The Art Effect

Big Read Workshops with The Art Effect

The Art Effect and Poughkeepsie Public Library collaborated in this year’s 2022 Big Read workshops at Poughkeepsie High School and local libraries. 97 participants read the book selected for 2022: Little Monsters by Kelly Link. Painting, animation, and stop motion workshops inspired by the book took place at Poughkeepsie High School, as well as the Straatsburg and Millbrook libraries. Synthesizing literary analysis, media arts, and social-emotional learning, residency participants explored the book’s themes, as well as their own thoughts and responses, through visual mediums. Learn more about residencies with The Art Effect here.

Students at Poughkeepsie High School completed a project called “Animating Monster Metaphors.” They read the short story The Cinderella Game and discussed the use of monsters as a metaphor for emotions that can be difficult to talk about. Over the course of the eight-day residency, students designed “monster” characters based on their own fears, anxieties, and emotions, then scripted, animated, and edited narrative shorts on the subject. Some shorts featured completely digital imagery, while others utilized collage or drawing techniques. But in each finished product, students confronted and ultimately overcame their emotional “monsters”.

At the Big Read workshop at Straatsburg Library patrons of all ages selected passages from the short stories “The Wrong Grace”, “The Faery Handbag”, and “The Specialist’s Hat”. They then depicted the moods and tones of these stories on paper with acrylic paint. Participants learned mark-making, color-mixing, and the use of abstract techniques to capture deep emotions. One participant commented, “{This workshop} encouraged creativity and stimulated imagination by giving tools to create without overwhelming people, and created a comfortable environment.”

Another workshop took place on November 9th at Millbrook Library, where Pretty Monsters stimulated conversation among patrons about how monsters can be metaphors for everyday problems and issues. Workshop participants collaborated on a stop-motion animated short about a problem everyone faces– fear of judgment. In a single session, they visually represented this fear and imagined a narrative about it– going through all steps of the stop-motion filmmaking process, from concept to execution to post-production. Teen Program Coordinator Risa Pomersiig said, “Thank you so much for running the Big Read program… It was informative and fun… a really wonderful experience.”

View the finished animation Eyes of Judgment here!

MADLab Students Create Mural for Scenic Hudson

The Art Effect’s Media/Arts/Design Lab program youth were commissioned by Scenic Hudson to paint a stunning mural at the old Harmon & Castella building at 164 Garden Street. In a fun collaboration project to involve the neighborhood in Scenic Hudson’s renovation and revitalization efforts, the mural represents the kind of place local residents believe Garden Street should become. 

MADLab participants Latiana, Lamont, Jason, and Sirena with assistance from their teacher, Morgan Suter were inspired by the idea of “community” to create the imagery for the project. They then used their unique talent and vision to illustrate what community means to them. They generated individual drawings and character sketches– drawing inspiration from familiar sights in their daily lives and imbuing these images with imagination and vitality. The four youth artists then combined their styles in an original painting of impressive scale.

“I am relieved, excited, and happy that a small drawing is now a huge piece of art,” Lamont said.

The most important aspect of the mural is its expansive blackboard section, which invites passers-by to write and draw with chalk, continuing the act of artistic collaboration and further reinforcing the theme of community. The color scheme uses both cool and warm hues for a fun and vibrant effect that is welcoming in tone, yet retains the vivacious energy of their original sketches.

On Saturday, November 12th, Scenic Hudson held a block party where attendees collaborated on the blackboard section of the mural their own ideas for what the Harmon & Castella building could become with its upcoming renovations!

Engaging youth in the arts promotes powerful community change. From youth-designed public art and gallery curation to arts education, The Art Effect connects young people with opportunities to develop new skills and engage in civic life all year long. A special thank you to Scenic Hudson for their collaboration on this project and mission to environmental preservation. Our city streets are an important aspect of the environment, and the art which decorates Poughkeepsie is an integral part of the Hudson Valley’s famed beauty. Latiana, Lamont, Jason, and Sirena’s work celebrates both the human and the artistic aspects of our environment.  The finished mural now welcomes, inspires, and excites all who come to Garden Street.

The Art Effect is hiring youth ages 18-24!

In partnership with Dutchess County Workforce Investment Board (DCWIB) and Dutchess One-Stop, The Art Effect is in search of young adult applicants to join the GVP Level Up Employment Program. 

In The Art Effect’s Level Up Program, selected applicants will:

1. Receive 120 hours of paid employment in arts-related job roles,
2. Receive on-the-job training in interviewing, resumes, financial literacy and other job skills,
3. Receive assistance with job placement once the 120 hours is complete, and
4. Continue receiving support as well as financial incentives for every 30 days the job is retained.

