The Kingston Sculpture Biennial opened last Saturday, and though it’s smaller than in years past—all the pieces are concentrated on or near the Rondout waterfront—the show continues to surprise and delight residents and visitors, the carefully placed pieces transforming the city environs in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. They represent a range of materials—including hand-blown glass, stone, steel, painted and unpainted wood, bus wrap and woven plastic bags–and approaches, from the traditional piece-on-a-pedestal to installations to artworks that lie on the ground and even float (in the case of Marisa DiPaola’s Floating Island, a cork construction on the Rondout Creek).

Sponsored by the Arts Society of Kingston and entitled “Insight/Onsite,” this year’s biennial was curated by Robert Johnson, a sculptor and painter from Stone Ridge who’s participated in shows in the past. While many of the 23 participating artists are from the region, a few were selected from points farther afield, such as Saratoga Springs and Westchester County. Johnson met with each artist and spent a lot of time walking the Rondout to figure out the best placement for each piece, moving two works at the last minute to optimize their impact. He also worked with the artists on the installations, which in some cases were a bit tricky. For example, Kurt Swanson’s Blue Chain, consisting of a string of blown glass forms whose color and shapes suggest Baroque-era splendor, is suspended over the entrance to the Downtown Visitors Center; it required a climb up into the cramped faux attic of the building. In essence, curating the show was a “mini part-time job,” said Johnson, who is on the ASK board and works as an art director at SUNY Ulster.

Artist Bennett Wine and "Man in the Middle"

One of the most striking pieces, which serves as a kind of gateway to the exhibition, is located on the median of lower Broadway. Entitled Man in the Middle, it consists of giant photographs—printed on durable bus wrap—of the surrounding streetscape on a four-sided plywood structure topped by a fractured representation of a man bending over backward, clusters of rocks (or rather, photographs of rocks) suspended from either arm. “It’s like Fiddler on the Roof,” said artist Bennett Wine, who pointed out that the pose mimics the form of the neighboring lamp post. Wine’s piece acts like a prism of the surroundings, a multi-dimensional funhouse mirror that echoes, distorts and dramatizes the mundane setting. (It also has a top image, visible from the neighboring roof tops.)

Other highlights are Tatana Keller’s Blue Line, which scales the incline of Company Path for a substantial distance and consists of crocheted blue plastic bags; Patty Mooney’s Navigating Change, a fin- or sail-shaped assemblage of wood, steel and concrete that simultaneously suggests movement through space and time; and Paul Bouchard’s High Modernist yet light-hearted Converging Arcs #7, located on the Broadway median in front of Mariners Harbor, and R. Jane Bouchard’s Circle, whose curved rusted metal strips hints at the waterfront’s industrial past and meanwhile lends the intersecting spheres an engaging warmth and tactility (the Bouchards are married and reside in Saratoga Springs). Susan Togut’s Waves of Transformation is a park-like installation, complete with seating, at the foot of the new walkway constructed out of distressed boat parts. It punctuates the space of an otherwise vacant stretch of lawn and would be a nice permanent addition to the waterfront.

That’s just a sampling of the rich assemblage of art. So as not to miss anything—works are also exhibited at the Hudson River Maritime Museum, Gallo Park, and in the ASK building—pick up a free map at ASK, 97 Broadway. The sculpture show is an outstanding example of how imagination can transform a cityscape; it doesn’t always take a lot of expensive brick and mortar. The show will be up until the end of October.

The 2011 Kingston Sculpture Biennial sponsors are Ulster Savings Bank, JK’s Wine & Liquor and Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union.

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Many visitors—who later end up moving here–consider Kingston to be the Hudson Valley’s best kept secret. They’re won over by the historic architecture, fascinating museum and historic sites, beautiful waterfront, excellent restaurants, interesting, one-of-a-kind shops, art scene, and affordable housing—not to mention the friendly people. To further beautify the city, get the word out, and make Kingston more accessible, the committees from the Main Street Manager’s Office are working on several initiatives:

Kingston Happenings Website is Live
The website, www.kingstonnycalendar.org, has been launched (with this blog) we encourage all business owners and residents to check out the calendar and list upcoming cultural events in the city. Business owners are also advised to fill out the on-line form to get listed in the free business directory. They can also advertise at a very reasonable cost on the site: ads on the home page are $25 a month, $15 per month on the back pages. Artists are also encouraged to submit digital images of their work, for the juried selection of art that will be displayed on the home page.

Colorful Banners Planned for Broadway Corridor
The Business Alliance of Kingston is currently reviewing designs for banners that would be hung along the Kingston Corridor, a route through the city that would guide visitors through Uptown down Broadway to the Rondout. Each banner would also identify the district—Uptown, Midtown, or Downtown. Visitors entering the city often get lost because of the city’s geography; the banners would help them find their way through the city as well as tie the three districts together. A redesign of the visitor’s kiosk off the Thruway has been proposed, and the MSM’s committees are also investigating posting a map for motorists and other signage.

Art in the Empty Storefronts, to Enliven the Streetscape
Another project underway is the display of artwork in the city’s empty storefronts. Anne Surprenant and Brian Early, who opened up a gallery in Uptown this month and are both members of Project 19, a Kingston-based arts consortium, are working with the Main St. Manager’s office to approach landlords to explore placing paintings, sculpture, photographs, video, and installations in key locations in Uptown and Midtown. Exhibiting artwork in the storefronts would help beautify the city, create more interest on the pedestrian level as well as showcase the city’s abundant artistic talent. If you own a building with an empty storefront and are interested in participating, please contact the Main Street Manager’s office at kingstonmsm@gmail.com.

City-wide Yard Sale Planned June 5
The MSM is also planning to organize a city-wide yard sale on June 5, which is also the day of the First Saturday gallery opening. The idea is to involve the whole city in an event that would entice visitors—as well as provide Kingstonians with an opportunity to pick up collectibles and get rid of their old stuff! The gallery openings attract a lot of visitors, and the idea is to build on that, with restaurants staying open late and perhaps musical performances happening in nearby venues. We want people who come to Kingston to see art to come earlier in the day to check out the yard sale, then finish off their day with a meal in one of our great restaurants.

The MSM’s office has launched a Business to Business Discount Program. Kingston has a rich concentration of small businesses, which collectively can supply many of the shopping needs of residents and other businesses. But many who live and work in the city aren’t aware of this, preferring to do their shopping at the mall, large chains or outside the area. To help raise awareness, Main Street Manager’s office, has introduced a B2B program as a way to boost business on a slow day and build support among the local business community.
To qualify, business owners need to present their business cards to the sales person at the counter. Participating businesses will be listed on the Business Alliance of Kingston website, www.BusinessAllianceOfKingston.org, with information about the discount (when it’s available and how much) and a description of their business. So far, twelve and counting businesses are offering the discount (or a variation), which are: Artcraft Camera, Catskill Art & Office Supply, Full Circle, Half Moon Books, A Razor’s Edge, Dominick’s Café, Maxwell’s Pizza Pub, Yankee Clipper, Ship to Shore, Mezzanine Antique Center, Madden’s Fine Wines and Liquors, The Hoffman House.

The MSM, which is sponsored by the Business Alliance of Kingston, is working with local businesses and the community to revitalize the city’s business districts.

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