On April 24 and 25, The Art Effect will transform its Pershing Avenue campus into a lively hub of art, film, music, and community connection for the annual PKX Festival, a youth-led celebration of creativity produced entirely by teenagers from the Poughkeepsie Board of Artistic Youth (PK B.A.Y.). This year’s theme, Golden Age Hip Hop, will inspire the event’s art, music, and performances, celebrating the culture and creativity of the era.
Open to all ages and free to attend, the two-day festival showcases student talent alongside hands-on activities, performances, and food vendors. This year also marks the first time PKX will take place directly at The Art Effect’s headquarters, allowing visitors to experience the organization’s programs and community in action.
“The PKX Festival empowers teens to see themselves not just as students, but as leaders within the local community,” says Elle Stas, marketing and communications manager at The Art Effect. “They’re making decisions about programming, curating artwork, jurying films, and shaping the entire experience for the public.”
The festival begins Friday evening, April 24, with a teen art exhibition opening at 5:30pm in The Art Effect’s Carole J. Wolf Gallery. The show will feature more than 40 works by students from schools across the Hudson Valley—including John Jay, Arlington, and Ossining—spanning painting, mixed media, and photography. Like the festival itself, the exhibition has been curated by a committee of youth.
At 6:30pm, attention shifts outdoors for the festival’s international youth film showcase. Eight short films, selected from more than 500 submissions worldwide, will screen on an outdoor lawn cinema. The 35-minute program was juried by teen apprentices from Forge Media and will be hosted by Naajia Villa, a graduate of The Art Effect’s programs. Audience members will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite film and artwork, alongside awardees chosen by the youth jury.
Saturday’s festivities expand into a full neighborhood celebration from 1–5pm around The Art Effect’s Pershing Avenue campus. This year’s theme—Golden Age Hip Hop—sets the tone for an afternoon of music, art-making, and performances.
DJ BLVD will spin throughout the day while more than 20 community organizations host interactive art activities and share information about their available resources. Partners range from the Poughkeepsie Farm Project to the Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum, highlighting the broader network of organizations that support youth and families in the region.
Visitors who stop at each partner booth will receive a special festival sticker designed by The Art Effect’s alumnus Lamont Smith, who also created the artwork featured on this year’s PKX Festival T-shirts.
Food trucks including La Cabañita, Mama La’s, Reggae Boys, Lemon Love, and Mr. Cool Ice Cream will keep the celebration fueled.
Several marquee moments anchor the afternoon. At 2pm, guest artist Amelia Toelke will unveil a sculptural gate that will permanently connect The Art Effect’s campus to Pershing Avenue Park which includes the Pershing Community Farm and Ellen’s Place Outdoor Classroom, creating a new public pathway between the spaces. Live performances begin at 2:45pm with a set by L51Swazzy, followed by hip-hop dance showcases from local studios. At 4pm, trophies created by teens will be awarded to the hip hop celebration winners.
For Stas, the festival represents the core mission of The Art Effect: empowering young people through creative expression and leadership. “PKX gives teens the opportunity to build something for the community,” she says. “It’s their vision and energy brought to life in a festival for everyone to experience.”
