The West End Gallery in Corning, New York, will host a tribute exhibition for the late artist Martin A. Poole, a Corning native who passed away in late 2025. The show runs from May 15 to June 11, 2025, with an opening reception on May 15 featuring harpist Meredith Kohn Boeck and treats from Old World Cafe. Poole, who studied fine arts and printmaking at SUNY Buffalo, taught at the 717 Cedar Arts Center and other local groups, and his work has been represented by West End Gallery for 47 of its 49 years.
This exhibition matters because it honors a locally beloved artist whose career was deeply intertwined with his community and a single gallery over nearly five decades. Poole's reflections on painting as a way to find light amid life's shadows underscore the personal and communal value of art. The event also highlights the role of small-town galleries in preserving and celebrating regional artistic legacies.