Eligible applicants will be contacted for an interview. 

Art Portfolio Photography Day on October 15th!

2022 Big Read Library Workshops

In partnership with the Poughkeepsie Public Library District’s Big Read, The Art Effect is offering free artmaking workshops at libraries around the county. See all library workshop offerings below with registration information.

Upcoming Free Art Workshops at Local Libraries

Join us for free art workshops for a variety of age groups, happening at libraries around Dutchess County!

Clay Character Sculptures at Millbrook Library

Saturday June 4th, 1:00pm – 3:00pm

For grades K-5

Participants will develop and build their own unique fantasy character in soft, malleable oven bake Sculpty clay. Dynamic gesturing, costuming, accessories, facial expressions, movement and more will be utilized to breathe life into our creations. 

Registration: Open to the public, call Millbrook Library at 845-677-3611 to register

Aquatic Creature Self-Portraits at Staatsburg Library

Monday July 11th, 7:30pm – 8:30pm

For teens

Ever feel like a mermaid, or maybe a shark? Ever wondered what you would look like underneath the sea? In this workshop, participants will be guided through picturing themselves as ocean creatures, and will learn to use basic shapes, lines, and shading to bring your ocean-creature-self to life! 

Registration: Open to the public, call Staatsburg Library at 845-889-4683 to register

Digital Painting at Clinton Community Library

Saturday July 16th, 10:30am – 11:30am

For grades K-5

Students use iPads and Procreate software to imagine concept art, to create original digital visual art pieces, and to strengthen their skills in visual communication. Students also gain practice with identifying light sources, learning how to properly shade, learning how to compose images, and take elements from source texts to re-imagine them and refashion them through a unified personal aesthetic.

Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register

Patchwork Collage at Staatsburg Library

Thursday July 21st, 12:30pm – 2:00pm

For grades K-2

Visual Storytelling! Patchwork quilts have passed down stories and history for hundreds of years. Following a set theme, participants will have their own unique story come to life through their own hand drawn artwork Themes can include: happy memory, a personal goal, a loved one, a life changing event, specific holiday, etc. Gluing materials such as fabric, paper, magazine clippings, yarn, buttons and more to create individualized squares. The art pieces will be assembled together at the end of the class representing how each individual has their own story, but are still connected as humans on the same Earth. The artists can also take the time to discuss the different pieces and what they represent if they wish.

Registration: Open to the public, call Staatsburg Library at 845-889-4683 to register

Clay Character Sculptures at Clinton Community Library

Saturday July 30th, 10:30am – 11:30am

For grades K-5

Participants will develop and build their own unique fantasy character in soft, malleable oven bake Sculpty clay. Dynamic gesturing, costuming, accessories, facial expressions, movement and more will be utilized to breathe life into our creations.

Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register

Zine-Making at Clinton Community Library

Saturday August 6th, 10:30am – 11:30am

For grades 6-12

Students make and publish their own zines (mini-magazine) while gaining an understanding of zine culture and DIY (Do It Yourself) culture. Students generate content (poetry, fiction and/or nonfiction), use Adobe Photoshop or Canva, and analyze the benefits and drawbacks of print media in the digital age.

Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register

Digital Animation at Tappan Library

Monday August 8th, 6:00pm – 8:00pm

For ages 11 and up

Learn the art of stop-motion animation! Using iPads, handmade scenery and characters, and apps like Stop Motion Studio and Koma Koma, in this workshop you’ll craft photo sequences to create the illusion of movement, and add in voice recordings and sound effects to bring your animations to life.

Registration: Open to the public, call Tappan Free Library at 845-359-3877 to register

Abstract Painting, Drawing, and Mixed Media Arts at Clinton Community Library

Saturday August 13th, 10:30am – 11:30am

For adults

Art is full of emotion! In this workshop, participants will be using ink, acrylic paint, and found objects on canvases to create their own abstract mixed media paintings. They will be shown various abstract artists for inspiration and will also experience how art does not have to look life-like. While experimenting with colors, shapes, lines, and textures, participants will choose the emotion they’d like to represent and will be guided through bringing their vision to life.

Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register

Paper Marbling and Mindfulness at Millbrook Library

Wednesday August 24th, 3:00pm – 5:00pm

For teens

Explore a variety of world-wide paper marbling techniques while enjoying the calming and meditative nature of this artform. We will take paper and dip it in water combined with colorful inks and paints, using layering to create swirling and patterned marbled masterpieces to take home with you. 

