NASHUA, NH – Nashua urban arts nonprofit Positive Street Art has recently expanded their efforts and work in community outreach and enrichment by advancing their two year partnership with adult disability suppport and skills growh program Opportunity Networks to new heights! After fostering relationships across four cohorts of incredible adults with a variety of disabilities across the spectrum of both mental and physical, select artists from Opportunity Networks were offered the opportunity to kickstart a new branch of the outreach partnership: creating vocational and professional development and paid employment roles (alongside a wealth of employable skills) to adults within the program.
Keesha Myette stepped up to the plate alongside friend and fellow member of the partnership’s recent United Through Color program Kevin Williams to try their hands at the Community Outreach side of things. Below, Keesha reports on her day, experiences and perspective trying out this new role.
– Yaz Safarsadeh, PSA Grant Writer and Special Projects Coordinator
I got invited to my very first PRIDE FESTIVAL on Elm Street in downtown Manchester by my friend Yaz (also known as local artist and community outreach director Yasamin Safarzadeh) – HOW EXCITING AND COOL IS THAT! Anyways… When Yaz asked me if I wanted to be involved in the Pride Festival, I was like “SURE WHY NOT!!!!!” I showed up, and at first I thought it was going to be boring. Well, I guess I was wrong!
It’s actually pretty fun; and I was working with Yaz, Amara (Phelps) and Seana (McDuffie, both of whom are fellow artists and community outreach organizers) the BEST three wonderful ladies. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE WORKING WITH THEM!! All I had to do was to help and show different people what they were supposed to do at our table: AKA a giant paint by number. To me, it’s kind of the same idea as doing it on your phone, where there’s lots of painting games like it.
But this time, you’re actually doing it yourself in real life, and using different colors. Each person had a little canvas, which were all a part of a big canvas, arranged in a big grid. Every single one of them had a different design that Yaz, Amara and I was in charge of showing people how the canvases were sorted into different difficulties. Starting from Easy, which was either just all white, or would show 2 or 3 other colors. Next was medium – it had more than 2 or 3 colors and shapes. And then there were very hard ones with multiple colors and patterns. When everybody came to our table, I would ask if they would like to try to paint one. I would hold up the three options, or I had them pick out which one they wanted to do.
After they were done with their canvas, I would tell them the next step. If you flipped your canvas over, on the back you would see a number and a letter. You would find it on the bigger board, lining up on the grid and stick it in its spot and it forms into a picture which is the picture below (with an up close view). Sometimes after that I would have to put on clear adhesive sticky dots onto the back – if the canvas is not sticky enough. Occasionally I would help people to see the letter and number and find the spot it goes in; and if they ask for like a wet wipe I’d grab a wet wipe from behind the table so they can get the paint off.
Yaz said I’ll be getting paid for being there – and I was there all day from 11:30 – 5:30. I’ll be getting a check from program (Opportunity Networks works with lots of employers to provide assistance and oversee job placements for their clients) but that means a lot of MOOLAH MOOLAH$$$$! YAY!!!!! I can’t wait to get my check. I was having so much fun here for my first time cause I’ve never done anything like this. Like, who knew?! I got asked to be in the Pride Festival and Yaz said there gunna do more like this (Opportunity Networks artists worked alongside Positive Street Art artists at the New Hampshire Disability Pride Parade at the State House, for example, to run a community art activity.
The aforementioned Summer Mural Program is a community beautification and art intensive in collaboration with Positive Street Art, MYTURN, Opportunity Networks and Waypoint youth shelter. They unveiled their project to the public alongside a festival of celebration with refreshments and performances, on August 16 from 12-4 at Sheehan Basquil Park.
1)A pride flag: I’ve never been to Pride!
2) I met a lot of people and saw tons of stuff. I took some pictures of stuff I thought was cool: in the middle are my friends from PSA and Kevin!
3) They had a drag queen dunk tank which was funny. I was really into this lady’s freaky makeup; and the chalk art!
(above) What our big picture looked like near the end. You can tell it’s inspired by the pride flag.
(Below) Me helping some people at the table with Yaz and Amara. (Right) Kevin posing for a picture with Some people we met. He really likes taking pictures.
Me, Seana and Kevin posing for a pic.
Kevin with one of PSA’s board members, Ashley!
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