The Vision
Hornell: The Finger Lakes’ Next Great Art Town
Hornell already has the raw material: a proud Erie Railroad heritage, two new downtown sculptures by Sam Castner (2025), world-class ceramics just up the road in Alfred, the Corning Museum of Glass an hour east, the Canisteo Living Sign down the valley, and a location right at the Southern Tier gateway to the Finger Lakes. Our goal is to bring it all together and make Hornell the art center of the Finger Lakes.
This site will be your guide to all of it as it grows.
The roadmap: what we plan to build
- Artist directory: we plan to create a free, opt-in directory of Hornell-area artists and makers.
- Murals & public art: we plan to create more public art across downtown Hornell.
- Workshops & classes: we plan to create hands-on workshops for all ages.
- Maple City Arts Festival: we plan to create a signature festival in Hornell (dates to be announced).
- Gallery & studio space: we plan to create a place to show, make and sell local art.
- Hornell art trail: we plan to create a self-guided trail linking public art, museums and nearby art towns.
These are goals, not finished projects. We will share progress here as each one takes shape.
How you can be part of it
- Follow along on @HornellArts on X and check these sites for updates.
- Email us to get involved: tony.jones@maplecityartsalliance.com
- Volunteer and artist sign-ups: Coming soon
Check back often: new events are added as they are announced. See the calendar → Read the full vision →
Welcome to Hornell, NY art and culture
Hornell, the Maple City, sits in Steuben County at the heart of the Southern Tier, the gateway to Finger Lakes arts, within easy reach of Alfred, Canisteo, Wellsville, Bath and Corning. This site is a guide for residents and visitors to the art, culture and creative places in and around Hornell, with a regional arts events calendar that covers Hornell, Canisteo, Alfred, Wellsville, Bath, Corning, Elmira and nearby towns.
Coming up on the calendar
- HAHS Annual Basket Auction (Nov 12–14): Thu, Nov 12, 2026, 10:00 AM, The Main Place, 251 Main St, Hornell, NY.
- Paper Quilled Greeting Cards class with Jennifer Thomas (free; call 585-384-5170 to sign up): Thu, Nov 12, 2026, 5:30 PM, Cohocton Public Library, 8 Maple Ave, Cohocton, NY.
- Artist-in-Residence Lectures: Hoseok Youn & Dennis RedMoon Darkeem (free): Thu, Nov 12, 2026, 6:00 PM, Studio Theater, The Studio of the Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY.
- Chess Club (6–7 PM lessons, 7–9 PM open chess): Thu, Nov 12, 2026, 6:00 PM, Hornell Public Library, 64 Genesee St, Hornell, NY.
- Edgar Meyer, Tessa Lark, and Joshua Roman: Thu, Nov 12, 2026, 7:30 PM, Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY.
- Holiday Art Market: handmade gifts by local artists (Nov 13 – Dec 31): Fri, Nov 13, 2026, 10:00 AM, Arnot Art Museum, West Wing Galleries, 235 Lake St, Elmira, NY.
See all 154 listings on the calendar →
Public art
Downtown sculptures and the Canisteo Living Sign.
Museums & galleries
From the Erie Depot to the Corning Museum of Glass.
Day trips
Art destinations near Hornell.
Get involved
Grants, classes and community.
Continuing Hornell's arts tradition
Hornell has a long history of community arts. The Hornell Area Arts Council served the area for decades before its board voted to dissolve in 2024 (Evening Tribune, October 2024). Hornell Arts aims to carry that tradition forward for Hornell, Canisteo and Steuben County.