(click to read full proposal) The Be Well Raise Hell Festival is a healing‑centered, culturally grounded arts festival that embodies a commitment to equity and community resilience. Blending high‑energy punk and hip‑hop with folk, storytelling, and spoken word, the festival uplifts a diversity of local artists while integrating mental health education, harm‑reduction resources, and a wellness/artisan village. With opportunities for Town of Rochester performers, space for youth and DIY creators, and accessible, open programming, the festival strengthens local creative ecosystems and fosters intergenerational connection. More than a music festival, Be Well Raise Hell is a celebration of community creativity, recovery, and collective healing — a model for sustainable, inclusive cultural impact in the Town of Rochester.

(click to read full proposal) A Harvest Mural is a public art project that brings SUNY Ulster art students together with local artist and curator Sam Goldberg to create a harvest‑themed mural celebrating the Town of Rochester’s agricultural heritage, seasonal abundance, and rural identity. Through SUNY Ulster’s internship program, 2–3 student artists will gain paid experiential learning in public art, collaborative design, and community‑based practice, while Sam Goldberg provides artistic leadership, mentorship, and coordination with faculty oversight from Chris Seubert. Completed by harvest season, the mural will beautify public space, strengthen ties between the college and community, and serve as a lasting piece of creative placemaking that honors the Town of Rochester’s deep connection to land, stewardship, and shared community pride.

In the Town of Rochester, there is no true place to gather as a community — no central space where neighbors naturally cross paths — and as a result, residents tend to stay within familiar circles. Longtime locals, newer full-time residents, and second-home owners rarely mix in meaningful ways, which can quietly fuel mistrust and friction. Yet we already have the bones of something better. The park beside Town Hall, once home to concerts, sits at a key crossroads near the rail trail entrance and could be reimagined with year-round, snow-resilient fitness equipment, thoughtful landscaping, benches, and a walking path that seamlessly connects to the trail — paired with simple, consistent community programming to bring people together. Behind the community center, an underused yard and existing pizza oven offer another opportunity: quarterly town potlucks with local musicians, shared meals, and open invitations to everyone. With modest investment and intentional programming, these spaces could become the connective tissue Rochester is currently missing — places where relationships form across differences and a stronger sense of shared belonging can take root.

I would love to see more public, natural spaces (like the rail trail) that we can enjoy in our town. Whether that's a dog park, a park where with walking or easy hiking trails, or benches where people can bird watch and enjoy the beautiful views. There are so many natural areas but it doesn't feel like we're able to access them as a community.

Children’s Playground + Gardens sited in the large existing median on Old Main St in Kerhonkson (in front of Mill & Main and Flying Goose)

This is an idea I’ve been thinking about for awhile now. I’m a landscape designer in the area and would be happy to spearhead this project and put together a plan that’s based on community interests + feedback.

Accessible outdoor spaces are essential to a thriving, inclusive community. When parks, trails, and public landscapes are designed for people of all ages and abilities, they become shared places of connection. Creating accessible outdoor environments is an investment that benefits the whole community.

I would like to help with putting on community craft events as well as community potlucks and/or bonfires.