“Being a member of PKX has provided me an opportunity to give the power of photography to the City of Poughkeepsie.” -Harrison
Harrison is a senior at Poughkeepsie High School. Post-graduation, he aspires to be a professor of sociology. He loves photography because it allows him to capture the beauty in our world that most of us overlook. Photography calls him the power of shifting one’s perception. Over the past four months, He has dedicated his time to neighbors to figure out what they need. Harrison has learned advocating for one’s community is the first step in changing its image.
Meet Destiny Kearney
“I love being able to participate in laying the stepping stones of the development of a youth arts empowerment zone in the City of Poughkeepsie. The PKX Festival will truly highlight the wonders that exist in the city, and I’m excited to see the community come together to make it happen” – Destiny
Destiny Kearney is a New York-based artist who recently graduated from Bowdoin College, with a Bachelor of Arts in Africana Studies, Art History, and Visual Arts.Embarking on her post-grad journey, Kearney joins the Art Effect team as the Trolley Barn Fellow. She will be with us for the next two years as a member of the first cohort of Lead for Poughkeepsie Fellows, a branch of the Lead for America program.
The PKX Youth committee worked closely with a curatorial advisory committee, made up of Hudson Valley curators and art professionals to create a list of potential featured artists to consider based on the theme, and the scope of their practice in conjunction with the mission of the festival. After youth researched and sorted through applicants, they decided that BoogieRez would be the perfect choice for the first PKX Festival in September 2022. Stay tuned for more info coming soon on how you can work with BoogieRez and the PKX Committee this spring!
“Our mission is to share our love of creativity and ill visuals with the WORLD. To Inspire, to Impact and Empower one another while having hella FUN time together through our growth, challenges, and experiences.” – BoogieRez
The talented Forge Media youth that worked this shoot were Jae Jones (camera operator), Bara Aljamal (camera operator), & Aleria Gonzalez (floor manager, camera operator). Forge Media worked with David Heningston Sounds to help bring this live event together. There were performances from Center 4 Creative Education, Dominican Sound, & Kazi Oliver & the Drums of Africa. Learn more how Forge Media supports local youth in media arts and production, here.
Forge specializes in creating video content that stands out from the crowd and brings client’s concepts to life! All proceeds from Forge Media support our apprentices through this creative media mentorship program. Services include:
Virtual Events Web Content Documentaries Educational Videos Commercials
A series of “Place Making” sculptures built and designed by The Art Effect’s MADLab (Media And Design Lab) youth workforce students under the direction of The Art Effect to cultivate a sculpture memorial garden to symbolize the scales of justice, a tree for growth, and a stronger queen city. Each piece is installed amongst plants and adorned with imagery alluding to Poughkeepsie, personalized statements for strength, harmony, and racial injustice. The memorial garden was inspired in part as a tribute to Maurice Gordon, a Poughkeepsie resident. The planter sculptures are intended to spark conversation and stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement. The sculptures are partially funded by Arts Mid-Hudson and Hudson River Housing, with plants donated by the “I am Citizen” Project.
The Art Effect has been approved for a $20,000 award from the National Endowment for the Arts to support the Art Institute, with a special focus on ArtsBridge, a new program within the Art Institute (piloted for 2 years under the name MAAP). ArtsBridge will engage underserved Poughkeepsie youth in the arts to provide them with training, support, and mentorship to help them succeed in higher education. The Art Effect’s project is among 1,073 projects across America totaling nearly $25 million that were selected during this first round of fiscal year 2021 funding in the Grants for Arts Projects funding category.
“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support this project from The Art Effect,” said Arts Endowment Acting Chairman Ann Eilers. “The Art Effect is among the arts organizations across the country that have demonstrated creativity, excellence, and resilience during this very challenging year.”
The Art Institute, a year-long portfolio development and college preparatory program, engages over 200 youth ages 14-19 each year. The Art Effect helps students develop their ideas and master skills in both visual and media arts preparing them for their future college and career paths in the arts.
“Since 2000, our graduates have been offered over $50 million in merit-based scholarships to the nation’s leading colleges, universities, and art schools”. Says Nicole Fenichel-Hewitt, Executive Director. “Students in our most advanced programs created 153 portfolios this year and thanks to the support of our funders, sponsors, and community we have been able to provide $17,899.50 in financial assistance scholarships to low-income students, increasing access to arts education in our community.”
Responding to the need to interrupt the cycle of poverty and educational inequities in Poughkeepsie, ArtsBridge establishes a pathway for students to higher education through the arts. With the generous support of the NEA grant funding and other supporters, ArtsBridge will implement a comprehensive program in 2021. Participants will gain advanced artistic preparatory and portfolio development skills though the Art Institute as well as college readiness training, and emotional support through individual mentorship with a focus being on college scholarships and matriculation. This spring will also feature guest artists, exposing youth to a variety of college and career fields.
While programs at The Art Effect took a significant hit due to the pandemic last year, with lots of time, talent, hard work, and creative thinking we continue to offer high-quality arts and college prep courses for young people throughout the Hudson Valley. Spring and summer classes are planned for in-person instruction beginning this month. Click here for more information on courses.
For more information on projects included in the Arts Endowment grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
Spark Studios produced a series of videos in the summer and fall 2020 for Scenic Hudson’s community change maker series. Many Spark Studios students worked on filming and editing, student, Jae Jones took the job as lead editor on these videos!
????? ??????? is a filmmaking and videography program for youth interested in developing film production and professional skills including:
Working with clients on commercial videos Explore cutting-edge media production techniques Bringing a creative vision to life across stages of production
Working with clients on commercial videos
