CRCF Grant Gives $22 Thousand for Biennial, Artist Support

The Cattaraugus County Arts Council recently received a $22,207 grant from the F. Donald Kenney Fund to again support the Southern Tier Biennial Art show.

The endowment fund was established through Mr. Kenney’s estate to support the biennial art exhibition in perpetuity.

A graduate of Olean High School, Holy Cross College and Harvard University, Mr. Kenney made his career in international investment and banking, but also dedicated his time and money to the arts.

Since its establishment, the Kenney Fund has made possible over $260,000 in grants to support the Southern Tier Biennial.

The Biennial rotates yearly between a professionally juried art competition and a subsequent solo gallery for the competition’s best-in-show artist.

In September 2018, Schuyler Dawson will be exhibiting his work after winning last year’s competition. Dawson, a California native, is currently pursuing his MFA in sculpture at Alfred University.

The show’s professional jurors offered rave reviews of Dawson’s sculpting.

“The work suggests many of the complex and difficult realities of adolescence and youth, but on a more basic level it is simply beautiful to behold said Tullis Johnson, a 2017 Biennial juror and curator and manager of archives at Buffalo’s Burchfield Penney Art Center.

According to Southern Tier Biennial Coordinator Ardyth VanScoy, the Kenney Fund helps provide otherwise unobtainable opportunities for area artists.

“The funding generously provided by the Kenney Fund gives artists in the Southern Tier the opportunity to showcase their work and receive substantial cash prizes that are unparalleled in the area,” said VanScoy. “The opportunity to win a solo exhibition and financially assisted professional development gives the winning artist a chance to not only be recognized for their talent but also to further their careers. None of this would be possible without the foundation's support!"

“We are proud of the support Foundation funds lend to the arts,” said CRCF Executive Director Karen Niemic Buchheit, “A community that engages with the arts is a more thoughtful, creative and enlightened place.”

Donations can be made to the F. Donald Kenney Endowment Fund at CRCF, 301 North Union St., Suite 203, or online at cattfoundation.org.