Two of Kingston’s strongest assets are undoubtedly our passionate arts community and our unwavering dedication to music. So what happens when those two worlds collide? We worked with four talented local artists to create a series of fan-art inspired posters dedicated to Kingston’s music and festivals scene. Check out their impressive works below.
Abbie Crane – Kingston Music Map
“When I moved from the UK, the first destination I saw (in daylight, not half-asleep from an 8-hour flight) was Kingston. I lived in a hotel downtown for 2 months while my parents were house hunting and it was the height of tourism season. There was something comforting about the bustle of downtown that I fell in love with – the quaint buildings, the waterfront, the chatter and music coming from one of the many nearby patios. And that is what I try to capture in my work portraying Kingston – the fun-loving, energetic little city, that is always buzzing with activity.”
Benjamin Nelson – Kingston Music Festivals
“Classified ads from 70s and 80s Rolling Stone magazines helped inspire my design. In order to represent and celebrate Kingston’s many music festivals, I represented the essence of each one using paraphernalia and merchandise you’d get at a music festival, while keeping the icons relevant to the specific experience you’d have at each one. To quote the designer/author Paul Rand, ‘Design is not good design if it is irrelevant.” I felt it was relevant and important to exhibit overlooked aspects of a music festival – those items or keepsakes where one’s memories live.”
Carl Wiens – Electric Circuits
“Music gets your mind and body working together and releases creativity. I kept that in mind while I worked on this poster and listened to a juicy mix of beats.”
Hayden Maynard – Back to the Farm Festival
“Usually illustration is about finding inspiration in dry subject material so it’s always a delight when an art director approaches me with a music project. Assignments like these allow me to be more flexible and playful in my approach which is a big part of how we ended up with the final result. I wanted the poster to be clean and elegant, with a fun take on the idea of a farm music festival.”
