Take a deeper dive into the art you fell in love with this summer in one of our many art classes this fall at The Art Effect. Registration Opens Soon! Sign up here to receive updates!
Explore, experience, and excel in visual arts and media this year. Art classes give students the opportunity to develop real skills in the arts, and guides them towards achieving their academic and career goals. YOU can be the first to sign up for fall courses! Click the interest form link below to sign up for more information about fall classes.
Here’s a sneak peek at what we will be offering beginning this September:
Ages 5 – 11: Explore Classes Adventures in Wearable Art: Young artists transform into an original character through imagination, mixed media art, and play using their wearable art creations. Adventures in Shadow Puppets: Design characters and learn how light interacts in a world of shadows made from mixed media. Art Inspirations – Exploring: Create vibrant works of art in multiple media inspired by the Dorsky Museum at SUNY New Paltz, and beyond! Exploring Puppetry: Design and create original puppet characters, bringing them to life through mixed media art making and performance. Exploring Drawing & Painting: Bring imaginary characters and worlds to life while learning to express yourself through beginner drawing and painting techniques. Exploring Stop Motion Animation: Learn how to create stop motion animation through with clay figures, set design, and digital software.
Ages 11 – 14: Experience Classes Art Inspirations – Foundations: Create vibrant works of art in multiple media inspired by the Dorsky Museum at SUNY New Paltz, and beyond. Foundations in Digital Art & Illustration: Create animated gifs, manipulate digital photos, and unlock the tools you need to make incredible digital artworks. Foundations in Film & Animation: Level up your love of films by broadening your skills in formal cinematic techniques through filmmaking and animation. Foundations in Drawing & Painting: Take your drawing and painting skills to the next level while learning various technical art making methods and mediums. Foundations in Printmaking: TBD
Ages 14 – 19: Excel Classes Art Inspirations – Portfolio: Create vibrant works of art in multiple media inspired by the Dorsky Museum at SUNY New Paltz, and beyond. Portfolio Development Foundations: Gain foundational skills in drawing and painting the basics of human proportions, landscapes, still-life, and more! Portfolio in Human Figure: Render the human figure in a variety of mediums including charcoal, pastels, ink and acrylic while studying from a live model. Portfolio in Comics & Character Design: Learn how to design original characters & tell visual stories using various illustrative mediums & comic techniques. Portfolio in Animation: TBD Portfolio in Film: TBD Portfolio in Digital Illustration: Create art for your digital portfolio including illustrations, photo-manipulations, character art, and animation. Intermediate Portfolio in Drawing & Painting: Refine your observational rendering skills to develop a fine art portfolio through drawing, painting, and mixed media! Advanced Portfolio in Drawing & Painting: Develop a stunning portfolio that stands out to top art schools through the creation of original conceptual artwork. Senior Project: Reach your highest level of achievement at The Art Effect through an advanced mentoring and portfolio development course designed to help earn top scholarship awards by developing a strong body of artwork.
Participants will develop and build their own unique fantasy character in soft, malleable oven bake Sculpty clay. Dynamic gesturing, costuming, accessories, facial expressions, movement and more will be utilized to breathe life into our creations.
Registration: Open to the public, call Millbrook Library at 845-677-3611 to register
Aquatic Creature Self-Portraits at Staatsburg Library
Monday July 11th, 7:30pm – 8:30pm
For teens
Ever feel like a mermaid, or maybe a shark? Ever wondered what you would look like underneath the sea? In this workshop, participants will be guided through picturing themselves as ocean creatures, and will learn to use basic shapes, lines, and shading to bring your ocean-creature-self to life!
Registration: Open to the public, call Staatsburg Library at 845-889-4683 to register
Digital Painting at Clinton Community Library
Saturday July 16th, 10:30am – 11:30am
For grades K-5
Students use iPads and Procreate software to imagine concept art, to create original digital visual art pieces, and to strengthen their skills in visual communication. Students also gain practice with identifying light sources, learning how to properly shade, learning how to compose images, and take elements from source texts to re-imagine them and refashion them through a unified personal aesthetic.
Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register
Patchwork Collage at Staatsburg Library
Thursday July 21st, 12:30pm – 2:00pm
For grades K-2
Visual Storytelling! Patchwork quilts have passed down stories and history for hundreds of years. Following a set theme, participants will have their own unique story come to life through their own hand drawn artwork Themes can include: happy memory, a personal goal, a loved one, a life changing event, specific holiday, etc. Gluing materials such as fabric, paper, magazine clippings, yarn, buttons and more to create individualized squares. The art pieces will be assembled together at the end of the class representing how each individual has their own story, but are still connected as humans on the same Earth. The artists can also take the time to discuss the different pieces and what they represent if they wish.
Registration: Open to the public, call Staatsburg Library at 845-889-4683 to register
Clay Character Sculptures at Clinton Community Library
Saturday July 30th, 10:30am – 11:30am
For grades K-5
Participants will develop and build their own unique fantasy character in soft, malleable oven bake Sculpty clay. Dynamic gesturing, costuming, accessories, facial expressions, movement and more will be utilized to breathe life into our creations.
Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register
Zine-Making at Clinton Community Library
Saturday August 6th, 10:30am – 11:30am
For grades 6-12
Students make and publish their own zines (mini-magazine) while gaining an understanding of zine culture and DIY (Do It Yourself) culture. Students generate content (poetry, fiction and/or nonfiction), use Adobe Photoshop or Canva, and analyze the benefits and drawbacks of print media in the digital age.
Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register
Digital Animation at Tappan Library
Monday August 8th, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
For ages 11 and up
Learn the art of stop-motion animation! Using iPads, handmade scenery and characters, and apps like Stop Motion Studio and Koma Koma, in this workshop you’ll craft photo sequences to create the illusion of movement, and add in voice recordings and sound effects to bring your animations to life.
Registration: Open to the public, call Tappan Free Library at 845-359-3877 to register
Abstract Painting, Drawing, and Mixed Media Arts at Clinton Community Library
Saturday August 13th, 10:30am – 11:30am
For adults
Art is full of emotion! In this workshop, participants will be using ink, acrylic paint, and found objects on canvases to create their own abstract mixed media paintings. They will be shown various abstract artists for inspiration and will also experience how art does not have to look life-like. While experimenting with colors, shapes, lines, and textures, participants will choose the emotion they’d like to represent and will be guided through bringing their vision to life.
Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register
Paper Marbling and Mindfulness at Millbrook Library
Wednesday August 24th, 3:00pm – 5:00pm
For teens
Explore a variety of world-wide paper marbling techniques while enjoying the calming and meditative nature of this artform. We will take paper and dip it in water combined with colorful inks and paints, using layering to create swirling and patterned marbled masterpieces to take home with you.
Registration: Open to the public, call Millbrook Library at 845-677-3611 to register
Watercolor Painting of Flowers at Clinton Community Library
Saturday September 10th, 10:30am – 11:30am
For adults
Inspired by nature, and using brush techniques of previous weeks together, we will explore colorful flowers from imagination and from photographs and works of art history.
Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register
Drawing Objects at Clinton Community Library
Saturday October 8th, 10:30am – 11:30am
For adults
Drawing 101! Participants will learn how to draw objects in their homes starting with basic shapes and finishing with details and texture. Explore various shading techniques such as blending, smudging, hatching, stippling and more to capture what you see in your homes every day.
Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register
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
Visit to see the winning pieces and juried show in person or check out our virtual gallery and screenings below to watch the show online.
Reel Exposure Winners
Photography: First Place: “Audiophile” Risa Darlington-Horta Second Place: “Frozen Over” Aaliyah Loverso Third Place: “684” Andres Perez Audience Choice Award: “Frozen Over” Aaliyah Loverso
Film: First Place: Think Like A Filmmaker — by Eli Berliner Second Place: Beth — by Ava Bounds Third Place: Take heart! — by Lillith Jörg Audience Choice Award: Cry About It – by Amani Jamal
Reel Exposure Opening Reception – Wednesday, May 4 @ The Trolley Barn Gallery, 5-7pm
Join us in person at 489 Main Street in Poughkeepsie for the first night of Reel Exposure. Kicking off with an opening reception for the photography exhibition side of Reel Exposure, we’ll celebrate live while live-streaming parts the event on Facebook and YouTube as well. The photography exhibition will remain on display in the gallery through June 19 and there is also a virtual gallery component for anyone who isn’t able to come view the work in person. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Friday from 2-5pm and Saturdays from 12-4pm at The Trolley Barn.
