Dutchess and Ulster Arts Camps allow children to imagine, discover, create, and have fun each summer. Young artists explore fine art, digital media art, and performing arts while strengthening their self-confidence, creative thinking, and art making techniques both individually and in a collaborative setting. Professional artists and experienced teachers support hands-on art experimentation with a wide variety of artistic mediums including painting, sculpture, collage, and animation. The pieces created at camp will portray original narratives connecting to each camper’s interests and lives. Finished artwork and performances will be displayed in a final showcase each Friday in an open exhibition setting for campers to share with family and friends. Creativity thrives as campers explore and play!
The Art Effect’s Summer Art Institute (including Junior Art Institute) takes young artists on a deep dive into their chosen medium while building foundational knowledge of techniques, elements and principles of fine or digital art. Intermediate and advanced students will develop and elevate their technical skills to create a dynamic portfolio. High school students interested in pursuing a degree in the arts will meet with college representatives and receive portfolio critiques through each two-week session.
Monday – Friday, 9:30 – 4:30pm Dutchess Community College – Allyn Washington Center for Art & Science, 37 Gallery Circle, Poughkeepsie
Select a major based on the choices below. Each major includes different classes with developmentally-appropriate arts instruction. For more information, click on a two-week session below:
Foundational-level majors are recommended for youth ages 11-15 with little or no previous experience in fine or digital art.
Fine Art Foundations – Learn basic techniques, elements and principles of fine art through drawing, painting, mixed media, and collage. One digital art class is also included.
Digital Art Foundations –Learn essential elements and principles of digital art. Projects include digital painting, drawn animations, and graphic design. One fine art class is also included.
The Portfolio Foundations major is recommended for youth ages 12-16 in high school with introductory experience in fine or digital art, or advanced middle school students.
Portfolio Foundations –Begin to develop a dynamic portfolio in drawing, painting, and digital art while expanding on fundamental drawing and painting skills in both visual and digital arts. Primarily working from observation and reference photos, students will learn composition, color theory, mark-making and narrative illustration. Projects will include still life, landscapes, self-portraits, and more!
Portfolio majors are recommended for intermediate-to-advanced level high school students ages 14-19 with experience in digital or fine art.
Portfolio in Digital Art –Develop a dynamic portfolio while expanding on fundamental digital art skills in mark-making, working with layers, digital character design, animated expressive and narrative shorts, posters and web graphics, and digital composition.
Portfolio in Drawing & Painting – Use drawing, painting, and mixed media to experiment with conceptual works and create work that focuses on a personal vision and voice. Recommended for seniors with college applications on their mind.
Early drop-off available for an additional $25/day Late pick-up available for an additional $25/day Please email cory@thearteffect.org or call 845-471-7477 to schedulean early drop off/late pick up.
Additional Discounts
Multiclass/Sibling Discount: Save 5% when registering 2 or more children OR when you sign 1 child up for two or more weeks of camp.
Summer Camp registration for ages 5-10 is NOW OPEN!
Dutchess and Ulster Arts Camps allow children to imagine, discover, create, and have fun each summer. Young artists explore fine art, digital media art, and performing arts while strengthening their self-confidence, creative thinking, and art making techniques both individually and in a collaborative setting. Professional artists and experienced teachers support hands-on art experimentation with a wide variety of artistic mediums including painting, sculpture, collage, and animation. The pieces created at camp will portray original narratives connecting to each camper’s interests and lives. Finished artwork and performances will be displayed in a final showcase each Friday in an open exhibition setting for campers to share with family and friends. Creativity thrives as campers explore and play!
Dutchess Arts Camp – Red Hook Monday – Friday, 9am-4pm Parish Hall, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church – 7426 S Broadway, Red Hook Week 1: July 10 – July 14 | Nurturing Nature! Week 2: July 17 – July 21 | Music Mayhem!
Early drop-off available for an additional $25/day (no earlier than 8:15 am) Late pick-up available for an additional $25/day (no later than 4:45pm) Please email cory@thearteffect.org or call 845-471-7477 to schedulean early drop off/late pick up.
Additional Discounts
Multiclass/Sibling Discount: Save 5% when registering 2 or more children OR when you sign 1 child up for two or more weeks of camp.
