POUGHKEEPSIE- A youth-led initiative known as the Poughkeepsie Board of Artistic Youth (PK B.A.Y.) is working to transform the blocks in downtown Poughkeepsie with new works of public art. Working with longtime arts nonprofit The Art Effect, youth are seeking proposals from professional artists of all ages for murals, sculptures, and media-based projects that will activate the Youth Arts Empowerment Zone (YAEZ), a multi-block area anchored by The Art Effect’s Trolley Barn Gallery on Main Street.
The PK B.A.Y. is a first-of-its-kind initiative in Poughkeepsie that was developed by a coalition of local youth-serving non-profits to promote youth leadership and civic engagement. The Poughkeepsie Children’s Cabinet is facilitating the initiative with grant funding from the national philanthropy The Wallace Foundation. The PK B.A.Y. is comprised of 12 City of Poughkeepsie youth, ages 14 to 17, representing four local, out-of-school time programs (The Art Effect; Family Services; Community Matters 2; and the Boys & Girls Club). All PK B.A.Y. youth are being stipend for their time working on the initiative, and are receiving instructional and technical support from The Art Effect staff. The initiative is using public art as a means to foster entrepreneurship, and civic engagement and build youth voice within community leadership. When describing the mission of the group, students highlighted phrases such as “making a difference is hard, but it is possible,” “inspiring and helping the community,” and “helping youth make a change.”
In keeping with the larger mission of the PK B.A.Y., the project will promote positivity, inspire the community, and support local efforts to stop violence and drug abuse. The selected artist will work alongside PK B.A.Y. to plan the work in early 2024, with production taking place during spring 2024.
“We are looking forward to seeing how the project will impact our community in a positive way” says Micah Jumpp, ACC Americorps Member and Digital Community Engagement Fellow and lead on the PK B.A.Y initiative. “The PK B.A.Y hopes that this project will reach both the hearts and minds of everyone who sees it in our city.”
Interested artists can view the full Request for Proposal, with project timeline requirements and instructions on how to apply, at: thearteffect.org/request-for-proposal. The deadline to apply is January 7, 2024, and questions can be emailed to micah@thearteffect.org. Preference will be given to works in high-visibility areas that foster positivity and incorporate at least one of the following themes: unity, anti-violence, Poughkeepsie’s indigenous history, or drug abuse prevention. Preference will also be given to artists who enjoy or have experience working with youth, and whose proposals have a community interaction component. Sculptural work is preferred but not required, and all artistic mediums including painting, video, sound art, etc. will be considered.
