FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 17 , 2022

Open Call for Artwork Submissions for

Upcoming Historic City Hall Exhibition

KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is pleased to announce the City of Kingston’s Department of Arts and Cultural Affairs will be accepting submissions of artwork for a 2022 City Hall exhibition entitled, Kingston Revealed.

For this exhibition, artists are invited to submit work that celebrates and visually represents the significant contributions made by African Americans, Indigenous Peoples, Latinos, LGBTQ, and/or women to the City of Kingston throughout history. The concept of the Kingston Revealed exhibition was developed by Mayor Noble and Council Majority Leader Rita Worthington as a part of the City’s ongoing 150^th Anniversary celebrations, calling for an update to the artwork on display at City Hall.

“The artwork currently hanging on the walls of City Hall does not give the full range of our rich history and diverse population. As we learned at the 150^th anniversary kick-off event, the lunettes in Council Chambers that were meant to represent Kingston’s history through the years were installed in 1927 and do not accurately depict our complete history. There is no mention of the myriad contributions of African Americans, immigrants, women or other historically marginalized groups. The depictions of Native Americans misrepresent the atrocities that occurred,” said Mayor Noble. “With this exhibition, we are looking for local artists who have works that portray these contributions to our history to be proudly displayed at City Hall. It’s fitting that these efforts will be led by the first black female Majority Leader of the City of Kingston -- Alderwoman Worthington has graciously offered to work alongside our Director of Arts & Cultural Affairs to shepherd this process. I look forward to having artwork in City Hall that we can all be proud of, and that all of us can see ourselves reflected in.”

Selected works will be displayed on the Ground Floor Gallery at City Hall from September through December, with an opening reception on Saturday, September 3, 2022. Artists are invited to submit an artwork in response to the theme and title Kingston Revealed via the online application  or in person/by mail to the Department of Arts and Cultural Affairs, 420 Broadway, Kingston, NY, 12401 by July 25, 2022 at 4:30pm. Accepted work should be delivered to the Department of Art & Cultural Affairs no later than August 22, 2022.

Submissions should include the following to be considered:

• Image of the work
• A short bio and contact information
• A brief description of the work and how it fits the Kingston Revealed theme

“As we continue to celebrate Kingston’s 150^th Anniversary, it will be an honor to not only witness the displays of artwork depicting the many contributions made by African Americans, Immigrants, and Indigenous Peoples in the corridors of City Hall, but to also educate by telling and retelling the story of our shared experience,” said Majority Leader Rita Worthington. “Nelson Mandela reminds us that ‘education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to the change the world.’ Kingston has a people steeped in history with the likes of Professor Benjamin Wigfall, migrant farm workers, Mexican laborers, Sojourner Truth, Catherine Nelson - the woman who helped build the Wurts Bridge, the unknown heroes buried at the Pine Street African Burial Ground, and more. Truly, there is no higher cause than honoring our struggle and ancestors by remembering and appreciating a past as a worthy legacy, which helped to inspire cultural pride in a contemporary world.”

Kingston Arts Commission Chair Marielena Ferrer Harrington and Commissioner Ward Mintz will work with a panel of community members to select works for the exhibition. Participants from the Center for Creative Education, My Kingston Kids, and PUGG (aka Pop-Up Gallery Group), the youth workforce training program of the Department of Regional Art Workers (The D.R.A.W.) are also invited to submit artworks; or participate as jurors, assist with the art installation, and help co-host the opening reception.

“As an Afro/Dutch descendant of the Indigenous, slaves, and as a woman, I am honored to co-lead this call for art with Alderwoman Worthington,” said Kitt Potter, City of Kingston Director of Arts and Cultural Affairs. “This historic exhibit and related events will be certain to educate and inspire people of all backgrounds.”

In addition to the exhibition, the City of Kingston has several available spaces in municipal buildings to permanently display artwork and may select pieces from amongst those submitted for Kingston Revealed.  Artist whose works are selected for permanent display will receive $750. Funding will come from the American Rescue Plan Act allocated in the Arts & Tourism category. Artists who submit work for the Kingston Revealed exhibition must indicate on the application form if they would like to be considered for permanent display.

Additional information on submission requirements is available at https://www.kingston-ny.gov/exhibitions.