FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 28, 2020
Second Distinguished Artist Award Ceremony Announced
Lara Hope to Receive Award on November 12, 2020
KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble and the City of Kingston Arts Commission are pleased to announce the award ceremony for the second recipient of the bi-annual Distinguished Artist Award will be held on Thursday, November 12 at 5:30pm. The award will be presented to local musician Lara Hope at the ceremony, which will be live-streamed on the Facebook pages of City of Kingston, Arts Commission, Lara Hope and event sponsor Radio Kingston.
“We are proud to celebrate Kingston’s own Lara Hope for this much-deserved award,” said Mayor Noble. “I would like to thank the Arts Commission for organizing the wonderful Distinguished Artist Award and for all their support of arts and culture in the City of Kingston. Awards like this help our creative community thrive.”
Susan Linn, Chair of the Arts Commission said, “The Kingston Arts Commission is proud to have initiated the Distinguished Artist Award and congratulates Lara who combines her commitment to her art form with a commitment to the City's cultural life.”
Winner of the 2017 Ameripolitan Music Award for Best Female Rockabilly Artist, Hope is the front woman for the Northeast's premier Roots, Rock n’ Roll, and Rockabilly Twang outfit, Lara Hope and the Ark-Tones. She has spent much of the past few years on the road, both in Europe and in the U.S., and has had the pleasure of touring with some of her musical heroes, including The Brian Setzer Orchestra, The Blasters, and Reverend Horton Heat. She and her band were invited to perform at the original site of the Woodstock Festival, Bethel Woods, for the 50th anniversary celebration. Lara also plays with her husband Matt Goldpaugh as a duo, “The Gold Hope Duo,” and self-released a very topical album called Songs in the Key of Quarantine. Lara is also dedicated to the City of Kingston and its many not-for-profit organizations for which she donates much of her time, performing at fundraisers and other events in support of their causes.
The panel for the Distinguished Artist Award was comprised of five Kingston residents: Bryant “Drew” Andrews, Center for Creative Education Executive Director; Brian Mahoney, Chronogram Magazine Editor; Julio Nazario, photographer and former Assistant Dean for Outreach, Special Initiatives and Assessment in the School of Arts and Sciences Honors Program at Rutgers University; Aaron Rezney, food and still life photographer; and Virginia Walsh, Director and Curator of Exhibitions at Ann Street Gallery.
For more information about the event, please contact 845-334-3929 or [email protected].
About the Arts Commission
The City of Kingston Arts Commission’s mission is to strengthen the local economy by attracting and promoting artists, arts venues, and arts entrepreneurs; encouraging cultural tourism; creating opportunities for training and employment in a range of creative fields; and enhancing quality of life amenities that make Kingston a more attractive city in which to live. By so doing, the City of Kingston gains greater regional and national recognition.