The Art Effect’s Summer Art Institute (including Junior Art Institute) takes young artists on a deep dive into their chosen medium while building foundational knowledge of techniques, elements and principles of fine or digital art. Intermediate and advanced students will develop and elevate their technical skills to create a dynamic portfolio. High school students interested in pursuing a degree in the arts will meet with college representatives and receive portfolio critiques through each two-week session.
Monday – Friday, 9:30 – 4:30pm Dutchess Community College – Allyn Washington Center for Art & Science, 37 Gallery Circle, Poughkeepsie
Select a major based on the choices below. Each major includes different classes with developmentally-appropriate arts instruction. For more information, click on a two-week session below:
Foundational-level majors are recommended for youth ages 11-15 with little or no previous experience in fine or digital art.
Fine Art Foundations – Learn basic techniques, elements and principles of fine art through drawing, painting, mixed media, and collage. One digital art class is also included.
Digital Art Foundations –Learn essential elements and principles of digital art. Projects include digital painting, drawn animations, and graphic design. One fine art class is also included.
The Portfolio Foundations major is recommended for youth ages 12-16 in high school with introductory experience in fine or digital art, or advanced middle school students.
Portfolio Foundations –Begin to develop a dynamic portfolio in drawing, painting, and digital art while expanding on fundamental drawing and painting skills in both visual and digital arts. Primarily working from observation and reference photos, students will learn composition, color theory, mark-making and narrative illustration. Projects will include still life, landscapes, self-portraits, and more!
Portfolio majors are recommended for intermediate-to-advanced level high school students ages 14-19 with experience in digital or fine art.
Portfolio in Digital Art –Develop a dynamic portfolio while expanding on fundamental digital art skills in mark-making, working with layers, digital character design, animated expressive and narrative shorts, posters and web graphics, and digital composition.
Portfolio in Drawing & Painting – Use drawing, painting, and mixed media to experiment with conceptual works and create work that focuses on a personal vision and voice. Recommended for seniors with college applications on their mind.
Each morning begins with an all-student body circle up and an inspiration session where teaching artists share stories, personal works, and motivational wisdom. Next, each group works on in-depth projects within their own major, so that there is a cumulative total of 10 hours per week of deep focus work on their own projects. This is followed by an all-group lunch period where students can socialize. Students must provide their own lunch, snacks, and water. Sunscreen recommended. After lunch, there is an all-ages elective block, in which students can select which discipline they would like to explore outside of their major. Possible elective options may include figure drawing, portraiture, and 3D sculpture. More information on electives and selection will take place two weeks prior to the start of the program. Finally, during the last period of the day, the Foundations-level majors select a second elective class for further exploration of a new discipline, while the Portfolio majors dive back into their majors subject.
Early drop-off available for an additional $25/day (no earlier than 8:30am) Late pick-up available for an additional $25/day (no later than 5:15pm) Please email cory@thearteffect.org or call 845-471-7477 to schedulean early drop off/late pick up.
Additional Discounts
Multiclass/Sibling Discount: Save 5% when registering 2 or more children OR when you sign 1 child up for two or more weeks of camp.
The Trolley Barn Gallery is seeking new members for the Youth Curatorial Team – who make exhibition curation decisions and are mentored by expert curators and artists in the field of art and museums! The Youth Curatorial Team will be generating the theme and putting out the spring call for entry, as well as installing upcoming exhibitions. Please click here to apply.
Spring 2023 Session: February 8th – June 9th Wednesday – Friday, 3-5:30pm
Trolley Barn Curatorial Team is responsible for:
Theme generation
Art handling
Exhibition installation
Project management
And more!
Applicants will earn a $500 stipend upon completion of the program
February 21 – June 20 | Monday & Tuesday, 3-5:30pm
As a YAEZ Liaison, you will have the opportunity to empower and engage your local community through the arts. Learn how to curate activities for events, select guest artists for public art projects, create social media content and build relationships with local businesses and community members in Poughkeepsie.
Students who complete the program receive a $500 stipend!
Reel Exposure International Teen Film & Photography: A PKX Festival Submission Deadline:December 30, 2022 Email destiny@thearteffect.org for submission and/or questions
The Art Effect is looking for an artist to create a projection-based work of art that allows for youth participation in the process of its creation. The artist would create the media work prior to the Reel Exposure Film & Photo Festival in collaboration with students of The Art Effect. The selected artist would be required to be in attendance on Saturday, May 6th to unveil and speak about the project, and Sunday, May 7th to speak on a panel alongside other film, photo, and media related professionals. Click HERE for more information.
