PK B.A.Y (Poughkeepsie Board of Artistic Youth) & YAEZ (Youth Arts Empowerment Zone) Submission Due: January 7, 2024 Email micah@thearteffect.org for submission and/or questions (detailed submission information below)
Background / Vision
The Art Effect empowers young people to develop their creative voices to shape their futures and bring about positive social change. The Art Effect helps youth explore, experience, and excel in the arts, introducing them to visual arts and media, giving them the opportunity to develop real skills in these fields, and guiding them toward achieving their academic and career goals.
Currently, The Art Effect is partnering with the Poughkeepsie Children’s Cabinet to expand the YAEZ (Youth Arts Empowerment Zone) as a model for youth civic engagement in the City of Poughkeepsie. With funding support from The Wallace Foundation, The Art Effect and the Poughkeepsie Children’s Cabinet are collaborating with four of Poughkeepsie’s out-of-school-time providers to convene adolescent leaders, The PK B.A.Y. (Poughkeepsie Board of Artistic Youth), from The Art Effect, Family Services, Community Matters 2, and The Boys and Girls Club to form a first-of-its-kind citywide youth initiative.
The PK B.A.Y. is a group of approximately 12 Poughkeepsie-based students ranging from ages 14 to 18 who work within the YAEZ to advocate for art, entrepreneurship, and youth voice to be valued in community leadership. The PK B.A.Y. believes that public art means bringing people together but public art can also mean bringing awareness to the community. The PK B.A.Y. believes that making a difference is hard but it is possible.
The YAEZ is a 10-year plan to establish a youth arts district along Main Street in Poughkeepsie, with The Art Effect at the Trolley Barn as the anchor arts institution. It will focus on youth-driven placemaking in and around the Trolley Barn. In its early stages, there will be annual arts festivals around community-inspired artworks, created by local youth and professional artists, all of which will empower the local community.
As part of their work, the PK B.A.Y. seeks proposals for public art installation work within the YAEZ that enacts their mission.
Overview and Project Description
We are interested in working with an artist to create a public art installation that allows for youth and community participation in the process of its creation. Youth in our programs have worked on several projects ranging from murals, to sculptures, and media-based projects. For the PK B.A.Y. project, preference will be given to sculptural work, and our ideal featured artist will prioritize incorporating Poughkeepsie-related imagery, such as bridge imagery. While the desired location for this installation would be within the blocks of the YAEZ (one block north and south of Main st. stretching from N. Cherry to N. Clinton), we welcome proposals for art installations elsewhere in the city limits. Preference will be given to works in higher-visibility areas, and proposals are requested to incorporate at least one of the following themes without openly blaming or shaming anyone: unity, connection, and peace; Poughkeepsie and its indigenous history; anti-violence; drug abuse prevention; the negative effects of drugs.
The PK B.A.Y envisions this project will promote positivity, provide inspiration & give the people of Poughkeepsie a little push in the direction of stopping violence & drug use going forward. We have high hopes for this project, and we will be interested in taking measures to protect the art piece from vandalism. We are looking forward to seeing how the project will make an impact in our community, hopefully in a positive way. The PK B.A.Y hopes that this project will reach both the hearts & minds of everyone who sees it in our city.
Project Parameters:
In the cases of a sculptural or mural pieces: minimum dimensions are 10 feet tall, five feet wide (preference of large scale),
Preference given to works in high-visibility areas,
Must be weatherproof,
Must aim to foster positivity,
Must incorporate at least one of the following themes:
Unity: connection, and peace;
Anti-violence:
Poughkeepsie and its indigenous history,
Drug abuse prevention and the negative effects of drugs.
Must draw attention to themes without openly blaming or shaming anyone,
Preference given to artist who enjoy working with youth,
Preference given to works that involve a community interactivity component,
Though preference is given to sculptural work, we invite proposals covering a wide variety of arts.
The artist would work alongside PK B.A.Y. to plan the work in early 2024, with the goal of actual production taking place during spring 2024.
