Dutchess Arts Camp: Poughkeepsie Week 2

Thank you for opting-in to the mid-week update for Dutchess Arts Camp: Poughkeepsie!

This week, the theme is Kids Around the World, and young artists are taking inspiration from all seven continents as they complete fun projects in different mediums. So far, activities have included paper dolls with unique outfits from around the world, Vejigante masks, clay pots influenced by international styles of sculpture, animation, dance, music, and more! Check out our photo gallery below.

Join us on Friday, 7/21 for our end-of-week showcase, where you’ll experience creativity from around the world! Doors will open at 2:30pm for our gallery walk and media screening; the dance performance will take place at 3:00pm, followed by dismissal and collection of your children’s art at 4:00pm.

For more news, early bird discounts on fall programming, and more, follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

Dutchess Arts Camp: Red Hook Week 2

Thank you for opting-in to the Dutchess Arts Camp: Red Hook update!

The theme of Dutchess Arts Camp: Red Hook, Week 2, is Music Mayhem. So far, campers have having a blast merging audio and visual mediums through innovative art projects. Students have been experimenting with animation, acrylic painting, dance, sculpture, composition of original songs with digital software and traditional percussion instruments, and more. Check out the photos below.

On Friday 7/21, doors will open for our end-of-week showcase at 2:30pm. Join us for a gallery walk, media screening, and a dance performance at 3:00pm, followed by dismissal and collection of your children’s art at 4:00pm. We can’t wait for you to see these amazing projects and to “feel the groove” of Music Mayhem in-person!

For more news, early bird discounts on fall programming, and more, follow us Facebook and Instagram.

Dutchess Arts Camp: Poughkeepsie Week 1

Thank you for opting-in to the mid-week update for Dutchess Arts Camp: Poughkeepsie!

We were so excited to see students show up on the first day wearing their space-themed outfits for this week’s theme, Asteroids and Astronauts. Activities have included galaxy paintings (created using techniques like spatter painting), “space pals” made of clay and alien sock puppets, animations created from drawings of space, original songs made on Garageband, and and astronomy-themed dance. Check out our photo gallery below.

We can’t wait for you to see students’ amazing work in-person at our end-of-week showcase. On Friday 7/14, doors will open for the showcase at 2:30 pm, with the dance performance taking place at 3:00pm. Join us for a gallery walk, media screening, and dance performance, followed by dismissal and collection of your children’s art at 4:00pm.

For more news, early bird discounts on fall programming, and more, follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

Dutchess Arts Camp: Red Hook Week 1

Thank you for opting-in to the Dutchess Arts Camp: Red Hook update!

The theme of Dutchess Arts Camp: Red Hook, Week 1, is Nurturing Nature, and so far this theme has inspired some fantastic art projects! Students have been getting outside and exploring the beauty of the natural world through different mediums– from song and dance, to video and animation, to sculpture and drawing and painting. Check out the photos below.

On Friday 7/14, doors will open for the showcase at 2:30 pm, with the dance performance taking place at 3:00pm. Join us for a gallery walk, media screening, and dance performance, followed by dismissal and collection of your children’s art at 4:00pm. We can’t wait for you to see campers’ wonderful work in-person!

For more news, early bird discounts on fall programming, and more, follow us Facebook and Instagram.

The Art Effect Celebrates the Class of 2023!

This spring, twenty-nine seniors are graduating across The Art Effect’s programs and continuing their artistic journeys in college or career. Their achievements in the studio, the gallery, the classroom, and beyond are worth celebrating. We can’t wait to see what they accomplish next.