“Being a part of The Art Effect has made me a more dynamic thinker. I feel so much more confident in my idea processing. Also, seeing the [Wonderland] exhibition come together makes me proud because we put so much effort and heart into this festival. I’m excited for the community to experience it.”
— Jadeen Sampson, Student at The Art Effect
This #GivingTuesday, The Art Effect is launching an annual campaign. Help us reach our goal of $30,000! We need your support to continue to empower young artists like Jadeen to find their voices and lead community transformation! Text ARTEFFECT to 44-321 or donate online right now! Jadeen began his artistic journey with The Art Effect in 2016. At first, he was a shy high school student, quietly drawing in the corner of our Pershing St. studio. When we first met him he was anxious at the thought of showing anyone his art or speaking in front of his class. At The Art Effect, Jadeen found his voice.
It was during his Media, Art, Design Lab (MADLab) program, when Jadeen was just 17 years old, that his voice began to grow. Working with educators at The Art Effect, he showed not only talent but also leadership skills completing public art installations, business logos, and refining his drawing skills. The following year, shortly after Jadeen’s senior year in high school, he worked as a youth employee of The Art Effect to film and interview the 2019 candidates running for Poughkeepsie Mayor with hopes of encouraging more votes. Through hosting these interviews, he showed his growing self-confidence as he asked both candidates tough questions on police relations in Poughkeepsie and the revitalization of Poughkeepsie’s Main Street.
In 2020, Jadeen worked on The TAG At Dutchess, a county-funded website that allowed him to create content and graphics to connect youth with resources and remote job opportunities during the pandemic. He then worked with Forge Media as a youth filmmaker apprentice, and finally as a key member of the Youth Curatorial Team at Trolley Barn Gallery.
He has participated in almost every program The Art Effect has to offer and was given an Outstanding Youth Employee Award by the Dutchess County Workforce Investment Board for his passion and dedication to his work. Over the past year, Jadeen has planned, curated, and even painted the pavement for our first annual PKX Arts Festival. Jadeen is an instrumental youth employee in our youth workforce training programs including MADLab, the Youth Curatorial Team, and the PKX Festival Committee! Jadeen, like so many others at The Art Effect, has big dreams of changing the world through his many artistic endeavors — from drawing to music to public speaking. Jadeen has developed the skills that now match his drive and confidence and he continues to support the mission of The Art Effect as a key advocate and leader in community transformation.
“I feel like art is really important, especially in this community. When we get to make art here like we did this summer it reminds us that this is home. It’s our home, Poughkeepsie, New York. Art helps us realize that.”
— Jadeen Sampson, Student at The Art Effect
The PKX Festival is the cornerstone of the Youth Arts Empowerment Zone where youth like Jadeen engage the community in high quality visual and performing arts experiences that they curate. Within the Youth Arts Empowerment Zone youth are the leaders that showcase the impact that arts and arts education can have on both an individual and on our community. From youth-designed public art and gallery curation to arts education, The Art Effect connects young people like Jadeen with opportunities to develop new skills and engage in civic life. Through the emerging Youth Arts Empowerment Zone — including the annual PKX festival and public art installations, young people are transforming the visual landscape of Poughkeepsie and beyond. Help spark a youth-led renaissance throughout the Hudson Valley. Support the creative voices of youth in our community by donating today. To make a donation or learn more about the Youth Arts Empowerment Zone, donate today!
“Jadeen is living proof that the arts empower! He first joined our programs unsure of what he wanted out of life, and over the years has developed into a successful freelance artist and designer who is constantly giving back to the community. I was always impressed with him as a student, now I’m beyond proud to work with him as a young adult at the start of his arts career, and I’m so excited to see what the next generation of youth like Jadeen are capable of!”
