration of the successes of overcoming obstacles and the creativity that arose as a result.
All the activities took place during the Covid 19 Pandemic, which everyone met with resilience. Participants made the best of a tough situation and each AiR took part in virtual, live, and hybrid professional development workshops with partners in the program. John Sheehan from Seneca Salamanca Chamber of Commerce presented the first workshop on how to be the best salesperson. He also gave the artists his secret FORM (Family, Occupation, Recreation, Money) equation for building successful sales relationships. Fred Frigthner, Director of Marketing Communications at W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery did two separate workshops on telling stories about products along with a writing workshop. Picking up from there, Tom Cullen led the AiRs in a discussion on “recognizing and identifying your audience in order to attract your dream customer.” At Tri County Arts Council Director Emeritus Mikel Wintermantle and Artist Educator Allison Braun did a hands-on workshop focused on displaying and photographing art. Artists got to play with light boxes and learn all about the power of their cellphones to make their work pop! Hayden Hanes brought the previous topics together and presented on photographing your work and how to tell your story. Brian Kelly hosted a Creating and editing websites Workshop at The Hub in Olean. Sharon Louden, the former director for Chautauqua Visual Arts presented a virtual talk on making a living as a working artist, which covered grants, fellowships, arts markets, and commissions. The artists also participated in several arts markets arranged at the museum and they took a trip to K-Art in Buffalo and participated in a Q and A about fine arts galleries with the gallery managers.
In addition to forming new relationships between Seneca Iroquois National Museum and organizations in Olean and Allegany Village, and supporting the creative economies, the final piece to the Pathways to Success program is the mini-gallery boxes. This was an idea inspired by the mini-libraries that have been popping up in communities and neighborhoods across the United States. The idea behind the mini-galleries was to place art and the institution within the communities to make the exhibits accessible and give people a taste of what they will find in the museum. Seneca Nation Arts and Cultural Placed Based Tourism Initiative is an example of a cost-effective foundation for a continued partnership and project to create permanent resources that will benefit all partners.
Funds were used to create these permanent place-based displays, which encourages cultural exploration of the region. These Mini Galleries capitalized on partnerships and lessons learned from the workshops. Additionally, the hope is that the Mini Galleries will be a replicable model that other museums and cultural institutions can use, helping to further promote SINM. The Seneca Nation’s Training and Employment Resource Center’s construction training program led by Jim Ray, created the Mini Galleries using their students and instructors. This program provided hands-on “trades/construction” training to displaced, underemployed, and/or disabled Indigenous peoples. The SINM, because of their integral role in fostering cultural programming as a practice of maintaining cultural continuation, has served and continues to serve as an excellent hub for all community partners to work through. Since participating in the Pathways to Success program half of the AiRs received funding through Creatives Rebuild New York fellowship and are fully employed as working artists with tools and skills to carry them through the end of the program in 2024.
The opening reception was catered by Chef Lorinda John from LoMade Meals and beverages provided by an anonymous donor.
For more information on this and any other exhibits at the Tri-County Arts Council, visit the website www.tricountyartscouncil.org or call (716) 372-7455.
TCAC has updated its Artist Market and is open to the public from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday.
