I enthusiastically attended Hub 17 NYC’s “Art Vault Festival” on 7/26/2025. Produced by owner Kenneth Paul Graham, who has operated this venue for many years, I can say, undoubtedly, that it was a triumphant success. The event featured both an artist market in the adjacent gallery, where exhibiting craftspeople presented their wears for sale and engaged in lively conversation with the public as well as performances and an open mic for several hours in the main theater space. Both portions were exceedingly well organized, welcoming and engaging. I loved the set-up of the galley space due to all the dynamic artwork adjoining both the exterior (a mural, for instance, painted by Kimbra greets you as you pass through the front gate) as well as contributions from a range of other SI-based visual artists in the interior itself. The featured acts featured a smorgasbord of excellent all-female performers such as Renaps, Charlilonewolf and poet Rhoda Pierce who presented provocative work to a sizeable, enamored audience. It was MC’d well by venerated host of the Hub 17 podcast program “Feed the DJ” Daliah Bell/Girl on the Rocks who kept everything flowing smoothly. I am always impressed by Kenny (and his partner and co-owner Kimbra) with their commitment to not just the arts on Staten Island but their efforts to bridge divides and amplify the artistic voices of this diverse but still underrepresented borough. They also have steadfast knowledge and belief in utilizing the latest technology to achieve Hub 17 NYC’s many goals as they consistently hit their mark every time. As an avid supporter of everything Kenny, Kimbra, and Hub 17 NYC have done for years,
Sincerely,
Douglas Cala - Spoken word performance poet/multimedia & IT specialist
