SMARTS moves downtown
Melissa Moschella
Issue date: 6/12/03 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
YSU's dean of Fine and Performing Arts said he is excited a move of a YSU arts program to downtown will help play a role in the Youngstown 2010 project.
Dean George McCloud said the SMARTS [Students Motivated by the Arts] program is moving from campus to the downtown area.
While McCloud said the SMARTS program originated before the downtown Youngstown 2010 Project, he said the two are very compatible.
In a forum that was broadcast on WYSU during the month of May, Youngstown 2010 officials and University President David Sweet discussed how the arts program would be moved from its current location to downtown.
YSU and its role in helping to revitalize downtown Youngstown was heavily discussed during the May forum.
Mayor George McKelvey said, "Everyone realizes that shining light on the hill, so goes the saying, is YSU."
The program, which currently is housed in Bliss Hall, as well as Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School and Hayes Middle School, will be moving to Powers Auditorium in downtown Youngstown by fall 2003.
McCloud said the move would provide opportunities for both city school children as well as YSU students.
"It's creating an arts learning community where young people will gain motivation and discipline through the arts. Simultaneously, YSU students will have a perfect learning lab," he said.
SMARTS in partnership with Youngstown Symphony Center will make the move to Adler Art Academy inside historic Powers Auditorium. SMARTS director Becky Keck said the move to this 7,000-square-foot facility will provide a public place in Youngstown for all students to enjoy quality free art education after school, weekends and summers.
"SMARTS move downtown will be an extension of the YSU campus into the community," Keck said.
"It will be a public place where students of all ages will want to come to receive quality arts education experiences. The renovation has been done in a 'New York loft' vision with brick walls and exposed ductwork. All historic attributes remain and the furnishings are clean lined modern. There will be public space in a Gallery that will allow community groups to use it," she said.
While SMARTS is designed to reach out to Youngstown City School children from Kindergarten to age 16, it also provides YSU students with many opportunities.
Keck said the SMARTS Model as a K-12 project takes advantage of the sheer nature of its partners and participants. YSU education majors receive early hands-on teaching experiences at SMARTS under the supervision of education faculty.
"SMARTS is a living-learning laboratory for YSU's visual arts, music and education majors at large," Keck said.
YSU students also have employment and internship opportunities with SMARTS. The move downtown will provide employment opportunities to a new group of YSU students.
McCloud said, "SMARTS and 2010 came out of the same impulse and they are good for everybody."
Call Melissa Moschella at (330) 941-3523.
Dean George McCloud said the SMARTS [Students Motivated by the Arts] program is moving from campus to the downtown area.
While McCloud said the SMARTS program originated before the downtown Youngstown 2010 Project, he said the two are very compatible.
In a forum that was broadcast on WYSU during the month of May, Youngstown 2010 officials and University President David Sweet discussed how the arts program would be moved from its current location to downtown.
YSU and its role in helping to revitalize downtown Youngstown was heavily discussed during the May forum.
Mayor George McKelvey said, "Everyone realizes that shining light on the hill, so goes the saying, is YSU."
The program, which currently is housed in Bliss Hall, as well as Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School and Hayes Middle School, will be moving to Powers Auditorium in downtown Youngstown by fall 2003.
McCloud said the move would provide opportunities for both city school children as well as YSU students.
"It's creating an arts learning community where young people will gain motivation and discipline through the arts. Simultaneously, YSU students will have a perfect learning lab," he said.
SMARTS in partnership with Youngstown Symphony Center will make the move to Adler Art Academy inside historic Powers Auditorium. SMARTS director Becky Keck said the move to this 7,000-square-foot facility will provide a public place in Youngstown for all students to enjoy quality free art education after school, weekends and summers.
"SMARTS move downtown will be an extension of the YSU campus into the community," Keck said.
"It will be a public place where students of all ages will want to come to receive quality arts education experiences. The renovation has been done in a 'New York loft' vision with brick walls and exposed ductwork. All historic attributes remain and the furnishings are clean lined modern. There will be public space in a Gallery that will allow community groups to use it," she said.
While SMARTS is designed to reach out to Youngstown City School children from Kindergarten to age 16, it also provides YSU students with many opportunities.
Keck said the SMARTS Model as a K-12 project takes advantage of the sheer nature of its partners and participants. YSU education majors receive early hands-on teaching experiences at SMARTS under the supervision of education faculty.
"SMARTS is a living-learning laboratory for YSU's visual arts, music and education majors at large," Keck said.
YSU students also have employment and internship opportunities with SMARTS. The move downtown will provide employment opportunities to a new group of YSU students.
McCloud said, "SMARTS and 2010 came out of the same impulse and they are good for everybody."
Call Melissa Moschella at (330) 941-3523.