YOUNGSTOWN — The March edition of First Fridays celebrated the creative activities of the area’s younger generations.

From grade school dancers to college-age improvisors making up scenes in real time, the event showcased numerous arts organizations at SMARTS (Students Motivated by the Arts) Friday evening at the historic Ohio One Building.

First Fridays Downtown Youngstown takes place every first Friday of the month in and around downtown Youngstown at various locations and is sponsored by the Downtown Youngstown Partnership. During First Fridays, visitors have the opportunity to enjoy live music, shopping, local dining, entertainment, arts, activities, recreation and more.

Altogether, the evening featured performances by six local institutions, make-and-take crafts and a collaborative community art project that reflected both the Youth Arts Month theme of “Healing Through Color” and live painting by SMARTS Community Teaching Artist Will Duck.

Attendees were treated to the duo scene work from the Millennial Theatre Company, improvisations and audience participation with Dinner Theatre Rejects, dancers and vocalists from Mahoning Valley Cabaret, an instrumental performed by the SMARTS Rock Band, selections combining ballet and modern dance that were choreographed by older students of Ballet Western Reserve and an uplifting finale by members of the Youngstown Playhouse and Youth Theatre.

“The arts make us human,” said SMARTS Founder and President Becky Keck. “They bring us closer together and enable us to feel connected.”

SMARTS believes every person is an artist, an individual who creates, innately possessing a creative mind and personal voice, a desire to express their perspective and experiences, a need to be inspired or have purpose, and a need to have enjoyment in life, according to its website.

Ideal timing found First Fridays at SMARTS taking place during Youth Arts Month.

Keck appreciated that the Downtown Youngstown Partnership community activity aligned with SMARTS for the opportunity to “celebrate young artists together.”

“SMARTS has provided quality arts education for nearly 30 years, focusing on those students who have the least access. Barriers are not always financial as school days are focused on tests and some schools do not have arts offerings in every grade. Many schools do not even have the bare minimum of music and visual art.

“SMARTS offers all five arts disciplines — visual arts, music, dance, theater and creative writing. SMARTS’ goal is to ‘teach the whole child’ through our free public programming at the Ohio One Building and community programming at schools and youth organizations. We have 40 community partners that we have customized arts programming for to meet their arts education needs,” Keck said.

She believes that the examples displayed by the performers during First Fridays represent a background that can influence their lives outside the classroom.

“We strive to ‘teach the whole child’ through quality arts education, which is crucial for young people because it fosters creativity, enhances critical thinking, promotes emotional expression and cultivates cultural understanding, leading to well-rounded individuals and a more engaged society.

“SMARTS students make better learners, are great problem solvers, and get the opportunity to develop their creativity. They connect with other like-minded students and find a community where they belong,” she said.

After he helped set up the food provided by The Varsity Club and handled media interviews, Adam Lee, program director of Youngstown CityScape — which presents First Fridays along with its component Downtown Youngstown Partnership — finally had the chance to enjoy the night’s performances.

“The Downtown Youngstown Partnership wanted to have this be a year-round event,” he said. “So, we wanted to partner with the local arts and culture institutions like SMARTS, the Butler Art Institute and the McDonough (museum). That way, we could have it highlighting these spaces, keeping it as a year-round event, bringing people in who, maybe, have not seen it before, keep the momentum going and be able to create more vibrancy in downtown.”

The OH WOW! Children’s science museum hosts the next First Fridays event on April 4.