YSU Cliffe College of Creative Arts

Call Directions Website Contact the university

YSU Cliffe College of Creative Arts Cliffe College of Creative Arts at Youngstown State University provides a dynamic learning environment in the creative arts.

The Cliffe College of Creative Arts serves as a cultural center for the YSU campus and the Mahoning Valley. Each year, the College hosts over 400 events including dozens of art exhibits, eight major theatrical productions, and more than one hundred musical events. Academic programs combine theoretical and practical offerings giving students the opportunity to augment traditional classroom activities with internship and laboratory experiences.

✨ What a spectacular night at YSU’s Ford Theater! Last week, we welcomed legendary country songwriter and YSU alum Bob D...
10/15/2026

✨ What a spectacular night at YSU’s Ford Theater! Last week, we welcomed legendary country songwriter and YSU alum Bob DiPiero for the “American Made” Songwriter Series.

Throughout the evening, DiPiero, along with special guests JT Harding and Blessing Offer, performed and shared the stories behind their biggest hits. This event was sponsored by Cliffe College of Creative Arts and COMPASS Family & Community Services, and proceeds benefited COMPASS’s Sojourner House Domestic Violence Program.

We were also honored to welcome Bob DiPiero to campus the night before for a special masterclass with our students and community! DiPiero discussed his journey as a songwriter and shared valuable insights and lessons he learned from career.

Thank you to all who joined us and helped support COMPASS’s Sojourner House Domestic Violence Program. 💜

This year’s Dana School of Music and University Theatre Open House was a success! 👏Today, prospective students and their...
10/14/2026

This year’s Dana School of Music and University Theatre Open House was a success! 👏

Today, prospective students and their families spent the day learning about our programs, meeting our students and faculty, exploring our facilities, and attending music and theatre clinics!

Ready to take the next step? Apply to YSU at ysu.edu/admissions and complete either a Dana School of Music or University Theatre audition form to select your audition date. We look forward to seeing our future penguins again soon! 🐧

🎶 Yesterday, our music students had the opportunity to learn from two award-winning sound engineers, Jim Anderson and Ul...
10/13/2026

🎶 Yesterday, our music students had the opportunity to learn from two award-winning sound engineers, Jim Anderson and Ulrike Schwarz.

Drawing on both the scientific and artistic aspects of sound engineering, Jim and Ulrike guided students through their recording processes so they could hear individual elements of their recordings. They also answered questions and shared insights from their combined 60+ years of experience in the recording industry.

Jim is a multi-Grammy Award winner, and Ulrike has received multiple European awards for her work. Both are faculty members at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music and co-founders of Anderson Audio New York, a recording studio based in Brooklyn.

A huge thank-you to Jim and Ulrike for visiting the Dana School of Music and sharing their expertise and experiences with our students!

Congratulations to the cast and crew of “Ravenscroft” on a wonderful two-weekend run in YSU's Spotlight Theater!! 👏 From...
10/12/2026

Congratulations to the cast and crew of “Ravenscroft” on a wonderful two-weekend run in YSU's Spotlight Theater!! 👏

From the performances to every detail behind the scenes, so much hard work and creativity went into this production. A huge thank you to our dedicated faculty, students, creative professionals, and supportive community who helped make it all possible. 🎭

But the mystery doesn’t end here… 🔍 Stay tuned for our next production, “Clue: The Musical,” inside YSU’s Ford Theater November 13–15 and 20–22!

10/06/2026

🎭 You’ve seen them on stage – now, hear from the actors themselves! Meet Alex Shina (Inspector Ruffing), Merrill Voytko (Inspector Ruffing), and Chloe Camacho (Mrs. Ravenscroft) as they reflect on their time preparing for the show.

Missed opening weekend? There’s still time to experience “Ravenscroft” by Don Nigro! Join us for one more weekend, October 9–11, in the Spotlight Theater inside YSU’s Bliss Hall.

Showtimes are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are available at the door and at ysu.tix.com!