Timeline of 2024 PK B.A.Y. Public Art Project
Submissions due 1/7/24
Notification of acceptance 1/19/24
Collaborative planning/pre-production work with artist(s) and youth starts earliest 2/6/24
Execution/production of work with artist(s) and youth takes place between March-June 2024 (timeline depends on scope of project, etc.)
Final project must be completed by 06/28/24
Proposal Submission Guidelines
Artist Bio
Resume and/or CV
Sample of Work Portfolio (Website or google drive links welcome)
Project Description (1 page)
Description of your project concept
How do you imagine your work of art activating the public?
What role do the youth play in the creation and execution of the proposal?
Proposed project budget (See #6 for Budget details)
Proposed project timeline (Students meet Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:30-5:30pm, You can begin working with students on 2/06/24, but the Project must be completed by 06/28/24)
File types accepted: .doc, .pdf, .png, .jpeg, .mov, .mp4) Submissions must be emailed to micah@thearteffect.org by 01/07/24 by 11:59 pm.
Artist(s) Selection Process
Artist(s) applications will be evaluated on the following criteria:
• Artistic merit as evidenced by the submitted representation of past work.
• Appropriateness of the artist’s medium, style, and previous professional experience as they relate to the art goals and opportunities in this project.
• Experience with projects of similar scale and scope
• Experience working with community groups and/or youth
• The ability of the artist(s) to successfully pitch a work of art/ project that youth believe fits the mission of PK B.A.Y. and Youth Arts Empowerment Zone.
The selected artist(s) will be notified in January 19, 2024
Range of Project Cost
The Art Effect will provide the guest artist a fee of $5,000, and can provide reimbursable support for supplies of up to $2,000. Cost proposals should include a breakdown of costs for materials, site visits, collaborative brainstorming sessions with youth, and drawing or maquette creation.
Location Information
The Trolley Barn is located at 489 Main St, Poughkeepsie NY 12601. The Youth Arts Empowerment Zone encompasses the block of Main Street running from N. Cherry to N. Clinton, extending one block north and one block south of Main Street. A map indicating the YAEZ boundaries is on the following page. If you have any questions about the project, please feel free to reach out to micah@thearteffect.org
November 7 – December 12, 2023 Tuesdays, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Class via Zoom, link will be provided at signup
Cost $234
In this art portfolio development course, homeschool students ages 14-19 will develop a unique, dynamic portfolio while expanding on fundamental drawing and painting skills. Primarily working from observation, you will learn to balance life drawing with imaginative and photo based references. This class is virtual on Tuesdays from 1-3 PM with instruction via Zoom. Recommended for ages 14-19.
The Art Effect’s Art Institute provides artistic youth ages 14-24 with experiential learning opportunities in essential portfolio development and college preparatory skills through high-level art training, mentoring, and advanced educational experiences. The Art Institute inspires and motivates students, preparing them for successful careers and acquiring merit-based scholarships to the nation’s best art schools in the visual and media arts. Art Institute is a year-round, intensive, pre-college portfolio development program for motivated teens ages 14-19. Graduates generate an impressive portfolio of original work that demonstrates their pre-professional skills in the visual and media arts. See current and upcoming courses HERE.
To register: Please fill out the registration form here, and mail to: The Art Effect at 45 Pershing Ave, Poughkeepsie or email cy@thearteffect.org
NAHS members are seen as leaders in their field and often receive priority treatment when applying to college. Membership in the NAHS gives you access to college scholarships from the NAEA (National Art Education Association) that are not available to other students.
To be considered to be a member, you must fill out the application as well as submit a WEIGHTED high school transcript to The Art Effect, both by September 30, 2023. Your weighted transcript must demonstrate a cumulative average of 87 or higher to be considered. Transcripts can be submitted as attachments and emailed to hannarose@thearteffect.org
This year, NAHS will be holding meetings on the first Thursday of every month, starting October 5 and ending June 6. If you are chosen as an officer, you will also attend an additional meeting a month on the second Thursday of each month. Our first officers meeting will take place on October 12.