The first night of Reel Exposure’s virtual film screenings. Watch along with us as we see a collection of films from the jury-selected short film showcase. Featuring: Beth — by Ava Bounds Eidolon — by Zev Marinoff It’s Getting Bad Again — by Sarah Reyes DON’T OPEN THAT BOX! — by Mason Jones The Girl Who Cried Sick — by Ruby Taylor She Can’t Control Herself — by WVN Productions
Short Films Screening, Q&A, and Awards Ceremony Friday, May 6 @ 7pm Online here and on Facebook Live & YouTube
Don’t miss the the final night of the Reel Exposure International Teen Film and Photo Festival featuring a final screening, an awards ceremony, and a Q&A with some of the filmmakers and photographers whose work was featured in Reel Exposure. Featuring: Think Like A Filmmaker — by Eli Berliner Cry About It — by Amani Jamal Hook, Line, and Sinker — by Hudson Price She— by Eva Li Take heart! — by Lillith Jörg
Reel Exposure is supported in part by monies received from the New York State Council On The Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Vassar Brothers Institute Donor Advisor Fund of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley.
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!
Monday – Friday, April 11-15, 12-5pm Trip April 11 to NYC to visit the artists’ studios of BoogieRez.
Students can choose from one of these exciting programs:
In the Public Art & Design Intensive, youth will will work with guest artists BoogieRez to create elements of public art installation to be unveiled at this fall’s PKX: Wonderland Festival, as well as original public art sculpture designs.
In the Video Production & Editing Intensive, youth will learn to produce short documentary films, from producing and capturing “fly on the wall” footage to learning the ins and outs of editing with Adobe Premiere Pro.
Youth who successfully complete an intensive will earn a $100 stipend.
In the MVP (Music Video Production) Program, you’ll learn how to create an original song and produce a music video! You’ll learn lyric writing, song recording, sound mixing, filming, video editing, on-set etiquette and all-around production skills.
This program will take place on Mondays after school in The Art Effect Media Lab at Poughkeepsie High School (through the dance studio, across the hall from the cafeteria)
The Art Effect is proud to share that three of Spark Studios students are featured in the Picturing Black Girlhood: Moments of Possibility exhibition at Rutgers University from February 17 to July 2, 2022. Leila Zachary, Kalecia Douglas, and Olivia Barker-Duncan will be three of over eighty photographers and filmmakers featured in the exhibit.
The exhibition features over 150 works by Black women, girls, and genderqueer artists, ranging in age from 8 to 94, and focuses on exploring the common theme of Black girlhood. The exhibition will span across all three of the main exhibition floors of Express Newark at Rutgers University-Newark and put the work of Black girls alongside that of Black women, centering Black girls as the subjects, artists, and agents of their own lives. Learn more about the exhibition here.
“The Art Effect could not be more proud of the hard work and dedication of its students, teachers, and staff,” said Nicole Fenichel-Hewitt, Executive Director at The Art Effect, “To be featured in such an incredible, transformative artistic experience goes to show the sheer amount of potential that our students harness. The Art Effect believes that art can truly impact not only the lives of its students, but also inspire positive social change by conveying to others the importance and power of art.”
Spark Studios allows students to hone their professional skills and gain real-world experiences to excel in film and media arts. Spark Studios goes beyond simple instruction by teaching students how to use art as a way to learn more about their past, their present, and their future. They learn how to take the experiences that have shaped them into who they are and transform them into impactful works. Leila Zachary, Kalecia Douglas, and Olivia Barker-Duncan are three great examples of how Spark Studios has helped teach students to embrace their histories and shape them into significant works. Learn more about Spark Studios here.
