Mayor Steve Noble Launches Citywide

‘Paint the Town Yellow’ Tuesday, April 3rd

KINGSTON, N.Y. -- Mayor Steve Noble is pleased to announce the City of Kingston’s first citywide “Paint the Town Yellow” campaign to shine a light on mental health.

The campaign will officially kick off at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 3, with an “Optimism in Action” celebration at City Hall, at 420 Broadway. The event will feature remarks from Mayor Noble, HealthAlliance President and CEO David Scarpino, Mental Health Association in Ulster County CEO Ellen Pendegar, Kingston Arts Commissioner and Arts Mid-Hudson Executive Director Linda Marston-Reid, Business Alliance of Kingston cofounder Pat Courtney-Strong, Kingston Midtown Arts District President Anne Bailey, Ward 9 Alderwoman and musician Andrea Shaut, and City of Kingston Distinguished Artist Award recipient Julie Hedrick. Kingston Arts Commissioner Micah Blumenthal will serve as emcee for the evening.

In addition to a mayoral proclamation in honor of the Paint the Town Yellow campaign, Tuesday’s event will feature a yellow “ribbon-tying ceremony” -- an action of Optimism and unity to brighten the world through collaboration -- as well as the official opening of an INT-O Yellow art exhibit on the City Hall ground floor.

“We are proud to be the first city in New York to Paint the Town Yellow,” said Mayor Noble. “This is an opportunity to show the world what Kingston Optimism is all about! We are a caring city filled with neighbors working together to build a strong, resilient community in which every resident is supported and empowered. I can’t think of a more appropriate celebration of the direction our community is going. As our state motto says, “Excelsior!” meaning, “Ever Upward!”

Kingston’s Paint the Town Yellow campaign -- with International Optimism Yellow-inspired art shows, speakers’ series, fundraisers and other events -- will run through May, Mental Health Awareness Month. Campaign partners include the City of Kingston, HealthAlliance, the Mental Health Association in Ulster County, the YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County, and UMEWE (you-me-we).

“HealthAlliance is happy to support this two-month celebration of Optimism,” Scarpino said. “We look forward to taking action with many other groups and individuals to enhance the movement of Optimism in this city, which is expected to create social and economic benefits. This is also important to HealthAlliance as a healthcare institution because Optimism has also been shown to improve one’s health -- not just one’s mental health but rather how one functions and flourishes on many levels, creating a greater overall sense of well-being and life fulfillment.”

Paint the Town Yellow is a concept of G. Riley Johndonnell, a Kingston artist, activist and Optimist who creates works of art intended to generate positive energy. He cofounded UMEWE.org as a social-benefit art and design collaborative that creates public works and new opportunities for collaboration among artists, communities, companies and civic organizations.

International Optimism Yellow, or INT-O Yellow, is a specific version of yellow developed by Johndonnell and UMEWE in collaboration with the Pantone Color Institute, a worldwide color authority known for standardizing colors.

“It’s a color with a cause, a platform for participation and a tool to inspire a brighter reality,” Johndonnell said. “It’s also a way to convert blight into light, turn void to value and positively change reality.”

Mayor Noble concluded, “I hope all of our community members consider coming up with creative new ways of showing their Optimism at home, at work and in daily living throughout this inspiring Paint the Town Yellow celebration.”

For a full calendar of events and updates, visit the “Paint the Town Yellow Kingston” Facebook page at facebook.com/kingstonisintoyellow.