Arc of Seneca Cayuga with the help of Arctic Gear and the Seneca County Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring a public exhibition of original digitally-created works by artists with developmental disabilities. The community-based exhibition, called Banking on the Arts, will begin on September 18 from 1:00-4:00 pm with a public opening at Arc's Finger Lakes Textiles Facility at 1885 Danaren Drive in Waterloo, NY. This will take place as part of the ribbon-cutting for the Finger Lakes Textiles Building Expansion Project. 

The exhibit will be then divided for showings in the lobbies of Chemung Canal Trust Company, Community Bank N.A., Five Star Bank, Generations Bank, Lyons National Bank, and Savannah Bank. The exhibits will be on display at those locations from September 23-October 7. The exhibit will be open during regular business hours. 

Arc of Seneca Cayuga Executive Director, Allen Connely, said, "Arc is so pleased to be working with the Seneca County Chamber of Commerce and area financial institutions to bring about this wonderful event, which underscores our commitment to promoting inclusiveness and celebrating everyone's unique talents. We are also very excited that Arctic Gear was able to help fund part of our Art Therapy program!" Arc of Seneca Cayuga's mission is to embrace diversity by recognizing the uniqueness of each individual and by working to ensure the success of people with disabilities as they pursue lives of choice and fulfillment. The agency provides services to more than 1,200 individuals and their families in Seneca and Cayuga Counties. 

Seneca County Chamber President & CEO, Jeff Shipley, pointed to the exhibition as, "A great example of the benefits which can be derived from community partnerships, which the Chamber works to foster." The exhibition was made possible with public funds provided from NYSCA's Decentralization Program, administered locally by the Finger Lakes Community Arts Council. The funding was used to engage professional artist, Gail Demi, for a residency to work with the contributing artists helping them develop and grow their skills. Demi is also the curator of the exhibition. The specially designed art display panels were donated by the Auburn Public Theater.