The 2021 festival schedule is jam-packed with everything from concerts to documentary screenings to group bike rides. The artists will also be able to take advantage of an array of healthcare opportunities and clinics from O+ partner providers.

We teamed up with O+ to create a mural specific thread on Stomping Ground. You can now listen to over 20 audio stories featuring murals around Kingston.

The O+ Festival first launched back in 2010.  The founders identified the lack of sufficient healthcare services as a critical issue influencing the well being of artists and musicians. They devised an event that could support their local municipality, artists and the general public through a festival structure where musicians and artists provided their art in exchange for health and wellness services.

Each year, the festival draws thousands of people who enjoy dozens of live performances, participate in active events like bike rides and yoga, and view new and existing murals. Currently there are 45 murals throughout Kingston and dozens more from other pop up festivals from nearby Poughkeepsie to San Francisco. 

While the festival only lasts for one weekend, O+ as an organization continues to provide for the community through the long lasting color of the murals painted, the increased well being of local artists, and ongoing programming ranging from block parties to their O+ Radio Hour on Radio Kingston.

I feel more connected to my surroundings when I know the context and history of a place, whether it’s ancient or recent. Even in the places I have lived all my life, there are always additional layers that surprise me. I want to know who painted the mural outside my office building and what it means to them; I want to know about the decaying building foundation I came across while on a hike; I want to know who designed the building I live in and why they made the choices they did. I want to hear from the specialty tea shop owner: why she chose to start a business in my community and her relationships with her suppliers. These and countless other stories are the reason we are working on Stomping Ground.

There is something powerful about physically being in a place while learning about it, so Stomping Ground focuses on location based stories. Instead of looking at a mural on a screen, listeners physically go and view the art in person, seeing it in its true size, its full shape and its vibrant colors. This way the piece is experienced as it was intended by the artist, while listeners hear the artist or curator talk about what makes this artwork special.

The stories on Stomping Ground are all in audio format, told in first person, by someone who has direct experience and knowledge of the place they are speaking about. We chose audio as our medium because it has a more personal touch, and it’s an enjoyable format. As a listener, audio helps me feel as if I am connecting with a friend. I build a stronger connection to the speaker and their story if I can hear them hesitate, laugh, and stress certain words. With audio we can enable the listener to take in their surroundings and enjoy an uninterrupted visual experience while they learn or laugh along with a story.

Stomping Ground is created by myself and my co-founder Sarah Knapp. I am a software developer based in Ontario, Canada, while Sarah is a Hudson Valley based entrepreneur focused on community and outdoor exploration. Sarah and I connected over a love for art, outdoor adventure and media, but we found the strongest bond in our shared ethics and a desire to build a company with a strong social mission. It is our hope that learning about your surroundings from local experts, artists, store owners, and non-profits will help you foster a stronger connection with your community and help all of us grow into better, more participatory community members. We are delighted to bring you Stomping Ground and the plethora of rich stories that it will contain. Stay tuned to find out when we are launching in your area!