Wellsville/Arts & Photography
The Little Gem Gallery on Main Street in Wellsville has put sculptures by Glenn Zweygardt front and center in its storefront windows. Zweygardt, an emeritus sculpture professor at Alfred University's New York State College of Ceramics, works from his studio in nearby Alfred Station using steel, bronze, cast glass and stone, and has built an international reputation over more than four decades of exhibiting. The gallery sits between the Texas Hot restaurant and the Wellsville Creative Arts Center, and organizers say the display gives downtown visitors a rare close-up look at work from an artist normally seen in major sculpture gardens. Those interested in visiting can reach the gallery through its Facebook page or by calling the Wellsville Creative Arts Center.
St. Bonaventure/Nonprofits
Shirley Whipple Struchen, a 1960 Olean High School graduate, has created a $50,000 endowment at St. Bonaventure University honoring Bob Davies, the Olean Times Herald sports reporter who covered Bonnies basketball for 17 years until his death in 1980. The Bob Davies Excellence in Sports Media Endowment will support the Jandoli School of Communication through programming and experiential learning opportunities for students interested in sports journalism and media. Struchen never attended St. Bonaventure herself, but said Davies mentored her for years, encouraged her to pursue higher education, and supported her through personal hardship. She established the fund to honor his legacy and help future students pursue sports media careers.
Salamanca/Arts & Photography
The Seneca-Iroquois National Museum at the Onohsagwe:de' Cultural Center in Salamanca will celebrate its 49th anniversary with a milestone event on August 4. The museum's permanent galleries, including "They Work" and "On the Mother's Side," showcase traditional Seneca craftsmanship, clan structure and cultural history alongside a preserved, reassembled log cabin. Earlier this year the museum also put out a call for artists for a 2026 exhibit addressing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Persons, following a community walk and dinner held at the center in May. The anniversary celebration highlights the museum's long-running role as a home for both historical exhibits and contemporary Seneca artists in Cattaraugus County.
Salamanca/Arts & Photography
Artist Faye Lone has opened Longhaus of Lone, a new Main Street business in Salamanca specializing in authentic Native American art, designs and high-quality quilting supplies. Lone, whose own work has been featured through the Seneca-Iroquois National Museum's artist program, stocks the shop with pieces from Native artists across the region alongside her own creations. The opening adds another storefront to Salamanca's small arts and retail corridor, not far from the Seneca-Iroquois National Museum. It gives local residents and visitors a dedicated local outlet for Haudenosaunee-made art and craft supplies.
Olean/Political
The Olean Common Council selected Ward 1 alderman JR Bennion as its new president following the resignation of former president Vernon Robinson. At the same meeting, the council also voted to approve Blovsky as the city's new chief of police. The moves fill two significant leadership vacancies in city government within the same session. The changes come amid broader turnover on the council this summer.
Houghton/Nonprofits
Houghton University featured 2019 graduate Shelby Dytschkowskyj, who has built a career helping people with disabilities through therapeutic horseback riding. Dytschkowskyj, who studied equestrian studies and psychology at Houghton and holds professional therapeutic-horsemanship certification, serves as program director at High Hurdles in Sardinia and recently became director of equine-assisted services at Lothlorien Therapeutic Riding Center in East Aurora. The two barns work with riders as young as four through adults in their eighties who live with conditions such as autism, Down syndrome, or cerebral palsy. Staff aren't therapists, but they use horsemanship to help riders build independence and develop verbal and physical skills, aiming to make riding an accessible sport for people with disabilities.