SMARTS finds a home in Ohio One Building
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
YOUNGSTOWN
SMARTS, the community arts school that serves pre-K to high school seniors in the Mahoning Valley, will soon have a home.
Students Motivated by the Arts has been offering classes at several schools, but will move into the first floor of the Ohio One Building in downtown Youngstown, where it will unify its programs under one roof.
The plan is to begin instruction during the 2016-17 school year, although the exact date depends on fundraising efforts. The school is currently serving 360 students.
SMARTS had been housed in the second floor of the DeYor Performing Arts Center building until 2013, when it was defunded by Youngstown State University. SMARTS director Becky Keck has kept the program alive since then and was elated to announce at a press conference Friday that the school will once again have a home.
Founded in 1997, SMARTS has an emphasis on helping underprivileged and special-needs students. It offers classes in creative writing, dance, theater, music and visual art, and also aims to build creative thinking, leadership and self-dependency in young people.
SMARTS has set a goal of $750,000 to fund its move into its new home. The breakdown is as follows:
Renovation: $221,000
5-year lease: $128,500
Programming for three years: $375,000
Endowment for future programming: $25,000
Since the fall, SMARTS has quietly raised $480,000 from nine foundations and 15 private donors. To raise the remaining $270,000, it is reaching out to the public. To donate, go to smartsartschool.org, or mail checks to SMARTS, City Centre One, 100 E. Federal St., Suite 415, Youngstown, OH 44503.
A giant painting of a thermometer has been placed in the street-level display window of the Ohio One building that shows how much money has been raised.
The new space in building, on the corner of East Boardman and Champion streets, includes an impressive great hall, and a series of rooms for personal instruction along a wing.
At Friday’s press conference, Keck became emotional with joy at being able to announce a new home for SMARTS.
“I am one of the luckiest persons in this community,” she said. “Help us get to the next step.”
As arts programs have faced funding cuts and elimination in recent years by schools, the SMARTS program has become all the more critical, she said.
To celebrate arts education for children, SMARTS will have a festival today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in and around the Ohio One building, with ice-cream vendors, art, music and dance, street painting and activities for children.