Not pictured: Nastajia Epps (MVP After School Program), Myelle-Sanai Johnson (MVP After School Program), Jose Marrero (MVP After School Program), Deavin Moore (MVP After School Program), Dayiana Moore (MVP After School Program), Nicholas Regini (Art Institute), Melanie Rodriguez-Velasco (MADLab), Janelle Smith (MADLab)

Samuel Bates

Art Institute

Janae Brown

ArtsBridge, National Art Honor Society

Caleb Clark

Spark Studios

Celia Drury

Art Institute, Senior Project

Shawn Elliott

Spark Studios

Katia Estrada

ArtsBridge, Senior Project, National Art Honor Society

Dalya Hanel Sheshany

Art Institute, National Art Honor Society

Self Portrait, 2020

Gabriel Kladakis

ArtsBridge, National Art Honor Society, Trolley Barn Curatorial Team

Greta Laubscher

Art Institute

Memorial, 2021

Leroy Manrique

ArtsBridge, Trolley Barn Curatorial Team, MADLab

Tracy Ortega

MADLab, National Art Honor Society

Davaine Reid

MADLab

Soledad Antonio Santizo

MADLab

Fiona Shanahan

Art Institute, Senior Project

Kisheema Spencer

MADLab

Jason Umanzor Perez

MADLab, ArtsBridge

Sheila Pinacho-Cruz

ArtsBridge

Jonathan Jerez

Spark Studios

The Contemplation, 2021

Grayson Weyant

Spark Studios

New Sunset, 2021

School’s Out Summer Camp Update

Thank you for opting-in to the School’s Out Summer Camp mid-week update! 

So far this week, older students have been creating animated self portraits and original songs with Garageband. Younger students have been making clay plants and animals and drawing, painting, and collaging. Both groups are also having fun learning dance moves to perform at our showcase on Friday!

On Friday 6/30, doors will open for the showcase at 2:30 pm, with the dance performance taking place at 3:00pm. Join us for a gallery walk, media screening, and dance performance, followed by dismissal and collection of your children’s art at 4:00pm. We can’t wait for you to see campers’ wonderful work in-person!

Follow us at @feelthearteffect on Instagram and Facebook for more updates!

MADLab Mural Inspires Downtown Poughkeepsie

A mural painted by The Art Effect’s Media/Art/Design Lab (MADLab) workforce youth has been installed in the Malcolm X Park on Mansion Street in Poughkeepsie. After being neglected for many years, the park has been revitalized with new playground equipment, benches, tables, native trees and shrubs, a refurbished basketball court and bleachers– and now, public art created by local youth. The park both celebrates an icon of American history and provides a beautiful green space for community members to gather; the mural advances both of these goals, and also provides creativity and a visual symbol of Black empowerment.

In 2019, the idea for the mural was initially conceived by Scenic Hudson, MASS Design Group, The Art Effect, and project lead Ernest Henry from the Hudson Valley Re-Entry Network. This team consulted with local residents of all ages who frequent the park, and decided that the mural would become a collaborative project; community members would paint a Kente stripe design (inspired by the traditional Ghanaian cloth that has become a symbol of African and African-American identity). However, this plan was interrupted by the pandemic.

Fortunately, MADLAb youth were able to complete the mural using the art and design skills they had learned in the classroom. Their hard work ensured that the project remained a collaborative endeavor, and added youth voices to the design of an important community resource. The finished mural includes a portrait of Malcolm X and an inspiring quote from the human rights leader: “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”

The Malcolm X Park is now more welcoming than ever. This mural is yet another example of MADLab’s commitment to creative placemaking– the practice of shaping a neighborhood, both physically and socially, by local residents. With projects like Scenic Hudson muralWe Are Poughkeepsie mural, community clean-up days along the Fall Kill Creek, and now the mural at Malcolm X Park, MADLab youth are connecting with more community partners and deepening their positive impact on the places where they live and work. 

Click here to learn more about MADLab and apply for the summer session beginning on July 5.

Summer Youth Workforce Applications Now Open

The Art Effect is now accepting applications through the Dutchess County Workforce Investment Board (DCWIB) for the 2023 Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP)!

SYEP is a first come first serve program for youth who meet eligibility requirements. SYEP participants can $14.20 per hour for up to 25 hours per week.
Please write in The Art Effect and which program you are interested in applying for on the DCWIB application below.

