Tri-County Arts Council
110 West State St, Olean
Tri-County Arts Council (TCAC), located in a historic row of buildings in downtown Olean, “advocates for the creation and appreciation” of art in Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua counties. TCAC accomplishes this through classes, workshops, exhibitions, community events, and a local artisan marketplace. Originally located in Allegany, TCAC opened in its Olean location in 2019, allowing it to expand significantly.
The Spark
Faced with unsafe streets and a declining downtown, Olean began rethinking how its city center could better work for the community.
TCAC was founded in 1997 as the Cattaraugus County Arts Council with funding from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). As the council expanded its service area to Allegany County (2003) and Chautauqua County (2009), its home base moved several times. By 2018, TCAC had outgrown its space in Allegany. Fortuitous timing was all TCAC needed to make the move to downtown Olean, to a wood-and-brick Victorian rowhouse once known as Mayer’s Block.
In its original incarnation, Mayer's Block hosted social events, dances, and concerts on the upper floors, while the ground level served as retail space, including a butcher, a baker and a restaurant Throughout the 20th century, it housed a paint store, optometrist, shoemaker, and American Legion office. The building sat vacant from the 1930s to 1994, when it became Cafe Marquis, also known as Fred’s Bread. When that closed, the building once again sat empty through the early 2000s. In the 2010s, as part of Olean’s downtown revitalization, Olean Urban Renewal Agency purchased the site in order to refurbish it for future sale…but it again sat vacant for a number of years.
The Project
In 2015, Olean’s North Union and State street intersection was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which enabled buildings in the area to be eligible for New York State Historic preservation tax credits. The Olean Urban Renewal Agency Board believed that an owner who stewarded one historic building could inspire others to preserve and protect their buildings as well.
That individual turned out to be Jeff Belt, owner of local SolEpoxy. Belt was dedicated to improving Olean, including sponsoring Olean’s walkability study and donating $10,000 to plant trees along the sidewalks. Through his real estate development company, Sunny Olean LLC, he purchased the building (alongside others on State Street) from the Agency in 2016 for just $3,000, in exchange for agreeing to pay $16,000 a year in property taxes to the city.
Once TCAC agreed to lease the property, local business MJ Painting painted the buildings green and blue and purple and green mosaic tiles were installed above the windows and doorways. The move was a community effort, with local students from Allegany-Limestone and Portville High Schools helping out. In July 2019 TCAC held its ribbon-cutting ceremony for the State Street studio. The works of member artists were showcased in the new space for the first time.
Soon after moving in, the Covid-19 pandemic forced TCAC to close. During that time, to help sustain operations, they relied on social media to promote and sell the work of artisans and received funding from NYSCA. They reopened with limited class sizes in July 2020. Recently TCAC has expanded to include more than just physical art. In August 2025, Executive Director Megan Davis introduced Performance Art Month, where various musical groups, mainly from the area, use the space for live performances. In August 2026 IndigeRoots, an Indigenous artist group from Salamanca, NY, performed traditional music, dance and storytelling.
Outcomes & Benefits
The revitalization of a single abandoned building contributed to the revitalization of Olean’s central downtown, helping transform a neglected part of a shrinking city into a center for culture and community.
The expanded Artisan Marketplace provides over 200 regional artists with a physical and e-commerce retail platform. TCAC operates on a 35 percent commission model, returning 65 percent of sales directly to local creators while generating critical earned revenue to support its non-profit operations.
Through TCAC’s Peg Bothner Gallery, they are now able to showcase artist works in a professional setting and create seasonal exhibits.
Additional space enabled TCAC to expand access to arts education and creative opportunities, like the offerings of its Pottery Studio.
Mayer’s Block, originally created for public use, sat empty for years. By transforming the historic building into a community art space, TCAC restored its role as a public asset. As Executive Director Megan Davis explains, “Keeping our space open to as many people as possible benefits our whole community,” a principle that guides their affordable pricing of workshops and performances.
Partnerships & Funding
TCAC’s funding comes from state and regional funders and private business supporters. TCAC was established in 1997 through initial seed funding from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), which continues to serve as a core partner by supporting its programming today. Ongoing artistic and community programming is further sustained by grants from the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation and Art Services Inc. Operational stability and corporate sponsorship are bolstered by key financial contributions from the CutCo Foundation, H&R Block, and Enchanted Mountains. Additionally, TCAC benefits from a critical real estate partnership with Sunny Olean LLC, which owns the site and generously provides them with the physical space to operate. And of course artistic partnerships endure: In 2021 local sculptor, TCAC member and Alfred University professor Glenn Zweygardt wanted to create a piece for the new building, so he sculpted one out of stone and included a metal ring at the top to house a stained glass version of the TCAC logo -- which now hangs in the front window.
Lessons Learned
One project can inspire wider change
TCAC’s move helped build momentum as other downtown Olean buildings were restored soon afterward.
Projects can benefit from larger local changes
TCAC’s relocation aligned with downtown revitalization, giving it access to improved space and accessibility.
Diversified revenue helps long-term operations
The Artisan Marketplace generates income for TCAC while returning most sales revenue to participating artists.
By transforming a neglected 19th-century row house into a multi-disciplinary cultural hub, TCAC expanded its educational, gallery, and retail capabilities while supporting local artists across Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua counties. Through collaborative public-private partnerships, flexible programming, and a commitment to accessible community spaces, TCAC provides a replicable blueprint for non-profit-led urban renewal in small cities.