The Midtown Kingston Arts District invites you to an elegant and heartfelt celebration at the MKAD Awards Night 2025, held Tuesday, December 16th from 6–8 PM at Frank Guido’s Little Italy in Midtown Kingston.

This year’s event features the presentation of the 9th Annual Red Goat Awards, honoring individuals who have made significant contributions to Kingston’s arts community. Since the award’s inception, the Red Goat has celebrated those who champion creativity, service, and community enrichment. Selected by the MKAD Board of Directors, this year’s honorees—Ward Mintz and Barbara Scott—embody the spirit of dedication and transformative impact that defines the award.

We are also proud to present this year’s Todd Samara Art Award to Sui Jenneris for her proposed project The Way I See It: Kingston Still Frames. This $1,500 award supports Kingston-based projects recognizing artistic merit through originality, craft, professionalism, and community engagement, with particular emphasis on underserved communities and youth.

Established by Samara’s family in 2018 and maintained by MKAD, the award honors the legacy of Kingston painter Todd Samara (1943–2020), who spent over three decades capturing the beauty of the Rondout neighborhood through his poetic, textured landscapes.

A highlight of the evening will be a grand toast to Lara Giordano, founder and director of The DRAW and Youth Workforce (fka PUGG) as she retires after six years of unwavering dedication to providing accessible arts education programming, community-building, and collaboration with MKAD. Since the DRAW’s founding in 2017, Lara has developed a layered program which asserts that art is a training ground for life, helping us to solve problems independently and collectively, building relationships and cultivating community through shared practice, artistic expression, communication and appreciation. Her work has provided access to jobs and opportunities for our youth, all the while providing education and community events for Midtown Kingston.

The evening includes an open bar featuring beer, wine, and mocktails, along with buffet-style hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are $100, with a discounted rate of $80 for the second ticket.

Rooted in collaboration among Midtown artists, businesses, and property owners, MKAD continues its mission to advance, engage, unite, and enrich Midtown Kingston by providing access to high-quality arts experiences and creative opportunities. Through education, workforce development, community printmaking, civic partnerships, and free public art events, MKAD fosters the arts as a powerful agent of positive change.

We invite you to join us in celebrating this year’s exceptional honorees and the creative spirit of Midtown Kingston.