POUGHKEEPSIE, NY.- More than one hundred paintings, drawings, sculptures, and photographs by over 50 students of the Art Institute of Mill Street Loft will be featured in the seventh annual Teen Visions exhibition, on view from Saturday, January 17 through Friday, February 6 in the James W. Palmer ’90 Gallery at Vassar College. The juried show, free and open to the public, will feature the work of students from 35 area high schools. The gallery hours are Mondays through Fridays, 11:00 am to 6:00 pm; Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00 to 6:00 pm.

The artist reception, on Thursday, January 22, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm in the Palmer Gallery, will kick off Vassar College’s annual Modfest celebration. It will include a performance by Stringendo, the Arlington High School chamber ensemble, performing at 6:45 pm in the College Center, and poetry readings by alumnae from PASWORD, Mill Street Loft’s female empowerment program for economically disadvantaged Poughkeepsie High School students.

The art featured in Teen Visions ’09 was selected from Art Institute programs created during the summer and fall 2008 courses, and represents a wide variety of media.

“Each year we are charged with the task of selecting 120 pieces of art from over 2,000 for our Teen Visions exhibition,” said Todd Poteet, Director of the Art Institute of Mill Street Loft. “The caliber of the student work continues to rise and impress us. It would be easy to mistake these young artists as professionals, but they are only 14-17 years old, some of them having just started their studies in the arts.”

The Art Institute 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 $12 million in merit-based scholarships to the nation's major colleges, universities, and art schools, including Pratt Institute, the School of Visual Arts (SVA), Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), Columbus College of Art and Design, and the Cooper Union.

ABOUT MILL STREET LOFT Mill Street Loft is an award-winning multi-arts educational center in Poughkeepsie dedicated to bringing a wide range of creative, educational and culturally enriching outreach and tuition-based programs to diverse audiences throughout the Hudson Valley (http://www.millstreetloft.org). Designed for motivated teens ages 14-18, the program is completely run by professional artists to help develop skills in visual and media arts. For further information, please contact Todd Poteet, Director of the Art Institute, at 845-471-7477.

ABOUT THE JAMES W. PALMER III GALLERY Situated between the North Atrium and the Retreat cafeteria, the James W. Palmer III Gallery is at the heart of the College Center. Constructed in 1996, the gallery was named and endowed by the Palmer family in 2000 in memory of their son James, a member of the class of 1990. Serving as an exhibition space for artwork created within and beyond the Vassar community, the gallery displays art of diverse mediums, themes, and origins.

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations at Vassar should contact the Office of Campus Activities at (845) 437-5370. Without sufficient notice, appropriate space and/or assistance may not be available. Directions to the Vassar campus are available at www.vassar.edu/directions.

Vassar College is a highly selective, coeducational, independent, residential liberal arts college founded in 1861.