Photography: First Place: “Audiophile” Risa Darlington-Horta Second Place: “Frozen Over” Aaliyah Loverso Third Place: “684” Andres Perez Audience Choice Award: “Frozen Over” Aaliyah Loverso
Film: First Place: Think Like A Filmmaker — by Eli Berliner Second Place: Beth — by Ava Bounds Third Place: Take heart! — by Lillith Jörg Audience Choice Award: Cry About It – by Amani Jamal
Virtual Short Film Screenings Part II with Awards, and Artist Q&A
Don’t miss the the final night of the Reel Exposure International Teen Film and Photo Festival featuring a final screening, an awards ceremony, and a Q&A with some of the filmmakers and photographers whose work was featured in Reel Exposure. Featuring: Think Like A Filmmaker — by Eli Berliner *First Place Winner* Cry About It — by Amani Jamal Hook, Line, and Sinker — by Hudson Price She— by Eva Li Take heart! — by Lillith Jörg *Third Place Winner*
Watch the first half of the Reel Exposure Festival’s Short Film Showcase with us tonight, as we all get together virtually for some exciting films from all over the world. Featuring: Beth — by Ava Bounds *Second Place Winner* Eidolon — by Zev Marinoff It’s Getting Bad Again — by Sarah Reyes DON’T OPEN THAT BOX! — by Mason Jones The Girl Who Cried Sick — by Ruby Taylor She Can’t Control Herself — by WVN Productions
About Reel Exposure
Reel Exposure Film & Photo Festival features photography and youth-produced short films – animations, documentaries, dramas, horror, and comedies – created by talented young artists from across the world.
Reel Exposure encompasses all of The Art Effect’s goals: to encourage youth creativity, to invigorate our local community through the arts, and to showcase the incredible work done by this next generation of media-makers.
The Art Effect’s annual event encourages youth creativity, invigorates the local community through the arts, and showcases the incredible work done by the next generation of artists from around the globe and right here in Poughkeepsie!
“Seeing a film you put all of this work into actually get attention, to have people genuinely enjoy something you made at Reel Exposure, it’s really special, especially when you’re just starting out. It was a call to action for me, like, ‘This is something you’re supposed to do, keep at it!” – Matthew Hamilton, 2020 Reel Exposure Participant
About the Photography Exhibition
Professional and youth jurors selected photographs from submissions from teens ages 13-19 across the world. In the past, submissions have come from Singapore, Italy, Islamic Republic of Iran, and the United States. Opening with a public reception, this exciting youth exhibition remains on display at the Trolley Barn Gallery and is accompanied by a virtual gallery tour for those unable to attend. Photography Exhibition opening will be on May 4, 2022.
About the Film Festival
Viewers can expect to see a mix of film genres in film festival lineup, including animations, documentaries, dramas, horror, and comedies from teen filmmakers. 12 short films will be screened virtually on May 5-6, 2022. In the past, submissions have come from The United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Poland, Mexico, China, and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Inspired by the amazing photographs and films young artists around the world are creating? Please consider donating to The Art Effect to help support the youth arts programming taking place in the Hudson Valley right now!
Reel Exposure is supported in part by monies received from the New York State Council On The Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Vassar Brothers Institute Donor Advisor Fund of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley.
Experience art through the eyes of talented teens who created an impressive collection of artworks, including drawing, painting, photography, digital animation, film, mixed media, and more!
Teen Visions is a culmination of hard work and dedication the work of selected young artists from The Art Effect’s 2022 summer programs including Summer Art Institute, Junior Art Institute, MADLab, Spark Studios, and D-LIT. It is an incredible accomplishment to be chosen for the Teen Visions Exhibition. As part of The Art Effect’s growing mission to empower youth as leaders who catalyze and engage the community through the arts and re-energize downtown Poughkeepsie, Teen Visions is exhibited alongside professional artists from The Art Effect’s annual membership community November 18 – December 9, 2022.
Join us for an opening reception on Friday, November 18 from 5-7pm
Saturday Morning Lights (SML), the Poughkeepsie City School District Community School’s flagship initiative, is set to return. This year’s SML will provide PCSD students and families grades PreK-12 opportunity to engage in academic enrichment, positive youth development, and family bonding experiences from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Saturdays starting Oct. 15, 2022 and ending June 17, 2023 at Poughkeepsie Middle School.
The Art Effect hosts several visual and media workshops throughout the programs including painting and digital music projects! Click here for more information about The Art Effect’s After School Enrichment Programs. Students will engage in a variety of project-based academic courses and interactive enrichment activities. Course options include creative writing, robotics, book club, math enrichment, and more. In these project-based learning classes, teachers design lessons to support students’ academic needs while also engaging them in interactive activities, collaborative group work, and problem-solving.
All students and families in grades PreK-12 are encouraged to attend. Once enrolled, students and families will be given a schedule confirming their enrollment and the courses they are taking. Learn more and register at PoughkeepsieSchools.org
