Celebration of Arts returns to Midtown
The Fourth Annual Celebration of the Arts takes place Friday, Aug. 3, starting at 5 p.m. at Cornell Creative Arts Center at The Arc, 139 Cornell St., Kingston.
In 2017, the Kingston Common Council and the Kingston Arts Commission designated a space in Midtown to honor Pauline Oliveros, so it’s a fitting place to begin this year’s event. Festivities kick off at the Deep Listening Plaza at Broadway Commons at 5 p.m., when Mayor Steve Noble unveils the sign and leads a short dedication ceremony.
Following a brief ceremony, a parade from Deep Listening Plaza to Cornell Creative Arts Center at The Arc will be led by several huge papier-mâché processional figures from Arm of the Sea Theater and accompanied by the Percussion Orchestra of Kingston (POOK) and Energy Dance Company.
The Percussion Orchestra Of Kingston (POOK), one of the celebration’s perennial favorites, will return to share its love of drumming and kick the festivities into an energetic gear. Three professional percussionists started this audition-only group in 1997, and, more than 20 years later, these dedicated young musicians showcase rhythms from all over the world in distinctive arrangements of traditional material and their own originals. Hundreds of area youngsters have been a part of this ensemble, which performs at Midtown Arts District events, as well as at West Point, Jacob’s Pillow and other major venues.
Also performing will be The Hipstones, consisting of Anthea White and Mark Palmer. They’re also the owners of a new coffee shop and provisions store, Village Coffee & Goods, at 17 Railroad Ave. For Celebration of the Arts, White and Palmer will shed their shopkeepers’ aprons and perform with their band. These two natives of Sydney have toured Australia, Europe, the U.S. and, most recently, Brooklyn. This will be their Kingston debut.
In addition, the performance lineup features Jamie Saft and New Zion. This reggae/dub-meets-piano trio features Saft on keyboards. In 2016, All About Jazz wrote, “What dub has always needed is improvising artists like Saft and (Brazilian percussionist Cyro) Baptista. Certainly, improvised music benefits here from this reggae/dub/Brazilian connection.”
Other performers include Andrea Shaut, who plays
both piano and trombone. She has served as pianist for the West Point Military Academy Glee Club and The Kazz Music Orchestra, among other gigs. She has also played at ArtBar and at ASK. Shaut is a talented accompanist and coach for young professional musicians and local school choirs.
Greek Night, a Balkan-inspired band, is part of the lineup as well. It consists of Max Fass on accordion, Tim Allen on clarinet, Laura Wilson Crimmins on violin, Sean Crimmins on bouzouki, and Chris Andersen on darbuka and percussion.
What began as an informal get together to play the music of Eastern Europe at Laura and Seth Crimmins’ house has blossomed into a band of people who love sharing the music of Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania, Turkey and other Balkans regions. Their lively music in odd meters and unusual scales is made for dancing and celebration.
Admission to the celebration is free. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.