‘Teen Visions’ explores students’ skills
Students who participated in the Art Institute of Mill Street Loft’s summer Art Intensive Program will see a selection of their work displayed in a professional setting.
More than 60 paintings, drawings and photographs by local high school students who participated in the summer Art Intensive Program will be featured in the juried exhibition “Teen Visions ’16,” which opens Monday Jan. 11 at the James W. Palmer III Gallery at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie.
The students represent more than 30 regional high schools.
An opening reception for the exhibition will be held 5-7 p.m. Thursday in the gallery. The exhibit runs through Jan. 26.
Representing a wide variety of media, the artwork exhibited in “Teen Visions ’16” was selected by a panel of educators from more than 1,750 works, based upon artistic statement, vision and visual acuity, as well as individual accomplishment, according to a written release.
Todd Poteet, director of the Art Institute, noted that “Teen Visions” is the first major exhibition for many of the students included in the show.
“This exhibition helps to build students’ confidence in their art and the power of their artistic voice, as well as validating the work they create,” he said in the statement. “We do not censure the statements the students need to make, but allow them to express the issues that they are confronted with daily.
“‘Teen Visions’ also allows the students to showcase their talents among a group of their peers,” Poteet said. “This show becomes a positive reflection of their accomplishments in the arts on their resumes and applications to college. This is the first step in their journey to obtaining a professional career in the arts.”
Mill Street Loft is a multi-arts educational center in Poughkeepsie with a mission of bringing a range of creative, educational and culturally enriching outreach and tuition-based programs to diverse audiences throughout the Hudson Valley. Designed for motivated teens ages 14-19, the program is run by professional artists to help develop skills in visual and media arts.
The Art Institute of Mill Street Loft aims to prepare students for top art schools, to excel in the program of study they choose and to become working professional artists in their prospective fields. Since 2000, Art Institute graduates have received offers of more than $35 million in merit-based scholarships to the nation’s major colleges, universities and art schools, including Pratt Institute, the School of Visual Arts, Maryland Institute College of Art, Columbus College of Art and Design and the Cooper Union, according to Poteet.
If you go
What: “Teen Visions ’16”
When: Opening reception, 5-7 p.m., Jan. 14; exhibit runs through Jan. 26
Where: James W. Palmer III Gallery at Vassar College, 124 Raymond Ave., Poughkeepsie
Admission: Free
Information: Visit http://palmergallery.vassar.edu/; also visit http://www.millstreetloft.org