We’re at that point in the summer where anybody who doesn’t have even the most mediocre of tan lines begins to look a little sketchy to me. For the record, this is not me hating on hermits or agoraphobes – I’ve had my fair share of social reclusion in my life – I just feel, very deep in my soul, that we all need to reap the benefits of this beautiful weather while we have it. The peak of summer has come and gone and the daylight now begins to slowly wane.

I think of my friends who live on the West Coast who can’t leave their homes because even the hallways of their apartment buildings smell like a bonfire.

In New York, our air quality is consistently good (counting for, of course, the hazy, smoky days a few weeks past) and we have a healthy balance of rainy and sunny days. In Kingston, we can even boast about a new freshwater swimming hole right in our backyards. That paired with some ice cream or gelato from one of the many spots in the city and you have a perfectly rounded afternoon. I will admit that we are also at that time of year when any day feels like a good day to indulge in some ice cream (and I don’t discriminate – I’ll take a cup of Stewart’s ice cream any day if it’s too late to hit any other spot).

This weekend has an eclectic lineup of events and cultural affairs in Kingston, but before I get into time-specific events I’d like to shout out two open calls, starting with one that was just announced by the Arts Society of Kingston looking for solo exhibitors in their main gallery for 2027.

I’ve done a lot of press for ASK in the past and have spoken to Executive Director Amy Poux many times, so I can confidently present this as a great opportunity for artists living in or around Kingston to expand the reach of their work in a gallery space located both centrally in Kingston and whose openings regularly amass large crowds of interested spectators.

ASK does the work of uplifting artists both seasoned and emerging and doesn’t limit the type of art that can be presented through their doors. They welcome any artist working in visual media, which can include painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, fiber, ceramics, mixed media, installation, and new media.

Their eligibility for submissions are as follows: artists must be 18 or older, their work must be original, they can only submit as an individual artist and they must have a cohesive body of work that is enough to fill the gallery space.

Additional requirements and criteria can be viewed here.

Deadlines for submissions are on Oct. 1, which gives you plenty of time to sort through your body of work and see if you have a collection that aligns with and is deserved of an exhibition space at one of Kingston’s premiere galleries.

Burn Baby, Burn (Kingston Inferno)

Another mention on the casting call front, the Burning of Kingston event, which takes place every mid-October, has sent out a call for actors in a “unique Burning of Kingston presentation.”

Organizers of the event are planning a dramatic retelling of the historic meeting of the Kingston Committee of Safety that took place in October 1777 prior to the British invasion. The play/dramatization will be a half-hour long and performed during the event on Oct. 17 at 2 p.m.

Producers are in search of performers to play a variety of roles in the production, including: town elders, prosperous merchants, colonial militia, spies, wives, servants, and enslaved and indigenous peoples. Selected cast members will be provided historic guidelines and character backgrounds but are expected to improvise in relation to how they believe their character would act.

Though acting experience isn’t required, those with a flair for the dramatic and a passion for history will find themselves at home in a role of this kind. Dress will be provided and it is a completely volunteer position. Interested parties should reach out to info@burningofkingston.com to learn more and inquire about a position.

Flash Point on Dederick Street

Switching gears, this weekend’s buzz is flying true north down Dederick Street into the heart of the photography algorithm for CPW’s fourth annual Photobook and Zine Fair.

The fair takes place on Saturday and Sunday, from 11-6 p.m. and 11-4 p.m. respectively. The fair is a hub of photographers and publishers and artists (oh my). I missed it last year and am intent on making it this year, if only to connect with fellow creatives who are diving head-first into the (financially) dangerous work of publishing.

As someone who lays out and sends a newspaper off to the printer each week I am in very close connection with the machinations of publishing – which also include working at a small newspaper in a small town reporting on things like signs being renovated and fights between middle schoolers.

All of this to say that I both envy and am thrilled when I see artists making publishing fun. At the end of the day publishing, at its core, is a way to reach people and an audience at a greater scale, and has taken many shapes and forms throughout history. Now, history is before us, and this weekend we can be privy to the next generation of publishers doing the hard but fruitful work of creating serialized, high-volume art.

The fair will include over 30 local and visiting publishers and independent artists and will also feature 11 panels and artist talks over the course of the two days. Our friends over at Good Neighbor are included on the lineup of panelists for their talk “It Began with a Zine: Catalysts for Building Community,” which will take place from 1:30-2 p.m. on Saturday. I’m also looking forward to the poetry reading from 4:30-5 p.m. (though I will admit I’ve never been to a 30-minute-long poetry reading before…) hosted by 1080PRESS.

The Midtown Kingston Arts District will also be organizing an all-ages build-your-own-zine workshop, giving all who come the opportunity to create their own print publication to show-off to their friends and family when they leave. Food and treats will be available courtesy of Hungry Heart, a local micro-bakery in Kingston (which I mentioned in a recent story I wrote about Kingston’s many micro-bakeries).

Learn more here about the event here. Admission is free to all.

Hot Tunes With Harambee

Finally, also on Saturday is Harambee’s African American Music Festival, taking place 12-7 p.m. at Kingston Point Beach.

The festival features 10 different performances from musical groups in and around Kingston. This is the event’s eighth iteration and will include, beyond music, a market with local vendors, a children’s zone courtesy of MyKingstonKids and various food trucks.

The event is totally free to attend, and organizers only ask that you bring your own chair to sit on. Learn more at harambeekingstonny.org.