KINGSTON – The City of Kingston will mark its first citywide “Paint the Town Yellow” campaign on April 3 to shine the light on mental health.
Mayor Steven Noble said Kingston will be the first city in New York to
Paint the Town Yellow. “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,” he said.
Kingston’s campaign will run through May, Mental Health Awareness Month. Campaign partners include Health Alliance, the Mental Health Association in Ulster County, the YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County and UMEWE (you-me-we).
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 founded UMEWE.org as a social-benefit and design collaborative that creates public works and new opportunities for collaboration among artists, communities, companies and civil organizations.
Johndonnell said the International Optimism Yellow is “a color with a cause, a platform for participation and a tool to inspire a brighter reality. It’s also a way to convert blight into light, turn void to value and positively change reality.”
