City Hall to Host Four Art Exhibitions in 2019

The City of Kingston’s Department of Art & Cultural Affairs is collaborating with local organizations, Arts Mid-Hudson, the Kingston Arts Commission, and MAD to bring four exhibitions to City Hall this year. Each exhibition will be on display at City Hall for three months, with the opening receptions aligning with other First Saturday events.

The first exhibition, which opened on Saturday, January 5 and will be available to view during regular City Hall hours until March 31, features artwork by talented professional artists who have participated in the Pop-Up Gallery Group, or P.U.G.G. The P.U.G.G. Alumni Exhibition features nine artists in a wide variety of mediums including photography, quilting, illustration, drawing, printmaking, painting and more.

The P.U.G.G. program is an arts management program developed to support current and alumni artists of Kingston High School (KHS). The program was developed by Lara Giordano and JoAnna Ruisi of The Department of Regional Art Workers (The D.R.A.W.) and was originally funded through a grant from the Office of Economic & Community Development of the City of Kingston. The P.U.G.G. program connects KHS Alumni with local exhibition & workshop opportunities, along with providing current KHS students with valuable experience in arts management.

“I am excited to welcome works by Kingston High School alumni to City Hall and to celebrate these artists’ unique talents,” says Mayor Steve Noble. “The P.U.G.G. program is an incredible resource in our community and we’re happy to be partnering with them to bring this exhibition to City Hall. We are committed to continuing to support our growing arts community. This exhibition, along with the exhibitions planned for later in 2019, will put the spotlight on some of our local artists who make Kingston such a special place to live, work and visit.”

The ground floor of City Hall, which has previously been used to display work, is now managed by the Department of Art & Cultural Affairs. Director Adrielle Farr is thrilled to assist in developing and managing the space for future exhibitions. “Using public spaces for the display of art promotes inclusivity, and allows for artists to share their work with visitors to City Hall,” says Farr. “It is exciting to see a municipal building offer a space to celebrate the artistic community.”

For more information, and to learn more about future exhibitions at City Hall, please visit www.kingston- ny.gov/exhibitions or contact the Department of Art & Cultural Affairs at afarr@kingston-ny.gov or (845) 334- 3929.

For more information on the exhibitors, please visit drawkingston.org.