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      • PRESS RELEASE — MY POSSIBILITIES FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD CHARMAINE SOLOMON TAKES ON NEW ROLE
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      • PRESS RELEASE — MY POSSIBILITIES, SOAP HOPE NAMED D CEO 2020 SOCIAL ENTERPRISE WINNER
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      • PRESS RELEASE — NORTH TEXAS FOR-CAUSE ORGANIZATION TO PHASE REOPENING
      • PRESS RELEASE — NORTH TEXAS NONPROFIT ANNOUNCES RE-IMAGINED ANNUAL EVENTS
      • PRESS RELEASE — MY POSSIBILITIES AND ALLIANCE DATA POSTPONE A SPECIAL EVENING WITH WAYNE BRADY
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A Lesson in Art: Casey’s Story

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    A Lesson in Art: Casey’s Story

    By Barbara Boretsky | MP Blog | 0 comment | 17 February, 2017 | 2

    In the visual arts room at My Possibilities, a new masterpiece, fresh off a wooden easel, lays out to dry on a nearby table. Merely a blank white canvas just hours ago, the painting now springs to life with vibrant color – a maze of sapphire and electric blue punctuated by streaks of crimson and rose. The transformation is stunning.

    Yet for Casey Parrott, SMU grad and the Create Program Lead at My Possibilities, the most stunning transformation doesn’t come in the form of a canvas painting, but rather the growth of his students. Since his arrival at My Possibilities in 2011, Casey has been a firsthand witness to the incredible effects that the arts have had on his students, and the effects that his students have had on him.

    “They’ve come alive,” Says Casey, “They’ve shown us who they are [and] what they’re capable of.”

    Over the course of six years Casey’s students aren’t the only ones who’ve grown. Originally hired on as an art teacher, Casey, a self-described ‘adventurous & wild spirit’, began his journey at My Possibilities with little experience teaching and working with special needs adults. However, with his background in the arts and years of experience practicing his craft, Casey quickly set forth a plan to teach those eager to learn about and create art.

    “What I’ve done from the very beginning of my visual arts classes is really just having people start with pencil and paper,” Casey explains. “I’ll have them either draw something from a book and just draw from observation, or I’ll have them draw something conceptual just to find out where they’re coming from, what their skill sets are, and what are their natural affinities.”

    “And once we have that, we then build it up,” Casey continues. “We’ll try painting, we’ll try sculpture, we’ll try collage; just finding out what clicks with their abilities and their desires, and what’s going to help them communicate best.”

    Through his teachings Casey has watched his students grow in various ways- from the confidence boost that results from completing a piece of art, to the pride that comes from selling one’s own artwork. Casey himself has even experienced his own transformation, saying, “I’ve learned a lot about myself, and I’ve learned a lot of ways I need to grow by being around these adults with special needs.”

    The stunning artwork that adorns his classroom walls serves as a daily reminder of the true transformation occurring in his classroom.

    For more information on our Create Program please click here.

    #BigLittleVictories, 2017, Art, Casey, Create Program, MP Staff

    Barbara Boretsky

    More posts by Barbara Boretsky

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      • HIPster Golf Classic – Oct. 10
      • Piece-a-Thon – Nov. 22
    • News
      • Sun Club
      • #aMPlified HIPster Voices
      • MP in Motion Blog
      • Press Releases
        • PRESS RELEASE: SCOTT + REID PRESENTS MY POSSIBILITIES ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT
        • PRESS RELEASE: PROMOTING COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION FOR AUTISTIC LEARNERS
        • PRESS RELEASE: My Possibilities Announces Groundbreaking of New Career Services Building
        • PRESS RELEASE — INNOVATIVE BUSINESS LEADER JOINS MY POSSIBILITIES AS  CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
        • PRESS RELEASE — MY POSSIBILITIES WELCOMES KAREN WALD AS NEW CHAIR OF THE BOARD
        • PRESS RELEASE — MY POSSIBILITIES FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD CHARMAINE SOLOMON TAKES ON NEW ROLE
        • PRESS RELEASE — IKEA DONATES ESSENTIAL LEARNING SUPPLIES TO HELP ADULTS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
        • PRESS RELEASE — CAPITAL ONE AWARDS LOCAL NONPROFIT A GRANT FOR ONLINE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING
        • PRESS RELEASE — MY POSSIBILITIES RECEIVES HEALTHY KIDS, HEALTHY FAMILIES GRANT FROM BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF TEXAS
        • PRESS RELEASE — POPULAR ONLINE RETAILER MAKES PLANO HOME
        • PRESS RELEASE — MY POSSIBILITIES, SOAP HOPE NAMED D CEO 2020 SOCIAL ENTERPRISE WINNER
        • PRESS RELEASE — SCOTT + REID PRESENTS MY POSSIBILITIES ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT
        • PRESS RELEASE — NORTH TEXAS FOR-CAUSE ORGANIZATION TO PHASE REOPENING
        • PRESS RELEASE — NORTH TEXAS NONPROFIT ANNOUNCES RE-IMAGINED ANNUAL EVENTS
        • PRESS RELEASE — MY POSSIBILITIES AND ALLIANCE DATA POSTPONE A SPECIAL EVENING WITH WAYNE BRADY
        • PRESS RELEASE — MY POSSIBILITIES AND SOAP HOPE JOIN FORCES, LAUNCH INCLUSIVE EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVE

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