Art After Dark Gala

Thank you for making this year’s Art After Dark such an incredible evening! We celebrated our honorees and experienced augmented reality–enhanced artworks created by our youth and alumni with delicious food, live music, and immersive art experiences — all surrounded by the spectacular Black art exhibition, quiet as it’s kept, in the Trolley Barn Gallery.  . Most importantly, your support helps ensure we can continue delivering life-changing arts education to youth in Poughkeepsie and the Hudson Valley.

This year, The Art Effect was proud to honor artists James Ransome and Lesa Cline-Ransome, alumni John Olson, and community partner La Voz Magazine.

The Art Effect empowers young people to develop their creative voice to shape their futures and bring about positive social change. Art After Dark is our biggest fundraiser of the year and a chance to celebrate heroes from our community while also powering The Art Effect’s distinctive model of arts education, college prep portfolio development, and youth workforce development in creative industries. 

Photos from Art After Dark 2023

Thank you to Zach Cussick from 41st Parallel Media for event photography.

In The Gallery

quiet as it’s keptan exhibition of Black art of exceptional quality that explores the depths of the Black experience and reveals its complex roots. From landscapes to surrealism, from digital art to sculpture, from traditional to innovative — this show provides that Black art is as unique as Black people.

Ransome Posters are still Available for Purchase!

James Ransome is an award-winning artist and illustrator based in the Hudson Valley, and co-recipient of The Art Effect’s 2023 Artist Award at Art After Dark. 
We are pleased to be able to offer a limited number of signed posters featuring Ransome’s illustrations for sale. Purchase one to keep or sponsor one to be donated to a school classroom, library, or youth center throughout the Hudson Valley. Choose from five designs here.

Art After Dark Mission

The Art Effect empowers young people to develop their creative voice to shape their futures and bring about positive social change. Art After Dark is our biggest fundraiser of the year and a chance to celebrate heroes from our community while also powering The Art Effect’s distinctive model of arts educationcollege prep portfolio development, and youth workforce development in creative industries. 

If you weren’t able to join us this year, there’s still time to help us reach our fundraising goal before the end of the year. Contributions are tax-deductible and go directly toward our arts education and youth workforce development programs for 2024. Please give as generously as you can to help us reach our $30,000 goal before December 31! 

2023 Art After Dark Sponsors

Additional event support provided by Prime Print Shop and Durant’s Party Rentals.

Generous support for quiet as it’s kept provided by Humanities New York and Dutchess Tourism through a grant administered by Arts Mid-Hudson. Additional support from the New York State Council on the Arts.

Thank you to Fast Signs of Wappingers.