SYEP ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
✓ Resident of Dutchess County
✓ Family income being at or below 200% of poverty level
✓ On July 1, 2022, you are between the ages of 14 and 20 years old.
✓ Eligible to work in the U.S. and have proper identification

MADLab (Media, Arts & Design Lab) | July 5 – August 17
Monday – Thursday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm 

MADLab is an arts-based career and skills training program that trains youth in:

  • Visual art, graphic design, and aesthetic development skills
  • Creating public art projects with professional artists
  • Leadership and communication skills through public outreach

Create a mural for the Dutchess Community Empowerment Center as well as public art installations around the Trolley Barn and botanical installations on Pershing Avenue this summer!
Youth who complete MADLab earn a wage of $14.20/hr

Spark Studios | July 5 – August 17
Monday – Thursday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm 

Spark Studios is a media-based career and skills development program that trains youth through community client projects and origional creative film. Training includes::

  • Video production, camera operation, filmmaking techniques
  • Working with clients on commercial videos
  • Video editing software including sound mixing

Create original narrative shorts and Public Service Announcements to be entered into film festivals across the world this summer!
Youth who complete Spark Studios earn a wage of $14.20/hr

To apply for summer Spark Studios or MADlab, please submit your application directly to DCWIB:

Original, signed applications may be dropped off or mailed to:
DCWorks, 191 Main Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
Operating Hours 8:30am to 4:30pm

OR

Dropped off at the following locations:  

SOUTHERN DUTCHESS: The Beacon Recreation Center
Operating Hours 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
NORTHERN DUTCHESS: The Red Hook Community Center
Operating Hours 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
EASTERN DUTCHESS:     North East Community Center
Operating Hours 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

OR

Securely uploaded to DropBox (email alyson@dcwib.org for dropbox link)

PKX Reel Exposure Panelists

The Breaking Into The Business Film and Media Insider Panel will discuss how each of the panelists got their start in their industry. With a diverse level of experts including an entrepreneur, film director, actress, executive producer, and journalist on the panel, we will get a multigenerational understanding of what it means to be in the media industry including an up close and personal look at the various pathways available, opening minds to all possibilities! Hear from the panelists as they share their origin stories, future projects, and what skills may be helpful for youth looking to start out in their world.

Mary Stuart Masterson is a filmmaker, entrepreneur, mother of four, committed locavore and full time resident of the Hudson Valley. Her film, TV and theater career, includes roles in At Close Range, Some Kind of Wonderful, Immediate Family  [National Board of Review Award] Fried Green Tomatoes, Benny and Joon, and the Broadway musical, Nine [Tony Award nomination], with recent film roles in Daniel Isn’t Real, Sid is Dead, 5 Nights at Freddy’s and The Senior (in post-production). Mary Stuart moved to the Hudson Valley in 2006 when she directed, The Cake Eaters, starring Kristen Stewart and Bruce Dern (released in 2009). In 2016, Masterson founded Hudson Valley-based, Stockade Works, a crew training and mentorship non-profit, followed by Upriver Studios, a sound stage facility in Saugerties, and then her production company, Quality Pictures.  With her husband, Jeremy Davidson, she is co-founder of the Storyhorse Documentary Theater project. 

Nile Clarke is a long time media content specialist in all things creative with film and television experience from the Hudson Valley REGION in New York. Clarke directed her first film in Poughkeepsie and continues use the Hudson River as her backdrop. She is currently the EIC at TheGoodieDrop.com. The Goodie Drop is a good news and great media services outlet for the local community.

Jasmine Aiyana Garvin is an actress from Poughkeepsie, NY. She graduated from The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts in 2021 with a degree in Musical Theatre. Soon after, she received a spot in the 2021 Warner Brothers Television “Top 10 Actors in Training”, a global casting initiative for recent graduates from acting programs. You can find her listed amongst the talented cast of “Poker Face”, a murder mystery-of-the-week series by Rian Johnson and Natasha Lyonne on Peacock. She strives to push boundaries, create opportunities, and share her knowledge with others as much as possible. She is currently working with the Poughkeepsie City School District, Poughkeepsie Rising, and New York Stage and Film to strengthen the relationship between her community and the performing arts.