NAHS students will organize, plan, and host various art projects to benefit the surrounding communities, including public art murals and events like Hudson Valley Portfolio Day. These activities promote art to the community, and look great on an individual’s college application resume!
If selected, you will be expected to be actively involved in The Art Effect’s programming, pay the one time annual dues of $25, and to maintain a GPA of 87 or higher in your enrolled school.
We look forward to receiving your submitted transcript and virtual application form by September 30, 2023.
We will reach out with acceptance decisions by October 2, 2023.
The Art Effect Launches New Initiative for Hudson Valley Youth to Earn Visual And Media Art College Credits While in High School! Learn more here.
Hudson Valley youth will earn college credit for participating in The Art Effect’s visual arts and media programming. In partnership with Dutchess Community College, students enrolled in the ArtsBridge, fall 2023 program will earn college credit, free of cost to students. Click here to apply.
ART 100/ Introductory Visual Art Seminar is an introduction to the visual art programs to academic and career opportunities in the visual arts. Learn all about how to begin creating, preserving and documenting an art portfolio; career opportunities and internships; transfer opportunities; career options; student services; study skills including time management, research, writing, note and test taking, and presentation skills.
Thursdays, 3:30 – 5:00 pm September through December 7, 2023 (1-credit class) Room 129 Poughkeepsie High School, 70 Forbus Street, Poughkeepsie NY 12601.
ArtsBridge, The Art Effect’s college preparatory program for first-generation youth, addresses how to begin creating, preserving, and documenting an art portfolio; career opportunities and internships in the arts; and study skills including time management, research, writing, note and test taking, and presentation skills. With an equity focus, the course also provides SAT prep, one-on-one mentorship, assistance applying for financial and merit-based scholarships, and support applying to colleges and negotiating financial offers. The Art Effect’s partnership with Dutchess Community College allows those youth enrolled in ArtsBridge to earn an introductory visual art seminar college credit focused on academic and career opportunities in the visual arts. Across all of its programs, high school seniors at The Art Effect were offered nearly $1.4 million in scholarships in 2022 to attend colleges or universities.
SEPTEMBER 25 – NOVEMBER 15 Monday – Wednesday, 3:00 – 5:30 PM Pershing Studios: 45 Pershing Ave, Poughkeepsie
The Art Effect is now accepting applications for the Fall 2023 session of MADLab (Media, Arts, Design Lab). This workforce program is an intermediate-level visual arts and design program that hires youth artists ages 14-19 looking to take their talents to the next level. MADLab is an “earn while you learn” arts-based career and skills training program that trains youth in:
Design, sculpture, painting, and drawing
Managing public art and social media marketing projects
Each MADLab session exposes students interested in visual art, creative placemaking, public art, media and design, and more to the creative workforce process by producing collaborative visual arts projects, and learning workplace skills such as time management, team work, leadership, and communication. The fall 2023 session of MADLab runs Monday through Wednesday 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm, beginning Monday September 25th and ending Wednesday November 15th. Youth who successfully complete the program earn a stipend of $150.
Applicants must be Dutchess County residents ages 14-19. Click here to learn more about MADLab.
As part of The Art Effect’s curatorial workforce development program, youth curators attend gallery shows in the Hudson Valley and New York City and write reviews of what they’ve seen.
Located on West 22nd St, Chelsea 512 currently houses the “And the Moon Be Still as Bright” group exhibition, displayed among several other historical and influential art galleries. Founded in 1997, the Harpers Gallery embedded themselves within the heart of New York City’s art district, flourishing within the complex minds of the world’s creatives.
“And the Moon Be Still Bright,” an initially niche but progressively enticing phrase, originates from American writer, Ray Bradbury, author of science fiction novel the Martian Chronicles. The story highlights the preservation of land, describing a familiar tale involving exploration and settlement on newly colonized regions in Mars. The specific title “And the Moon Be Still Bright” references a chapter within the novel describing desperate attempts to save and prevent the internal pollution of Mars at the hands of the new inhabitants from earth. The pieces within this exhibition mimic that sort of natural space both graciously untouched and riddled with destruction. Each artist takes on this theme in a unique way exploring the different “found” mediums equally mimicking the exploration of new areas in the Martian Chronicles.
