Art After Dark: Meet the Honorees

The Art Effect is proud to announce our 2018 Art After Dark honorees: Michael J. Quinn and Niki Pagones Quinn, Creative Breanna Lee Nussbickel, and Amina Kearney. Distinguished honorees will be celebrated at the first annual Art After Dark event on Tuesday, September 25, 2018, from 5:30-8:00 pm at the Henry A. Wallace Center at The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Home in Hyde Park, NY. Michael J. Quinn, President and CEO of Rhinebeck Bank has held several roles in the Bank, starting as a management trainee upon his graduation from the University of Notre Dame in 1984. During his career with the Bank, he has held the positions of Branch Manager, Treasurer, and Senior Lending Officer.  In 2004, he was appointed President and CEO. Michael is a Board Member and former Chairman of the Board for Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, a not-for-profit policy, planning, advocacy and research organization whose mission is to promote regional, balanced and sustainable solutions that enhance the growth and vitality of the Hudson Valley. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Family Services Inc., and previously served on the Board of the Bardavon 1869 Opera House, Inc. Michael is also a Board Member of the New York Bankers Association. He is passionate about economic growth in the communities that Rhinebeck Bank serves. Niki Pagones Quinn began her practice of law at the firm of Pagones, Cross and VanTuyl, PC, in Beacon, New York. She was a senior associate there until 1999, at which time she established her own practice. At Pagones, Cross and Van Tuyl, PC, and thereafter at her own firm, she handled real estate transactions, both residential and commercial, for buyers/borrowers, sellers and builders, as well as foreclosures, wills and estates. She practiced law as a solo practitioner until 2017, when she merged her practice with Robert S. Levine and Dale J. Lois and the firm of Levine & Levine, PLLC. Niki is the managing partner of the residential real estate department at Levine & Levine, PLLC and also handles other matters at the firm including foreclosures, wills, trusts and estates. Niki also represents many local and national mortgage lenders. Niki graduated from Villanova University in 1984, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree and received her Juris Doctor from the University of Bridgeport in 1987. She is admitted to the New York State Bar Association. Niki has served on the Rebuilding Together Dutchess County Board of Directors and the Go Red For Women Campaign. She has been on the committee for the Dutchess County Real Estate Charity Golf Tournament beginning in 2007 and since 2015, she has served as its Tournament Coordinator. The Dutchess County Real Estate Charity Golf Tournament annually raises funds for charities in the Hudson Valley Area.  Originally from northern New Jersey, and a first-generation daughter of Greek immigrants, Niki speaks Greek fluently. Creative Breanna Lee Nussbickel is a fashion designer and entrepreneur, and a 2005 alumna of The Art Effect (when it was Mill Street Loft).  Her experience at The Art Effect cultivated her art skills and passions, which led her to a career in the fashion industry. She received her BFA from the Fashion Institute of Technology majoring in Fashion Design and was the recipient of the 2009 FIT Cotton Incorporated Grant. Her studies also include an Illustration Art focus at the Design School Polimoda in Florence, Italy. Breanna worked for nine years in the fashion industry as a designer for Victoria’s Secret and Laura Ashley, and launched her own international luxury lingerie collection, Rococo Dessous. She recently returned to the Hudson Valley and is the creator and owner of The Honey Drop, an online and mobile boutique for handmade crystal jewelry, organic candles, and ethically-created artisan goods from around the world. Breanna currently works with renowned Rhinebeck designer Haldora on the design and the product development of her new collections. Breanna and her designs have appeared in media outlets around the world, and she has been featured in publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, Wall Street Journal, and Women’s Wear Daily.  She says, “Mill Street Loft (The Art Effect) was pivotal in launching the trajectory of my studies and career. Their classes trained me to approach all things in life with creativity; not just in my career. I am very excited to be involved in this year’s event!” Amina Kearney is a community collaborator and filmmaker, and a 2009 alumna of The Art Effect (formerly Spark Media Project). Amina currently teaches media production to local youth at The Art Effect. A SUNY Purchase graduate holding degrees in both Media Arts and Screenwriting, Amina is very active in our community, serving on Arts Mid-Hudson’s Folk Arts Advisory Board and facilitating various filmmaking groups in the Hudson Valley. She also serves as outreach coordinator at Masjid al-Mutakabbir in Poughkeepsie, and is passionate about poverty alleviation, childhood education, animals, social injustice, and protecting the arts. In her free time Amina enjoys photography, filmmaking, and spending time with her cat. The Art Effect is proud to celebrate the work of these four honorees. Join us for a night to remember at Art After Dark on Tuesday, September 25, 2018. Tickets for Art After Dark are on sale now.