Abilities First

Ready to Runway Fashion Show Returns Saturday🥳👗👖👕

Students from the Abilities First Art Academy will take the stage Saturday during the second annual Ready to Runway Fashion Show, a free community event presented in partnership with Clothes Mentor and The Salvation Army.

The fashion show will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 18, at The Salvation Army Springfield Corps, 1707 W. Chestnut Expressway.

Cyndi Spaethe, owner of Clothes Mentor; Hollee Ellis with The Salvation Army; and Richard White, Director of the Abilities First Art Academy, appeared on Unscripted AM Thursday morning to share details about the event.

In preparation for the show, Art Academy students participated in classes focused on fashion, personal style and choosing clothing for different occasions. Lessons included pairing clothing, dressing for the weather and selecting appropriate outfits for settings such as job interviews or evenings out.

Students also visited Clothes Mentor, where they worked with the store’s inventory and practiced creating complete looks. Some of the outfits they assembled on mannequins were purchased by customers shortly afterward.

The students will model four different looks during Saturday’s runway show!

The program is designed to provide more of an experience than simply a lesson in clothing. It gives students an opportunity to express themselves, build confidence and experience the excitement of walking a runway in front of their families and community.

Saturday’s event includes a runway, lighting and other elements of a traditional fashion show. One of the most exciting parts of the event is seeing the confidence and joy on the students’ faces as their families cheer them on.

The partnership began last year, when more than 100 people attended the first Ready to Runway Fashion Show. Organizers hope to continue offering the program each year.

Saturday’s fashion show is free and open to the public. Information about Art Academy classes and other available resources will also be available during the event.

Visit abilitiesfirst.net/programs/community-connect/art-academy/ for more information about Art Academy at Abilities First!

WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/gShnl9f_6KU

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A moment for the details✨

A Taste. Of C-Street. brought the flavors of Commercial Street into The Life. I Choose. VIP unveiling at the Savoy Ballroom.

Guests enjoyed appetizers, desserts and coffee provided by:

• Cafe Cusco — ceviche and arroz con pollo
• Van Gogh's Eeterie — roasted beet hummus and Dutch meatballs
• La Roux Bistro — boudin balls and eggplant caviar
• That Lebanese Place — falafel
• Moon City Pub — beer cheese nachos
• Big Momma's Coffee and Espresso Bar— coffee and cookies

Thank you to each restaurant for helping create an evening that invited guests to gather, connect and experience the portraits, films and stories featured in The Life. I Choose!

We'd also like to give another thank you to the sponsors and community partners who made the evening possible:

Presenting Sponsor — The Arc of the Ozarks
Venue Sponsor — Guaranty Bank
Appetizer Sponsor — Easterseals Midwest
Music Sponsor — Reece Family Law, LLC

Schaffitzel's Flowers provided boutonnieres and corsages for the people featured in the project, and Flora & Forge Floral Design & Blacksmith provided each participant with a plant to take home.

The Life. I Choose. public exhibition is open now through Sept. 5 at C-ART Gallery, 208–212 E. Commercial Street in Springfield.

Gallery hours:
Wednesday–Friday: 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Averie Painter loves classes through Art Academy at Abilities First.

Averie, 12, has grown more confident since joining Art Academy.

When she first started classes with her mom, she often asked if she was “doing it right.” Now, she jumps into new projects with confidence and is ready to get started.

Her mom shared that Art Academy has helped grow Averie’s confidence in ways that carry into other parts of her life.

Averie especially enjoys acrylic painting, and her artwork was featured as outstanding artwork in the Springfield Art Museum All School Exhibition.

Outside of art, Averie enjoys bowling, soccer, Miracle League, board games, puzzles and spending time outside in the garden. She is also working toward one of her goals this year: hitting without the “T” in Miracle League.

Through art, sports and the activities she loves, Averie is building confidence and living the life she chooses.