Rockabilly musician getting Distinguished Artist Award
Lara Hope, leader of the group Lara Hope & the Ark-Tones, will be the recipient of this year’s honor.
Lara Hope, leader of the rockabilly band Lara Hope & the Ark-Tones, will receive this year’s Kingston Distinguished Artist Award.
Hope will be honored during a ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23, at City Hall, 420 Broadway.
Hope, who received the 2017 Ameripolitan Music Award for Best Female Rockabilly Artist, is known for work with both the Ark-Tones and the Gold Hope Duo.
Hope has performed at many local events and is a worldwide touring musician.
“I am so honored and thrilled to be chosen for the Kingston’s Distinguished Artist Award,” Hope said in a prepared statement. “I’ve seen how much the city has grown and blossomed over the past decade, and I look forward to doing my part to help this continue. “After traveling the country extensively, there’s no doubt in my mind that there’s a special kind of magic here,” Hope added. “I am proud to call Kingston my home, and plan to see the arts thrive here for years to come.”
Kingston Mayor Steve Noble, also in a prepared statement, said he is “delighted to see the Distinguished Artist Award presented to such a vibrant member of our community.”
The Kingston Distinguished Artist Award was created by the Kingston Arts Commission in 2018 and is given out every two years. The 2018 award went to Julie Hedrick and Peter Wetzler.
Artists in numerous disciplines — including music, theater, dance, literary arts, and visual or media arts — are eligible for the award.
“The recipients are chosen based upon the level of their artistry, commitment to the art form, commitment to the community, and recognition in the field locally, nationally or internationally,” a press release about this year’s award stated.
Nominees must have lived in the city of Kingston for at least two years.
The panel that chooses the honorees is made up of five Kingston residents: Bryant “Drew” Andrews, executive director of the Center for Creative Education; Brian Mahoney, editor of Chronogram magazine; Julio Nazario, a professional artist and former assistant dean at Rutgers University; Aaron Rezny, a food and still-life photographer; and Virginia Walsh, director and curator of exhibitions at the Ann Street Gallery in Newburgh.