Archive for the "Arts Camp" Category

2023 Summer Camps

Arts 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!

Click on a week below to register:

DAC digital

School’s Out Camp – Poughkeepsie
Monday – Friday, 9:30 – 4:30pm
Pershing Studios – 45 Pershing Ave, Poughkeepsie
1 week only: June 26 – June 30

Dutchess Arts Camp – Poughkeepsie
Monday – Friday, 9am-4pm
Poughkeepsie Day School – 260 Boardman Rd, Poughkeepsie
Week 1: July 10 – July 14 | Asteroids and Astronauts
Week 2: July 17 – July 21 | Kids Around The World
Week 3: July 24 – July 28 | Monsters and Fairy Tales, Fantasy and Fun
Week 4: July 31 – August 4 | Uniquely YOU!

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!

Ulster Arts Camp – New Paltz
Monday – Friday, 9am-4pm
SUNY New Paltz – 1 Hawk Dr, New Paltz
Week 1: July 24 – July 28 | Forces of Nature!
Week 2: July 31 – August 4 | Welcome to the YOU-niverse!
Week 3: August 7 – August 11 | Comics, Cartoons, and Quirky Characters!

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 schedule an 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.
  • Member Pricing: Save an additional 5% by signing up for a Students & Families membership, click here to “Become a Member.”
  • Scholarships: Scholarships are available to those in economic need, to apply please complete a Scholarship Application Form and send it to info@thearteffect.org.

We Are Poughkeepsie Mural Celebrates Local Heroes

Students working on We Are Poughkeepsie Mural at The Art Effect

Poughkeepsie Middle School is the new home of a collaborative mural designed by Hudson Valley artist Mary Haddad and fifteen Poughkeepsie City School District elementary students. Created during an arts and academics-themed camp at The Art Effect, the We Are Poughkeepsie mural celebrates many of Poughkeepsie’s luminaries who revolutionized medicine, fought discrimination, served in the military, broke barriers, and literally reached for the stars. The students who contributed to this mural hope that all who view it at its new home in the middle school will be inspired, just as they were by the historical heroes depicted. Learn more about The Art Effect’s summer camps.

The young artists that worked on the painting include: Rafael Andujar-McNeil, A’Nyah McNeil, NaLay Jennings, Malana Myers, Jaivon Williams, Emerson Birrittella, Vencott Smith Jr., Is’Real Whitted, Gabriella Flanagan, Cameron Smith, Prince Brown, Dasim Washington, Samaad Paulin, Siraj Paulin, and Sharif Paulin. The camp instructors were The Art Effect instructor Donna Mikkelson, with the academic portion taught by Poughkeepsie City School District educator Shireen Cader.

The program was made possible by the collaborative efforts of the Poughkeepsie City School District, The Art Effect, the Poughkeepsie Farm Project, the Poughkeepsie Public Library, and Hudson Valley’s artists and art educators. 

Finished We Are Poughkeepsie mural celebrates local heroes

Significant figures featured include (from left to right):