Registration: Open to the public, call Millbrook Library at 845-677-3611 to register

Watercolor Painting of Flowers at Clinton Community Library

Saturday September 10th, 10:30am – 11:30am

For adults

Inspired by nature, and using brush techniques of previous weeks together, we will explore colorful flowers from imagination and from photographs and works of art history.

Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register

Drawing Objects at Clinton Community Library

Saturday October 8th, 10:30am – 11:30am

For adults

Drawing 101! Participants will learn how to draw objects in their homes starting with basic shapes and finishing with details and texture. Explore various shading techniques such as blending, smudging, hatching, stippling and more to capture what you see in your homes every day.

Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register

Claudine Farley will be returning as Director of DAC Poughkeepsie!

Claudine Farley has been an art teacher for 20 years for Beacon City School District, and has been the District Art Department Coordinator for the last 15 years. She teaches a variety of classes at the high school, including Ceramics, Fashion, Studio Art, Drawing and Painting, and has recently developed a Contemporary Art Class with Dia Beacon. The class is the first of its kind, blending a major museum and high school students, exposing the students to a higher level of thinking about the art process. She has worked for The Art Effect for the last 14 years, where she has taught the Junior Art Institute in the summer and younger age groups during the school year. This is her third year as director, and she looks forward to many more years as director of Dutchess Art Camp!

MVP (Music Video Production) Program at PHS Media Lab

In the MVP (Music Video Production) Program, you’ll learn how to create an original song and produce a music video! You’ll learn lyric writing, song recording, sound mixing, filming, video editing, on-set etiquette and all-around production skills.

This program will take place on Mondays after school in The Art Effect Media Lab at Poughkeepsie High School (through the dance studio, across the hall from the cafeteria)

Program dates:
Monday 3/7 2:45 pm – 4:45 pm
Monday 3/14 2:45 pm – 4:45 pm
Monday 3/21 2:45 pm – 4:45 pm
Monday 3/28 2:45 pm – 4:45 pm
Monday 4/4 2:45 pm – 4:45 pm

Only open to PHS students

This program is FREE!

Application goes live at 5pm on Friday Feb 25th

Watch here for an application link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdR_NXE6qTJOaUo9F7KKuMrFUauGNG5EnnmrMAjCjE3srzPAA/viewform

The Art Effect’s COVID-19 Safety Plan

(last updated 3/1/2022)

To ensure safety for all of our students and their families, The Art Effect has worked hard to create programming environments which are safe, sanitary, and responsive to the shifting needs of these uncertain times. Beginning Wednesday March 2, in accordance with the CDC stating Dutchess/Ulster County as an area of low transmission and the NYS Governor’s office lifting the mask mandate, wearing masks will be optional for all staff, and students will no longer be required to wear masks inside each of our buildings. (except in special cases, please contact us 845.471.7477).

In addition to securing the safety of our employees in accordance with directives issued by the NYS Governor’s Office, The Art Effect is providing the safest in-person programming experiences possible for the students and families we serve with the plan laid out below.

As new requirements and policies are put in place we will update our safety plan accordingly and provide notice to families enrolled in our programming.

For the health and safety of our staff and students, our COVID protocols will continue to include the following:

• Everyone sanitizes or washes hands before and after each class/activity.
• If your child feels sick, please keep them home. Students who report feeling sick during the day will be asked to call a caregiver to pick them up. 
• We will work to maintain a safe social distance when necessary to continue to help stop the spread of germs.
• Where possible, individually packaged supplies will be used. All tools, supplies, surfaces, and seating gets sanitized at the end of the day.
• If a student or students’ immediate family member (with whom they have daily contact) tests positive for COVID-19, we ask that the student stay home. Should a teacher (or student) test positive for COVID-19 while in contact with students, we will notify families immediately.

Help Us Reach $30,000!

Building Stronger Communities

This December, The Art Effect launches an annual campaign to raise $30,000! Every dollar will help prepare young people for academic and career success through workforce training, college visits, mentorship, and hands-on experience in visual/media arts. Building A Stronger Community — Watch the video below to learn more.

“As a representative of Celebrating the African Spirit, a new organization in the area, we knew we would need a logo for people to be able to recognize who we were. Youth in The Art Effect’s MADlab program developed an effective and gorgeous logo for us. Every time its seen in the community, they know that its Celebrating the African Spirit.” Carmen McGill 

We are determined, now more than ever, to empower young people to develop their creative voice to shape their futures and bring about positive social change through the arts.

Help us reach our goal!