LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Opportunity Village, Las Vegas’ Favorite Charity, announces Michael Dodson as an Artist-In-Residence for the organization’s New Opportunities for Visionary Arts (NOVA) Initiative. Dodson joins the newly launched NOVA concept which assists OVIPs in discovering and exploring their individual creative expression at Opportunity Village’s Oakey Campus.
Based on the Creative Abundance Model, created by Susan Dlouhy and Patty Mitchell, NOVA provides OVIPs flexibility to participate in a variety of activities that create a path to employment and earning wages, based on their individual talents and interests. NOVA studios have been created at all four Opportunity Village campuses revolving around a culture focusing on choice and creative expression. OVIPs and staff have the opportunity to participate in this new program.
“My passion for art and helping others enjoy life led me to my position here at Opportunity Village. I love seeing OVIPs excited about creating art and I hope to assist in further expanding the NOVA culture,” said Dodson.
Dodson is an accomplished local artist who is partnering with Opportunity Village to support, mentor and inspire OVIPs and Opportunity Village staff as they engage in the creative process. He is preparing the art studio, teaching basic drawing and painting, working on large-scale projects and assisting OVIPs in expressing themselves to create unique pieces of art based on their interests. Dodson has previously worked with several art galleries, auction houses, web-based art companies, print studios and has completed art commissions throughout Las Vegas. He is an expert in the practice of taking ideas and building them into physical, expressive pieces of art. Upon completing high school in Las Vegas, Dodson earned a Bachelor of Science degree and Master’s degrees in Contemporary and Modern Art History and History of the Art Market in New York before returning to Las Vegas.