  • Sadie Peterson Delaney (1889-1958): A poet and internationally recognized librarian, Sadie attended Poughkeepsie High School and was a member of the Zion Church of Poughkeepsie. Sadie’s activism began at age 15, when she read an original poem advocating for equal voting rights in front of Poughkeepsie’s Equal Suffrage League. She studied to be a librarian in Harlem at the height of the Harlem Renaissance. She later pursued her career at Tuskegee Veterans Adminsitration Hospital, where she revolutionized the use of books as therapy in the treatment of mental and physical disorders.
  • Gaius Bolin (1965-1946): The first Black student to attend and graduate from Williams College, Gaius began his life and education in Poughkeepsie. In 1892, he passed the bar exam and became the only Black lawyer in the city. He was a founding member of the Dutchess County NAACP, was named the first Black president of the Dutchess County Bar Association, and in 1901, he was appointed by then-New York Governor Theodore Roosevelt to the NY State Board of Managers. Throughout his life, Gaius fought against racism: challenging discrimination by the president of Vassar College, protesting the discriminator practices of the local YMCA, and pursuing his profession unafraid of the then-active KKK.
  • Jane Bolin (1908-2007): Daughter of Gaius Bolin, Jane attended Poughkeepsie public schools and graduated from Wellesley College. She was the first Black woman to accomplish many things in the legal profession, including to graduate from Yale Law School, to pass the NY State bar exam, to hold the position of assistant corporate counsel, and to serve as a judge in the United State. Throughout her career, she challenged segregationist policies, and she served on the board of the NAACP and the NY Urban League.
  • Annie Marie Lawrence Bolin (1836-1910): Mother of Gaius Bolin and grandmother of Jane Bolin, Annie Marie lived her whole life in Poughkeepsie. She and her husband Abram raised their family at 35 North Clinton Street. Annie Mraie was a prominent member of the local community. Throughout her lifetime, she witnessed monumental changes in American society, and she inspired future generations of her family to break barriers.
  • Walter Patrice (1919-2018): A lifelong resident of Poughkeepsie, Walter served in World War II as First Lieutenant 389th in the Engineer General Service Regiment in Europe. He returned home to have an enormous impact on his local community; he served on the City of Poughkeepsie Recreation Commission, the Poughkeepsie Planning Board, the Executive Men’s Club of Poughkeepsie, The Colored Troops Museum of Hartwick College, and the American Society of Manufacturing Engeineers. He had a keen interest in history and founded the Black History Project Committee in the Dutchess County Historical Society. For his accomplishments, he was honored by the Catharine Street Community Center, the Sports Hall of Fame for Johnson C. Smith College, the Dutchess County Baseball Hall of Fame, and the Dutchess County Sports Museum Hall of Fame.
  • Maria Mitchell (1818-1889): Maria was a librarian, educator, and the first-recognzied female astronomer in the United States; though she reached astronomical heights, she always called Poughkeepsie her home. Maria attended and taught at Vassar College. Her best-known accomplishment took place here in Poughkeepsie when she discovered a telescopic comet using a two-inch telescope. This comet was later named after her, and earned Maria a gold medal from King Frederic VI of Denmark. She founded the Association for the Advancement of Woman, and was the first woman elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 1905, she was one of three women elected to the Hall of Fame of Great Americans and was an inductee into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. A lunar crater on the moon is also named in her honor.

School’s Out Summer Camp

Need a fun activity for your kids to do when school is out, but summer camps haven’t started yet?
Register now for this year’s School’s Out Summer Camp! 

School’s Out Summer Camp — Monday June 26 through Friday June 30, 9:30am to 4:30pm at 45 Pershing Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY.
In this one week session, young artists ages 5-10 learn new artistic skills, strengthen self-confidence, and express themselves in a fun and collaborative setting.

Classes include:

  • Drawing
  • Painting
  • Sculpture
  • Animation
  • Dance

Families and friends are invited on Friday, June 30th at 3:30pm for an art show and performance!

Space is limited — sign up today!

Work With Us! Apply for Summer Arts Camp Staff Positions

The Art Effect is seeking engaging and upbeat Teaching Artists, Counselors, and Counselors-In-Training for our Dutchess and Ulster Arts Camps, located in Poughkeepsie, Red Hook and New Paltz this July-August. Dutchess and Ulster Arts Camps offer a variety of programming that allow children ages 5-10 to imagine, discover, create, and have fun.

Positions Available:

Teaching Artists
Teaching Artists work directly with several groups of around ten children over the course of the day to create visual and media arts projects. Teaching Artists will create lessons plans and supplies lists, coordinate with the Camp Director on implementation and support project management and organization. Half days (4 hours) or full days (8 hours) available. $25/hr.
To Apply: Submit a resume, cover letter and three references to Director of Programs Mary Ellen Iatropoulos at maryellen@thearteffect.org

Counselors
Counselors (age 16 and up) work directly with a single group of around ten children. They are responsible for supervising CITs, supporting Teaching Artists and overseeing morning drop offs and afternoon pickups. Mon-Fri, 8 hours a day, plus about 10 hours for move in and 10 hours for move out. $14/hr.
To Apply: Complete this form here, and submit a resume, cover letter and three references to Director of Programs Mary Ellen Iatropoulos at maryellen@thearteffect.org

Counselors-In-Training (C.I.T)
Counselors-In-Training (age 14 and up) help counselors with supervising a group of around ten campers. They will assist with camp preparation and clean up, and create a supportive camp community. Mon-Fri, 8 hours a day. Weekly $100 stipend.
To Apply: Complete this form here, and submit a resume, cover letter and three references to Director of Programs Mary Ellen Iatropoulos at maryellen@thearteffect.org

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!

Learn More & Register

DAC Red Hook is Back!

Dutchess Arts Camp in Red Hook
For ages 5-10
Dutchess Arts Camp – Red Hook is back for 2022! Creativity thrives as campers explore their artistic abilities, games and play. Enjoy both individual and collaborative art making based on an engaging weekly camp theme. Experienced and friendly staff support hands-on art experimentation with a wide variety of artistic mediums including painting, sculpture, collage, animation, performance, and more. The pieces created at camp will portray original narratives connecting to each campers’ interests and lives.