KINGSTON – The Department of Arts & Cultural Affairs and the Kingston Arts Commission are now accepting nominations for the third City of Kingston Distinguished Artist Award.
The Distinguished Artist Award was established in 2018 to acknowledge the achievements of local artists and creative thinkers across all disciplines, including music, theatre, dance, literary, visual, or media arts.
Nominees for the Distinguished Artist Awards must be a resident of Kingston for a minimum of two years and have demonstrated a commitment to the local creative community. Finalists and recipients will be chosen based upon the level of their artistry, commitment to the art form, commitment to the community, and recognition in the field locally, nationally or internationally.
Awardees are selected by a panel of their peers, and will be honored in a ceremony held at City Hall this spring. The award recipient should be willing to serve for two years and perform two public community projects such as a performance, lecture, exhibition, reading, or workshop. A small stipend will be provided to the awardee.
“We know that the pandemic has been challenging for creatives, so we hope this award will demonstrate the city’s commitment to fostering Kingston’s unique artistic community, and our ongoing support of the arts in this community,” said Mayor Steven Noble.
“We encourage nominations of artists whose work fosters engagement in innovative ways that are sensitive to our multicultural community context,” said Marielena Ferrer-Harrington, chairwoman of the Kingston Arts Commission. “It is our hope that this engagement will turn citizens into advocates who help shape Kingston’s artistic and cultural vibrancy.”
The online nomination form is available here. Paper copies of the form can be downloaded here, and can be returned to kpotter@kingston-ny.gov or delivered to the Arts & Cultural Affairs Office at City Hall, 420 Broadway. All nominations must be submitted by Sunday, February 27.
The Distinguished Artist Award was presented to artists Peter Wetzler and Julie Hedrick in 2018 and to musician Lara Hope in 2020.
