SMARTS (CON'T)

During the summer of 2000, SMARTS Coordinator Kelly Bancroft attended the New York Metropolitan Opera Guild¹s Creating Original Opera teacher-training which included creating an opera company, writing dialogue and music, designing sets and costumes, performing the original work, and learning how to teach children to do the same.

Connect 5, an original opera, was the result of this training and nine months of work with the children. The Kids Club Opera Company performed the opera for their peers, families and the community at YSU¹s Ford Theater last spring. SMARTS will continue the partnership with the New York Metropolitan Opera over the next several years.
 
SMARTS has recently secured nearly $500,000 in city, foundation and private funds for the renovation of space in the historic Powers Auditorium in downtown Youngstown. The new SMARTS Center will offer after-school, summer and weekend arts programming in dance, music, theatre and visual arts for all Youngstown City School children. For more information call 330/742-3642, email rlkeck@cc.ysu.edu or visit: www.fpa.ysu.edu/smarts/index.html.

NOTEWORTHY

Toledo Botanical Garden has received the 2001 Ohio Designer Craftsmen Outstanding Achievement Award for its support of crafts artists and the promotion of fine crafts to the general public. ODC has presented this award to artists, arts administrators and organizations since 1976. Toledo Botanical Garden is a unique organization whose scope of programs goes beyond the planting and maintenance of beautiful gardens and horticultural programs. TBG is home to 19 resident arts and horticulture organizations including the Toledo Craftsmen¹s Guild, Toledo Area Weavers Guild, Toledo Potters Guild and the Toledo Artists Club, which all offer demonstrations and hands-on workshops. TBG also organizes and presents major arts and craft programs. For more information call 419/936-2977 or visit www.toledogarden.org.

The average Ohioan thinks that tax dollars
should used to support the arts in Ohio.
- Ohio Arts Council's State of the Arts Report

On July 1, 2001 Ohio Governor Bob Taft encouraged the citizens of Ohio to experience the cultural and artistic possibilities in the state by proclaiming July 2001­July 2002 the YEAR OF THE ARTIST. During this time, the Ohio Arts Council will present a series of four Riffe Gallery exhibitions highlighting OAC Individual Artist Fellowship recipients as well as artists working in the OAC¹s Arts in Education and International programs. Paper Routes 2000, the first of these exhibitions, will be on view August 9 through October 7. An opening reception will be held August 9, 5 - 7 p.m.

Montreal #3 (detail) by Diana Duncan Holmes
from Paper Routes 2000.