CORNING, N.Y. (WENY) -- The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes unveiled their newly-renovated artist space in Downtown Corning today as a part of their grand re-opening and dedication ceremony.

Over the past five months, the ARTS Council of the Southern Tier had to meet elsewhere in order to conduct staff meetings and plan their upcoming events. Thanks to a fifty thousand dollar capital grant from the New York State Council on the Arts, the community now has a modern and leading-edge space for creative minds to flourish.

The ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by numerous community leaders, members of the arts council, the corning area chamber of commerce, and local residents. Numerous improvements were made to the space including flooring replacements, a new HVAC system, as well as ultraviolet resistant windows to protect the artwork inside.

The ceremony was highlighted by comments from congressional and state representatives, arts council board members, and executive director Connie Sullivan-Blum, who remains excited for the future, "The ARTS Council has been in existence for over fifty years. It serves multiple counties including Chemung and Schuyler county, and we take that service very seriously, so we want to provide professional services to artists, grants to artists, and opportunities to display their work. And this renovation is just a part of that and we're very excited for it."

Through support from the arts community and the state local artists will have a newly renovated space to showcase their talents and meet like-minded individuals.