On a quick visit to Kingston, New York this weekend I came upon a cultural haven overlooking Rondout Creek in the city’s historic waterfront district. ArtPort Kingston is a “destination for art experiences and unconventional interaction,” according to the website, introducing audiences to an eclectic array of contemporary art exhibitions, performances, events, and workshops.
Launched in December 2019 by independent curator/gallerist Laurie De Chiara and her husband, artist/educator, Stefan Saffer, ArtPort Kingston is located in The Cornell Steamboat Building, a massive structure built in the early 1900s to house and service tugboats that shuttled agricultural and construction cargo down the Delaware & Hudson Canal to New York City. De Chiara and Saffer are also the founders of ArtPod, a nonprofit that produces immersive group shows and educational programming.
The ground level of Art Port offers a pair of interactive works, including Sophi Kravitz’s Loquacious and Lovely (2017), two light-up rocking unicorns that visitors can hop on for a ride. The colorful creatures, symbols of “uniqueness and power,” according to the artist’s message, exude cheer and optimism, gathering negative energy into their illuminated horns as “a glowing beacon of comfort.”
Also on the ground floor is Saffer’s interactive installation ArtPark. A long red carpet—with Matisse-inspired cut-outs—leads to a series of suspended disks adorned with geometric patterns. Visitors are invited to toss ping pong balls at the disks which emit percussive tones when hit. Trying to get a consistent beat going on the mobile quickly becomes a fun and obsessive mission.
The vast, brightly-lit second floor showcased two group exhibits. Blossom Return, curated by Susan Jennings, featured nature-inspired works by eight artists. “While the world shuttered, last summer’s bloom was particularly poignant as something consistent, healthy and healing amidst so much that was not…. This summer the blossom return greets us both as it always has and also entirely anew,” the press release reads.
The Other Side of the Rainbow, curated by De Chiara, features works that respond to the unprecedented events of this past year—illustrating how the artists experience life gradually returning to normal. “Often after a storm, comes an amazing rainbow, which can create an inspiring view,” notes the press release. Featuring neon-lit messages, ceramics, paintings, and knit art, the exhibit offers a panoply of reflections linked by a sense of hope.
Outside, artist Maya Strauss painted a shed/mobile art studio, accompanied by the improvisations of bassist Evan Crane. Site-specific public art pieces are displayed along the waterfront as well. Both exhibitions, Blossom Return and The Other Side of the Rainbow closed on Sunday, July 25, but check out artportkingston.com for information on upcoming shows and events.
Be sure to stop by and visit this innovative creative hub if you happen to be in the Kingston/Hudson Valley area.
ArtPort Kingston
The Cornell Steamboat Building
108 East Strand Street
Kingston, New York
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