BIG READ Student Art Exhibit at Gallery 45

This month Mill Street Loft’s Gallery 45 hosts the BIG READ art exhibit of works by area students. For the third year in a row, local high school and middle school students have participated in the Poughkeepsie Library’s BIG READ art contest. The Library’s Teen Program Coordinator Angela Panzer has seen interest steadily increase: “Last year I thought we had a lot with 21 pieces, but this year we have 54!  The teens really created some fantastic artwork.”  Starting this past Spring, high school and middle school students were challenged by their art teachers to create original works inspired by the poems and short stories of Edgar Allan Poe for Poughkeepsie’s BIG READ. Fifty-four students from nine area schools submitted varied works that are clearly Poe-inspired yet reflect the individual personalities and gifts of the students.

The student-produced art was judged by Todd Poteet, Director of Mill Street Loft’s Art Institute and Julie Hering, Graphic Artist with the Poughkeepsie Public Library District. The First Prize was awarded for “A Dream within a Dream” to Clarissa Eck (Arlington HS); the Second Prize winner was Olivia Arcuri (Spackenkill HS) for her piece inspired by “The Cask of Amontillado”; and Third Place for “The Black Cat” went to Fenton Kaplowitz (Roy C. Ketchum HS). Honorable Mentions went to Adam Kaplowitz (Oakwood Friends School); Liam Barnett (Our Lady of Lourdes) and Jamie Lee (Oakwood Friends School). Prizes were awarded at a ceremony on July 14.  These students’ artwork is being used in the BIG READ brochure produced by the library.

The BIG READ student art will be on display at Mill Street Loft through September Monday – Friday from 10am – 4:30 pm at 45 Pershing Avenue in Poughkeepsie.  For further information about the BIG READ, contact Jewel Ratzlaff, Public Information Office 845-485-3445 X 3372 or  jratzlaff@poklib.org or Angela Panzer, Teen Program Coordinator 845-485-3445 X 3309 or apanzer@poklib.org.  For information about Mill Street Loft and Gallery 45, contact Todd Poteet at 471-7477, tpoteet@millstreetloft.org.   #####