Micah Blumenthal of the Center for Creative Education and the O-Positive Festival makes a point. (Photo: Phyllis McCabe)
Special events involving the arts should be programmed, said Curran. In Denver, for example, a local college of art “featured an event involving the forging of sculpture at night, which brought in a huge number of people.”
Attendees then broke out into smaller groups, with a spokesperson from each presenting the ideas discussed to the reassembled audience after the 45-minute discussion period.
The ideas thrown around were plentiful:
- Hosting events to engage the whole community
- Creating a cultural center in abandoned Bank of America building on Broadway
- Recruiting art pieces along the proposed walkway from UPAC to the Lace Mill
- Establish a museum and more galleries to attract people from a 100-mile radius
- Installation of bike lanes
- Linking artists to recreation, health care and other community aspects
- A communication committee for better outreach
- Making foreclosed buildings available to artists
- Install flags, banners or other type of signage to create an identity for the district
- Create a committee assisting artists with grant-writing
- Community workshops
- Murals that highlighted Kingston’s history
- Hiring of grantswriters to pursue private foundation money
- A bulletin board listing jobs and other opportunities for artists
- Possible creation of a business investment district or of an arts district board with nonprofit status (doing this, Gallo noted, would expedite funding, since the Common Council would not have to be consulted)
- Promoting the post office and other service or retail centers in the district.
Pablo Shine, a painter in the audience who teaches a course on mural painting at SUNY Ulster, mentioned partnering with the city to match students with mural sites. As it is, “kids from the community college are using a 3-D printer to design a classroom for Alcoa” in the Kingston Business Park, said Gallo. “The community college wants to get involved in the art-techno nexus.”
“The biggest word that pops out is ‘community,’ so this is not just about art,” concluded Frumess. “The ebb and flow of the river seems to symbolize Kingston going up and down. We’ve had many ebbs, but … with the arts we can rebuild.” The next Midtown arts district committee meeting will be in June; Frumess said the district would likely be formed in the fall.
Great idea! From the article:
“Cumberland, Md. ‘packaged artist relocation incentives to rehab buildings’ and ‘made the most of everything they had,’ including a canal heritage visitor center in a restored train station, a scenic railroad, and an art-deco theater….Cumberland in particular seemed a good model for Kingston, considering that its population is roughly the same, as is its median household income of $25,000 and its 100-mile distance from a major city.
It should be noted that, like Cumberland, Kingston also has a scenic mountain railroad terminating in town – and its tracks go right into the proposed arts district.
…and from The Great Allegheny Passage Rail Trail website: Welcome to one of America’s best bike trails, where you will discover a nearly level trail along winding rivers, shaded valleys, and small towns. Now complete, the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) rail-trail offers 150 miles of hiking and biking between Cumberland, MD, and Pittsburgh, PA free from traffic and motorized vehicles.
..and we also have many other trails in the immediate area. The U&D corridor doesn’t need to lose its rails or its trains to be one. (It should be noted that the Western Maryland Scenic also has trails along a portion of its ROW.)
Coexistence is possible and preferable.
Great article, Lynn! There is some great energy in Midtown.