Hezues R.

Hezues R. is the founder of the S.I.C. (Social Impact Content) Film School, the first film school focused entirely on advocacy for Social Issues. We address Gun Violence, Mental Health, Suicide Prevention and other issues through innovative programs like Glocs4Ocs, the country’s first Gun Exchange / STEM program which allows youth to trade in a gun and receive an Oculus VR Headset. The Founder of S.I.C. (Hezues R) has been Honored by Barack Obama for his work in Gun Violence Prevention. We offer schools Curriculum, Mentors, Teaching Artist (actively working on major productions) and Production Resources like our Ambulances converted as Mobile Classrooms, which operate as Podcast Studio, Editing, Video Village, and Full Production Vehicles. Students can produce content on location or we can pull up to schools that are under-resourced in Production Equipment.

Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson is an award winning journalist Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson became Vice President of News Programming and Executive Producer of NICK NEWS at Nickelodeon in October 2020. Prior to joining Nickelodeon, she worked for 60 MINUTES, America’s most watched news program, for 16 years.  She produced stories for Ed Bradley, Lesley Stahl, Steve Kroft and Anderson Cooper. She was a key producer on one of the broadcast’s most memorable and inspiring stories about an orchestra in the heart of Africa.  The Bob Simon story about the Kimbanguist Symphony Orchestra in the Democratic Republic of Congo won Peabody and Emmy accolades. Laguerre-Wilkinson has reported from the far corners of the world and covered domestic stories including Hurricanes Katrina in New Orleans and Sandy in New York.   Her Haitian roots have made her an invaluable producer on CBS News coverage of the country, including an Emmy-winning 60 MINUTES report on the deadly earthquake there in 2010. She also served as a correspondent for the “60 Minutes” online franchise, “60 MINUTES Overtime” and for CBS News.  In addition, she was a reporter for the CUNY-TV programs, “Arts in the City” and “Science & U” and co-hosted the Carnegie Council’s digital franchise, “Ethics Matter”. Laguerre-Wilkinson also serves as moderator and master of ceremonies for a number of events including The French Institute/Alliance Française 2015 and 2017 galas and The Voices of Faith Women’s Conference at The Vatican (2016, ’17, ’18 and ’19). Before joining 60 MINUTES, she worked as an associate producer and producer for anchorman Tom Brokaw at NBC News. The native New Yorker lives in Manhattan with her husband, Bruce and their daughters, Juliette and Joséphine. 

RSVP HERE to Save Your Seat!

Volunteer at PKX Reel Exposure Festival!

PKX Reel Exposure International Teen Film & Photography Festival is looking for volunteers to help out across all three days of the festival! Volunteers are integral to all aspects of the festival, including set-up, gallery attendance, welcoming guests, and running fun public art activities.

This is a great opportunity to help promote youth creativity, and to experience all the excitement of a Hollywood film premiere, right here in downtown Poughkeepsie.

PKX Reel Exposure Festival schedule of events: 

Friday, May 5 

5:00 pm: 24-hour Film Race Orientation (sign up in advance)

6:00 pm: Photography Opening Reception

6:30 pm: Photography Award Presentation

7:30 pm: Featured Artist Talk & Unveiling

8:00 pm: Reception Ends

Saturday, May 6

12:00- 3:00pm: Community Artmaking, Vendors, Family Friendly Activities, Food Trucks

5:00pm: Doors Open & Red Carpet

6:00pm: Film Festival Screenings Begin (please RSVP to save your spot!)

7:30pm: Film Award Presentation and Q&A

8:00pm: Featured Artist Showing

Sunday, May 7

12:30pm: Breaking Into the Business: Insider Info from Film and Media Professionals Industry Panel & Brunch (please RSVP to save your spot!)

2:00pm: 24-hour Film Race Screening and Audience Choice Awards

RSVP to save your seat for select events!