ArtPort Kingston Presents…

STAY FROSTY KINGSTON

June 25 - 28, 2026

ArtPort Kingston and BravinLee Programs announce Stay Frosty Kingston, a curatorial collaboration for the second edition of the open-air art event, presented as part of Upstate Art Weekend.

Part tailgate, part site-specific exhibition, part trunk show, part art fair, Stay Frosty Kingston transforms ArtPort’s midtown parking lots into a vibrant, unconventional art space. Artists, curators, art spaces, and cultural producers have been invited to transform vehicles/parking spots into self-contained exhibitions. Trunks opened to sculptural installations, immersive experiences, sound works, and artist-led activations, creating a dynamic experience beyond the confines of traditional art spaces.

Expanding on the 2025 debut in Harlem, originally conceived by Bravin Lee Programs, the Kingston edition brings together 50+ participants, turning ArtPort’s outdoor spaces into a multifaceted landscape of experimentation and exchange. Art is encountered up close and in motion—spilling out of vehicles, unfolding across asphalt, and inviting direct interaction.

Blurring the lines between exhibition, fair, and public gathering, Stay Frosty offers installations, live podcasts, portrait drawing, performances, hands-on workshops, and more, creating a lively, accessible way to experience contemporary art outdoors. The name “Stay Frosty,” drawn from Vietnam-era GI slang meaning “don’t panic,” reflects the project’s adaptable, responsive spirit.

Stay Frosty Kingston is a curatorial collaboration between ArtPort Kingston and BravinLee Programs, both committed to site-responsive, artist-led, and nontraditional exhibition models. The project reflects a shared focus on experimentation and context-driven work, activating Midtown Kingston as a central hub during Upstate Art Weekend where artists, audiences, and ideas converge.

BravinLee Programs, founded in 1991 by Karin Bravin and John Post Lee in SoHo, develops projects where place and context are central to the work. Led by Laurie De Chiara and Stefan Saffer, the nonprofit ArtPort Kingston supports artists through exhibitions, residencies, and public programming, reflecting a shared commitment with BravinLee to building culture outside traditional structures and grounded in collaboration and exchange.

Participants include Z Behl/ Kim Maloney, Woolpunk, Peter Dudek, Sammy Bennett, Ghost of a Dream, Jeila Gueramian, Material Girls, Taliesen Thomas, Camp Gallery, Julie Pepito, Tara Foley, BOB’s Gallery, Guy Richards Smit, Matt Bua, Amelia Biewald, Cal Fish, Stephanie Theodore Gallery, Works on Water, Dasha Bazanova, Ali Shrago-Spechler, Jonathan Schwartz/ Atelier 4 and more.

Inquiries: www.artportkingston.org, info@artportkingston.org, info@bravinlee.com, www.bravinlee.com