The Art Effect

Emma Schmidt

Benjamin King

Zach Reid

Zach Reid is an arts/media teacher coming out of Poughkeepsie New York. He has been a part of the Art Effect team for 4 years and enjoys working with the students and helping them take their creative thoughts and forming them into a reality. Zach is also a musician, recording artist and athlete. He is a graduate of Poughkeepsie High School, and furthered his music and education at Herkimer College where he graduated with his Associates Degree in Music Industry. Zach also played soccer while in college winning the Regional championship 3 seasons in a row to qualify for Nationals.

Zach Reid

Zach Reid is an arts/media teacher coming out of Poughkeepsie New York. He has been a part of the Art Effect team for 4 years and enjoys working with the students and helping them take their creative thoughts and forming them into a reality. Zach is also a musician, recording artist and athlete. He is a graduate of Poughkeepsie High School, and furthered his music and education at Herkimer College where he graduated with his Associates Degree in Music Industry. Zach also played soccer while in college winning the Regional championship 3 seasons in a row to qualify for Nationals.

Adam Reid

Adam Reid joined The Art Effect in 2019 as a Youth Media Instructor, teaching video production, photography, and script writing. Adam graduated college with a MS in Arts & Sciences with a passion for video production that he discovered as a student at The Art Effect, Adam enjoys working with youth in the community; encouraging them to try new things and become the best version of themselves.

Abby Lessick

Abby Lessick is a freelance artist and illustrator living in Poughkeepsie, NY. She received her BFA in drawing and painting from SUNY New Paltz and has been running her art business for the last five years. Her artwork focuses primarily on the intricacies of nature, on finding beauty in tiny elements like mushrooms, flowers, and moss. In her free time she loves reading, writing, and being outdoors. Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Abby Lessick

Abby Lessick is a freelance artist and illustrator living in Poughkeepsie, NY. She received her BFA in drawing and painting from SUNY New Paltz and has been running her art business for the last five years. Her artwork focuses primarily on the intricacies of nature, on finding beauty in tiny elements like mushrooms, flowers, and moss. In her free time she loves reading, writing, and being outdoors. Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Abby Lessick

Abby Lessick is a freelance artist and illustrator living in Poughkeepsie, NY. She received her BFA in drawing and painting from SUNY New Paltz and has been running her art business for the last five years. Her artwork focuses primarily on the intricacies of nature, on finding beauty in tiny elements like mushrooms, flowers, and moss. In her free time she loves reading, writing, and being outdoors. Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Michael Bodnar

Mick Bodnar has over two decades of experience as a working-class graphic designer. His collegiate career began at SUNY Broome Community College, where he gained an AS in Visual Communication Arts, and received several awards. With those achievements, he was offered a generous scholarship to attend an elite private college. From that institution, Bard College, he earned a BA in Studio Arts, the Studio Arts Award, and the Bard Center for the Study of Hate Fellowship Award. In 2022, he gained an MFA in Painting & Drawing from SUNY New Paltz, as well as the Outstanding Graduate Award in Studio Arts. In summer or 2022, he received the CAA-GOLDEN Scholarship Award, and completed the Sam and Adele Golden Foundation Residency. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Art Education.

Xan Peters

Xan Peters is an artist from Clearwater, Florida interested in the intersections of art, science, and history. He grew up learning and teaching art in his mother’s art studio. He graduated with a BFA in studio arts and a minor in museum studies from Montana State University in 2018. In 2019, he moved to Florence, Italy to pursue his graduate studies where he lived for a year. In 2022 he received his MFA in Studio Arts from Tufts University after transferring due to the Covid-19 pandemic. His work has been featured in shows all across the country and is a part of multiple permanent art collections. He is currently a teaching fellow professor at Tufts University, a production artist for an established upstate ceramic studio, and is scheduled to teach a workshop at the Joseph C. Campbell Folk School in the summer of 2023.