Galleries aren’t the only place to view art in Kingston. The city is adorned with public artworks, such as Todd Samara’s painting on the front of the Hudson River Maritime Museum and Henk Dikj’s artwork in Block Park. The most recent example is the Habitat for Artists installation at the Kingston Library, a portable studio where you can view artists on site making their work.
Businesses are also showing artists, from opticians and physicians that display local art on their walls to retail shops that are using art to beautify the premises as well as give artists another place to show their work.
Ken Darmstadt, owner of Darmstadt Doors on Cornell Street, has transformed the entire second floor of his business into a series of gallery spaces. More than a dozen artists were featured in the recent show, “The Art of Spring.” The galleries are both large and intimate, with comfy couches inviting people to linger. 
Catskill Art & Office Supply began showing work by individual artists in its storefront last April. The watercolors of Nathan Milgrim, a former textile designer who has exhibited in New York City (his works are part of the collection of the State House in Albany) will be displayed in June. “With the Featured Artist Series, I hoped to establish a better connection between local artists and the community at large,” said store manager Nick Peluso. “By giving artists an opportunity to display their work in Catskill Art’s storefront windows (an attractive setting accessible to everyone in the busy Uptown business district, day or night), we can bring attention to the incredible creative energy happening in our midst.”
Dolce Café and Mint, owned by Alessandra Tecchio, showcase the fauve works of Samara, who is featured in the July-August edition of American Artist. The brick walls of Dolce are the perfect backdrop for Samara’s poetic scenes of the Rondout, which include monumental, birds’ eye views as well as night scenes. The café also displays the lyrical works of Samara’s late partner, Leslie Miller.
The Wall Street branch of Ulster Savings Bank started exhibiting artwork in March, with the display of colorful posters created by elementary school children last year for the Hudson-Fulton Quadricentennial Celebration. For the months of June and July, the bank will be exhibiting the art of Howard Miller, a New Paltz-based artist. “This gives an opportunity for the public to see local artists and introduce ourselves to the community,” said branch manager Bernard Feeney. “We’ve been uptown for 158 years, and we’re an old-style bank,” whose columns and wood paneling are an attractive setting for art.
Other businesses that exhibit local artists are Ship to Shore, Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty, on Fair Street, and Seven 21 Media Center. Everywhere you look, Kingston is blossoming with art!