What initially drew me to this exhibition was my natural love for maximalism and the implication of organized clutter in a lot of art. In regards to the appreciation of nature, the art ranges thematically from the beauty of the past, to the uncertainty of the future. All the while it maintains love for natural imperfection contrasted for man-made “perfect” beauty.
A specific arrangement of pieces that spoke to me was a bright colored orange flowing tapestry by Mimi Jung, titled “Our Inclinations” and an equally sized seemingly overgrown tapestry laced with jewels and valuables in gold titled “Rags to Riches” by Suchitra Mattai. The fabrics of “Rags to Riches” in particular blend with all of the other external elements elevating the entire piece, while also coming across a bit abrasive and harder to look at. The beautiful color contrasts with the rough texture.
Within all the art is a common approach regarding the perspective of immigration and settlement; whether or not human presence in natural spaces results in good or bad, and the internal conflict of that guilt as human civilization is the reason for the pain of others.
As part of The Art Effect’s curatorial workforce development program, youth curators attend gallery shows in the Hudson Valley and New York City and write reviews of what they’ve seen. One of the newest members of the Trolley Barn Curatorial Team, Crystal Serino, shares her thoughts on a recent show at Miles McCentry Gallery.
Linnenbrink’s gleeful use of unexpected colors and vibrance embraces a childlike joy in art. He developed unique processes he refers to as “Cut”,”Drill”,”Drip”, and “Reverse” painting. Linnenbrink stated: “All interaction with color happens in and through the eye of the viewer. The same visual information then lands in receptors that are all molded by the whole life story of the individual that receives what is to be seen.” His other works in the space include spheres, chairs, and linear sculptures.
My favorite piece in the gallery was the resin sphere “COLDWORLDGOODMANBITEBACK”. This work has objects infused inside such as a Roblox character, a medical ID, a Seinfeld photo, and even a tooth. Mixed in with the vibrant colors are small skulls in the layers.
Of all the galleries we toured in Chelsea, this one was my favorite exhibition. You can play around with a childhood wonder. In my artistic journey, resin art has always fascinated me. Seeing it represented in this light brings my soul joy.
As part of The Art Effect’s curatorial workforce development program, youth curators attend gallery shows in the Hudson Valley and New York City and write reviews of what they’ve seen. Senior member of the Trolley Barn Curatorial Team, Chanel Reed, shares her thoughts on a recent show at the Tanya Bonakdar Gallery.
The Tanya Bonakdar Gallery is at 521 West 21st Street, New York, NY. This gallery developed a contemporary program that includes painting, drawing, installation, sculpture, video, and photography, representing thirty unique artists worldwide. The gallery continues to support the works and careers of artists internationally. The Tanya Bonakdar Gallery featured a past exhibition, “Night Tripper” (June 22 – July 28, 2023), exhibiting Dana Powell’s newest pieces that have an ominous and unsettling effect. She composed small-scale oil paintings that depicted moments like the moonlit sky and dark backroads.
Powell’s small-scale pieces aren’t as provocative as others but burden the viewer with many questions. Dana Powell’s “Closed Road” is a 12 x 14-inch piece that drew my attention. It produces an unnerving atmosphere with bright orange cones and green leaves scattered along a dark road. The piece is painted with fine details that layer paint with textured strokes but also renders form with smooth discipline – similar to impressionism, but with more detail. Powell lets light and color prevail in her work, letting the mood settle into the audience.
This hyperrealism series presents a pleasingly cinematic story full of crime and sinister acts. Within the gallery, the images are spacious along its large white walls. The viewer closes in toward one painting and takes a few steps to another with a whole new scenario. It has the same effect as the pacing of an indie movie. They are capturing the rare moments people miss. This exhibition was purely interesting. It inspired me to continue a path in my illustrative career, creating work that minds the little things in life people look twice at and letting the brain flow.
