CITY OF KINGSTON DISTINQUISHED ARTISTS AWARD
Mayor Steven T. Noble is pleased to announce that the Department of Arts & Cultural
Affairs and the Kingston Arts Commission are now accepting nominations for the fourth City of Kingston
Distinguished Artist Award.
The Distinguished Artist Award, established in 2018 through a partnership with Mayor Steve Noble and the
Kingston Arts Commission, is a bi-annual recognition of a Kingstonian’s creative excellence, artistic
accomplishments and involvement in the community. NOMINEES FOR THE DISTINGUISHED ARTIST AWARDS MUST BE A RESIDENT OF KINGSTON FOR A MINIMUM OF TWO YEARS AND RECOGNIZED BY PEERS AND EXPERTS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY AS AMONG THE MOST HIGHLY CELEBRATED IN THEIR FIELD.
We encourage nominations for creatives from all cultural backgrounds who may work in any artistic discipline
including, but not limited to: painting, sculpture, literature, architecture, theater, film and music. The awardee
will be 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.
Nominations must include the submission form and a one-page narrative that illustrate the nominee’s
qualifications. Nominations must be submitted by 430PM, FRIDAY, March 22, 2024 to City of Kingston’s
Director of Arts & Cultural Affairs: via THIS ONLINE FORM; VIA THIS PDF FORM BY email TO [email protected], or mailed/dropped off at City Hall at
420 Broadway.
The awardee will be selected by a panel comprised of peers and professionals in the field. Note that the
awardee is not chosen by the quantity of nominations received, but by the QUALITY of the nomination,
of their work and by their commitment to the community.
The awardee will be recognized by Mayor Steve Noble, the Department of Arts & Cultural Affairs and the Arts
Commission at an award ceremony and reception held at City Hall on May 23, 2024.
As Distinguished Artist of the City of Kingston, the awardee will hold the distinction for two years and will be
extended a standing invitation as a special guest to City of Kingston events and recognized as such when
present.
The Distinguished Artist Award was presented to artists Peter Wetzler and Julie Hedrick in 2018, to
musician Lara Hope in 2020 and to performance artist Jaguar Mary X.
The Distinguished Artist Awards 2022
Mayor Steven T. Noble and the Kingston Arts Commission are pleased to announce the 2022 City of Kingston Distinguished Artist Award will be presented to performance artist Jaguar Mary X.
Jaguar Mary X (they/them) is a performance artist, glossolalia vocalist, filmmaker, and hoop dancer. Their specific concerns, and the directives that have driven their art practice, engage black feminist discourse, questions of history, and ritual performance and practice in art. Jaguar Mary has shown and performed internationally at the Johannesburg and Havana Biennials, the New Museum, Museum of Modern Art, KARST Gallery in the UK and Dietch Projects in New York. In 2020, they were commissioned to make work for the Public Art Fund and the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation. They also received grants from the Jerome Foundation and the New York Foundation for the Arts. Jaguar Mary is a graduate of the Whitney Independent Study Program, has an MFA in Film and Video from California Institute for the Arts, and received a full scholarship from Pratt Institute and completed an MFA in Performance and Performance Studies in May 2019. Jaguar Mary X is a Kingston resident.
The panel for the 2022 Distinguished Artist Award was comprised of five Kingston residents: Dominick Hiddo, painter; Brian Mahoney, editor; Kai Navarette, visual artist; Sarah Reiter, writer/director; and Laura Victoria Ward, choreographer/dancer.
The Distinguished Artist Award ceremony, free and open to the public, will take place on Thursday, May 26 at 5:30pm in Council Chambers at City Hall. A reception immediately follows.
About the Distinguished Artist Award
The Distinguished Artist Award was established in 2018 through partnership with Mayor Steve Noble and the Kingston Arts Commission. The Distinguished Artist Award seeks to reward the achievements of local artists and creative thinkers.
Nominees for the Distinguished Artist Awards must have been a resident of Kingston for a minimum of two years. Nominees will have demonstrated a commitment to the local creative community. Awardees are selected by a panel of their peers, and are honored in a ceremony held at City Hall.
The Distinguished Artist Award was presented to artists Peter Wetzler and Julie Hedrick in 2018 and to musician Lara Hope in 2020.