Show Me Arts Foundation

Show Me Arts Academy (SMAA) was established by Marty K. Casey in 2014 due to the civil unrest in Ferguson, which highlighted some very serious concerns for the overall welfare of youth in the St. Louis area.

Wanting to be a part of the solution, Marty held the organization's first public event, November 28, 2014, at the Regional Arts Commission. Since, SMAA has had the good fortune to serve in several different locations across the metropolitan area: Tandy Community Center in the historic Ville neighborhood (kick-off and 1 day intensive); Dellwood Recreational Center (8 week summer program); Boys & Girls Club-Adam Park site (8 week program); YWCA Middle School girls summer camp; ongoing sessions at Mathews-Dickey summer camps and after-school programs, servicing a total of over 2,500+ children to date. The purpose of Show Me Arts Academy is simple and currently offers artistic training and development in the following disciplines: Theatre, Dance, Vocal Music, Visual Art, Creative Writing/Spoken Word, Disc Jockey Engineering. In addition, SMAA uniquely offers Social Work consultation and program support.

As recent as 2016, SMAA continues to broaden its scope with the birth of SPREADING THE LOVE (STL) Singers, a performing arts group. The first of its kind, the group consists of 22 youngsters, ages 10-18, from around the St. Louis metropolitan area. Members of the group not only perform but learn leadership skills. In 2016, the group made history as the first multicultural group to perform in the finale of the Veiled Prophet (America's Biggest Birthday) Parade.

By spreading love- STL has performed over 50 times, including 2016's week-long tour to New Jersey, New York, and Washington D.C. In addition to performing, the students took part in service learning projects on the 2016 tour that included performing at Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital in New York City and a performance and school supply drive at the Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives in Washington, D.C. The group had its second annual concert at the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis and was chosen to perform for the St. Louis Blues on opening night in front of over 20,000 fans performing "All Together Now" originally performed by The Beatles was arranged and co-produced by Marty K. Casey. The video of the performance is played at every home game for The Blues.

Under Marty's leadership and direction, the staff is consistently searching for new and innovative ways to positively impact youth and our community at large. In 2017, the Un-GUN program was introduced at the concert at the History Museum. With Un-GUN we are asking young people to put down their weapons, literally and figuratively and choose to SPREAD LOVE.

This program is to promote safe and healthy choices teens must take to keep them from falling into trouble or leading them into difficulties that could cause unwanted consequences. Un-GUN is designed to help teens regardless of sex, race, or creed. We will offer the Un-GUN Arts Program to middle schoolers ages 13-15 in grades 6-8. The city has nine middle schools that we can draw the students from for this program. We will take 15 children from each school, five students from each grade level. The social worker/counselor will recommend the students for the program. Show Me Arts Academy has been invited to bring the Un-GUN program to the Juvenile Detention Center in the City of St. Louis in May 2018.