Join The Art Effect at the Trolley Barn Gallery (489 Main Street) or virtually via Zoom on Tuesday, August 29, for a day of professional development in preparation for the Poughkeepsie Public Library District’s 2023 Big Read. We will discuss how to center human stories in the study of history, how educators can use historical creative non-fiction to engage present-day students, and how to connect historical texts to students’ lives in relevant, meaningful ways.
In this hybrid day of professional development, educators will gain background knowledge and culturally-informed context for teaching this year’s Big Read: The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. Educators will learn concrete curricular resources and strategies for student engagement, as well as practice facilitating generative writing and multimedia assessment projects to help students identify central themes in the text and draw parallels between historical stories and the present day.
By the end of the professional development session, all participants will be able to:
Understand and teach historical narratives as constructs embedding a specific point of view
Lead students to apply critical thinking skills to ethical dilemmas, using The Boys in the Boat and US participation in the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany as an example
Understand the political experiences of people with marginalized identities negotiating life outside of dominant social groups
Understand background knowledge about the Poughkeepsie Championship Regatta’s importance to the cultural and economic development of the Hudson River Valley
Provide generative writing prompts around The Boys in the Boat
Identify ekphrasis as a literary device, and generate original ekphrastic poems
Assign filmmaking as a multimodal assessment enabling diverse learners to demonstrate learning and perform understanding
Location: Hybrid event; in-person at the Trolley Barn Gallery, Main Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 or virtual via Zoom
Provider: Poughkeepsie Public Library District Big Read
All participants will receive a copy of The Boys in the Boat free of charge. There is no fee to attend this workshop. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.
*Documentation verifying teacher attendance will be provided to registrants who have prior in-service approval from their home districts.*
AGENDA
8:00 – 8:30am: Coffee & Breakfast 8:30 – 8:45am: Welcome & Opening Remarks 8:45- 9:45am: Keynote: Whose History? Whose Story? Shaping the ‘Historical’ Record and Listening to Black Voices of the Hudson River by Bill Jeffway, Celebrating the African Spirit/Dutchess County Historical Society 9:45 – 10:00am: Q&A for Keynote 10:00 – 10:15am: Coffee/Bathroom Break 10:15 – 10:50am:Teaching Holocaust-Related Literature: An Introduction and Resources for Teachers by Jeffrey Urbin, Education Specialist at the Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum of Dutchess County 10:50 – 11:30am: Rowing On The River: A Brief History of the Poughkeepsie Regatta by Elizabeth Clarke and Ann Sandri, authors of The Poughkeepsie Regatta 11:30 – 12:30pm: LUNCH 12:30 – 2:30pm: Concurrent breakout sessions:
Session 1 (in-person): “Multimedia Storytelling as Assessment” Workshop by The Art Effect
Session 2 (virtual): Engaging Learners Through Modes of Imagery and Writing From The Senses, with The Ekphrastic Writer
2:30 – 3:00pm: Closing Remarks and Feedback Survey
The Big Read is an annual ‘community read program’ coordinated by the Poughkeepsie Library District. It will run across the fall months of 2023, and is designed to broaden our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book.
Thank you for opting-in to mid-week updates for Ulster Arts Camp: Week 2!
This week, campers have been discovering different methods of self-expression through the theme of Welcome to the YOU-niverse! In 2D art class, students used new painting techniques to create original games and playing cards decorated with custom characters. In 3D art class, students made creatures out of air-dry clay, and planets with unique habitats where these creatures live. In animation class, students learned looping, walk cycles, and line boils techniques to create imaginary villages. Other activities also included music, dance, tie-dye, and a visit to the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, led by museum educator Zachary Bowman.
Check out the photos!
Join us on Friday, 8/4 for our end-of-week showcase, where you’ll experience the YOU-niverse for yourself through students’ immersive projects. Doors will open at 2:30pm for our gallery walk and media screening. A dance performance will take place at 3:00pm, followed by dismissal and collection of your children’s art at 4:00pm.
