Art, Music, Mural and Writing Submissions Open for O+ Festival 2025 in Kingston, NY

O+ Festival is now accepting submissions from artists, writers and musicians of all genres, mediums and modalities for the 15th annual O+ Festival in Kingston, NY October 10-12, 2025.

The O+ Festival is a celebration of art, music and wellness that offers access to health care for participating artists while providing the community with an opportunity to experience the healing and transformative power of art in all its forms. O+ (pronounced Oh Positive) fosters physical, mental and social well-being by connecting visual artists and musicians directly with a coalition of healthcare/wellness providers and resources in a shared vision to nurture both the individual and the community. By exchanging the art of medicine for the medicine of art, O+ empowers communities to take control of their collective wellbeing.

Proposals in the categories of Art, Murals, Music and Word may include, but are not limited to:

ART: 2D or 3D work, dance, sculpture, temporal work, installation, film/video, time-based media, sound/installations, projections, performance and all other forms/media/practices

MURALS: All visual artists are welcome to submit a proposal for a public mural. Work samples DO NOT have to include prior experience in large scale murals in order to be considered.

MUSIC: Musicians of all styles and genres are encouraged to apply to perform during the festival weekend

WORD: Writers and performers of the written word, in all forms and genres, are welcome to submit original work to be presented during O+'s live spoken word event within the festival program.

To see the range of folks who have exhibited, produced or performed work at past O+ Festivals, check out O+ Alum HERE. Learn more about O+'s Mural Program HERE.

O+ Festival builds its festival program around a new theme each year and we invite artists to respond to the theme in their proposals - especially in the areas of Art, Murals and Word. The 2025 O+ Festival theme is POWER. You can read more about this year's theme in the curatorial statement found HERE.

As per O+'s mission, all artists, musicians, and writers will receive access to the O+ Artists Clinic in exchange for their work during the festival including no cost services from providers/practitioners of dentistry, ophthalmology, massage, reiki, mental health support, recovery support, acupuncture, primary care, chiropractic, audiology and more (regardless of insurance status).

ABOUT O+: Founded in 2010, O+ Festival is a celebration of art, music and wellness that creates a bridge to access of health care for its participating artists/musicians while providing the community with access to the healing and transformative power of art in all forms. By exchanging the art of medicine for the medicine of art, O+ empowers communities to take control of their collective wellbeing. In fall of 2023, O+ announced the opening of the O+ Exchange Clinic, a year round exchange-based clinic for artists and musicians licensed in NY State, as an expansion of the ethos of the festival from 3 days a year to 365. For more information about O+, our mission and our alum please visit www.opositivefestival.org

Submissions to O+ Festival 2025 will only be accepted through Submittable.

To learn more and to submit your work for consideration visit O+ on Submittable before May 4th at 11:59pm. *Work that is a collaboration or hybrid between an art medium or modality AND either music or wellness may choose to submit in either the MUSIC, ART or EXPLO+RE WELLNESS category (ExplO+re opens in May). Please do not submit in more than one category.

Please remember when submitting your proposal that the festival takes place in traditional and non-conventional venues, both indoor and out. MOST accepted art submissions will be presented in non-traditional venues and we strongly encourage submissions that are site specific, nomadic or amenable to non-traditional or outdoor exhibition, installation or performance spaces. We cannot guarantee the ideal setting for every accepted artist's work, and certainly cannot guarantee traditional gallery or stage space, but we will work with you after acceptance to secure a venue for sharing your work that will support its integrity and success within the festival setting. 

The O+ Art, Music and Word Committees aim to curate work that contributes to or reflects the meaningful juxtaposition between Kingston’s dynamic, multicultural neighborhood communities and compelling, radical, relevant contemporary artwork. The festival program will be curated by these Committees - groups of O+ alumni, practitioners, industry professionals, and community members representing different practices, identities and perspectives. Accepted submissions will be invited to participate at this year’s festival in exchange for access to care in the O+ Artists’ Clinic. 

You can expect to be notified regarding your submission by mid-June. 

All are encouraged to submit their work. We believe that access, opportunity and representation in art, music, and wellness should be inclusive, equitable and available. We actively seek submissions from folks of all identities, experience, education levels and backgrounds, including but not limited to people with disabilities, BIPOC, LGBTQI+ people, formerly incarcerated people, people of all immigration statuses, insurance statuses, etc.

This year, we expect to receive hundreds of submissions for a finite number of artist slots. Capacity is determined, in large part, by the amount of care we are able to provide at our clinic during the festival weekend and the budget we have to produce the work that is accepted. We ask for your patience and understanding should your submission not be accepted for this year and encourage all who are not chosen for O+ Festival 2024 to reapply next year.

Si prefieres Español, disponemos de personal que puede ayudarle con su solicitud y/o participación. Comuníquese con [email protected] o (845) 399-5343.

Please do not let any barriers - personal, perceived or technical - get in the way of submitting your work. Please reach out to us for assistance in applying if you need support of any kind. Contact [email protected] or (845) 399-5343 for assistance.

05/04/2025