POUGHKEEPSIE — The Art Effect announces the opening of the next milestone in its first annual series of international juried exhibitions, curated by area youth working alongside professional curators. Up Close & Personal will open May 28, 2021 at The Art Effect’s Trolley Barn Gallery in the heart of the City of Poughkeepsie. This diverse exhibition of paintings, photographs, film, and sculpture will be on display in-person at the Trolley Barn Gallery and online from May 28 – July 1, 2021.
Curator Anna Conlan, Neil C. Trager Director of the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz, worked with young people in The Art Effect’s new youth curatorial program to select 63 artworks from over 1,100 submissions from around the world. Describing the collaborative curatorial process, Conlan notes “We had lively discussions about curatorial choices, whether or not a piece connected to the theme, and the different ways we interpret art…the exhibition truly reflects the youth’s collective vision.”
The Art Effect youth developed the Up Close and Personal theme in a series of workshops built around the idea of creative generation in response to contemporary social and cultural issues. Curator Conlan comments, “In a year characterized by social distance and instability, these works tap into what many of us need right now; friendship, family, human care, and connection.”
The exhibition opening will take place on Friday, May 28, from 5-7 p.m. at The Trolley Barn Gallery at 489 Main St. in Poughkeepsie and can be viewed in a virtual gallery available on The Art Effect’s website. Youth in the curatorial program will moderate a virtual artist talk with three artists whose works are featured in the Up Close & Personal exhibition on Thursday,
June 10 at 7pm. For details, visit https://feelthearteffect.org/current-exhibitions
About The Art Effect: The Art Effect empowers youth to develop their creative voice to shape their futures and bring about positive social change. The organization facilitates educational programming for youth in the Hudson Valley to explore, experience and excel in the arts.The programs provide introductions to visual arts and media, giving participants the opportunity to develop real skills in these fields and guiding them towards achieving their academic and career goals. The Art Effect is anchored by the belief that the arts have the power to create a more vibrant, caring and sustainable world led by a generation of youth who value creative thinking, diverse voices and stronger connections between all people.