1990’s

Mill Street Loft is a multi-arts educational center based in downtown Poughkeepsie serving thousands of Hudson Valley residents and their families. A summarized history is listed below. (a brief video of our 30 years)

Mill Street Loft History: The 2000’s • The 1990’s • The 1980’s

The 1990’s

  • Mill Street Loft completed renovations in 1992 and moved into its current and now fully accessible facility, an historic two-story barn at 455 Maple Street. The first floor is comprised of two studios, a gallery, two restrooms, and a small kitchen.
  • ARTSTEACH, a partnership with Ulster BOCES was created in 1992 as a model arts-in-education program engaging at-risk youth in innovative and experiential learning by infusing the arts into all areas of the curricula. Through the years the relationship evolved into the New Visions arts program for motivated High School Seniors seeking guidance for careers in the arts and mentorships with professional artists.
  • Evolving from the Intergenerational Programs, Building Bridges was established in 1992. It was a licensed after-school childcare program, using the arts to bridge the gap between the generations, and was voted by Child Magazine, “one of the ten best after-school childcare programs in the nation.”
  • The upstairs of the barn was renovated in 1994 and now houses administrative offices, a conference area and additional studio space.
  • In response to the needs of at-risk area youth, Project ABLE (Arts for Basic Education, Life Skills and Entrepreneurship) was initiated in 1994. It was designed as a jobs skills training and prevention program for urban teens facing multiple barriers to employment, utilizing an arts-based full-time curriculum. To date, close to 1,000 youth have been paid minimum wage to “earn while they learn.”
  • In 1996 Project ABLE received a special grant for their Team Nutrition Poster selected by the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, the USDA and the National Endowment for the Arts, still displayed throughout the nation in every US Department of Agriculture food stamp office.
  • The Art Institute, a pre-college portfolio development program for motivated teens, ages 14-18 interested in pursuing a career in the visual arts, was established in 1996. Graduates of The Art Institute and Summer Art Intensive, established in 1997, have been offered more than 11 million dollars in merit-based scholarships to the nation’s leading universities, colleges and art schools.
  • The Friend of the Arts Award annual fundraising event benefiting Mill Street Loft’s youth outreach programs, scholarship fund and the new Arts For Healing program, was initiated in 1998. Many outstanding community activists and arts advocates have been honored for their contributions to the arts in our community. These include: Pete Seeger, Rob and Emilie Dyson, The Dia Foundation, internationally known artist Peter Max, Bard College President, Dr. Leon Botstein and many others.
  • PASWORD (Program for Adolescent Student Women Of Real Direction) was created in 1999 in collaboration with Poughkeepsie Middle School. It uses the arts to address gender-specific issues for urban girls ages 11-15 at risk of delinquency, teen pregnancy, gang and domestic violence, and fosters self-esteem and personal empowerment.
  • Year-round art classes, workshops. lectures, exhibits, educational forums and performances continue to attract a diverse group of children and adults of all ages and backgrounds.

For more information about Mill Street Loft And its programs contact the Program Coordinator, 845-471-7477 x 18.

45 Pershing Ave., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601,
(845) 471-7477, FAX: 471-7507