Bravo to our Concert Band and Wind Ensemble on an incredible concert yesterday at DeYor Powers Auditorium! 👏The Concert...
10/06/2026

Bravo to our Concert Band and Wind Ensemble on an incredible concert yesterday at DeYor Powers Auditorium! 👏

The Concert Band, led by Dr. Kate Ferguson, performed a diverse selection of pieces both as a full ensemble and in smaller groups. The Wind Ensemble, led by Dr. Michael Butler, followed with several moving pieces featuring some of America’s most prominent composers.

A special thank you to alum Derrick Kittle, who joined us to conduct the Wind Ensemble during their performance of “The Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa. Derrick graduated from the Dana School of Music with both his BM and MM in Music Education and is currently a band director at Champion Local Schools. 🐧

Make sure you come support the Wind Ensemble on November1 for their Side-by-Side Honor Band concert, then check out the YSU Wind Ensemble and Concert Band Concert on November 22! 🎶

Our Fall Visit Days are just a few weeks away! ✨ This fall, come experience the arts at YSU and learn about our programs...
09/29/2026

Our Fall Visit Days are just a few weeks away! ✨ This fall, come experience the arts at YSU and learn about our programs, tour our facilities, meet our students and faculty, and discover our vibrant creative community.

🎶 Prospective music and theatre students and their families are invited to our Dana School of Music and University Theatre Open House on October 14, 2026, in Bliss Hall. Register at ysu.edu/MusicOH or ysu.edu/TheatreOH

🎨 Prospective art students and their families are invited to our YSU Art Day on October 21, 2026, in Blis Hall. Register by October 14 at ysu.edu/Art-Day

We hope to see you here on campus soon!! 🐧

Our art students and faculty are hard at work bringing the “Blooming Together” mural to life at Blooming Crazy Flowers a...
09/28/2026

Our art students and faculty are hard at work bringing the “Blooming Together” mural to life at Blooming Crazy Flowers and Gifts in Boardman, Ohio! 🌸🎨

Led by Professor Dragana Crnjak, YSU Interdisciplinary Studio Art students Emily Drees, Leah Franke, and Jason Smalley are painting this colorful mural as part of the Community Engagement Internship Program.

This Thursday from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., join us at Blooming Crazy Flowers and Gifts for YSU Day, a fun evening of community and creativity! Come help us paint the mural and enjoy an evening of art and community. We hope to see you there! 🐧

YSU Office of Community Engagement Sokolov Honors College at Youngstown State

Join Youngstown-native and country music legend Bob DiPiero, a Dana School of Music alum, for the American Made Songwrit...
09/21/2026

Join Youngstown-native and country music legend Bob DiPiero, a Dana School of Music alum, for the American Made Songwriter Series on October 9, 2026!

Featuring J.T. Harding and The Voice’s Blessing Offor, this event celebrates the songwriters behind some of country music’s biggest hits. The songwriters will take turns sharing the stories behind their songs and performing their original pieces live.

Sponsored by COMPASS Family and Community Services and the YSU Cliffe College of Creative Arts, proceeds from the event will support the services and expansion of the Sojourner House Domestic Violence Program operated by COMPASS.

This show is on October 9 at 7:30 p.m. inside YSU’s Bliss Hall in Ford Theater. Tickets are available for sale at ysu.tix.com.

Don’t forget to join us for Bob DiPiero’s FREE songwriting masterclass the night before his performance on October 8 from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. inside YSU’s Ford Theater! Register through the registration link located inside the ysu.tix.com page.

🎶 Meet Joe Spurio, our new Director of the Dana Chorale and Coordinator of Choral Activities at the Dana School of Music...
09/17/2026

🎶 Meet Joe Spurio, our new Director of the Dana Chorale and Coordinator of Choral Activities at the Dana School of Music! ⬇

With a bachelor’s in music education from Westminster College and a master’s in choral conducting from the Dana School of Music, Joe brings extensive experience working with ensembles including the Shenango Valley Chorale and Opera Western Reserve Opera Chorus. He also serves the Director of Music Ministry Director at St. Patrick’s in Hubbard, Ohio, directs at various playhouses in the area, and offers private vocal coaching.

Within his first month at the Dana School of Music, Joe Spurio has enjoyed “getting to know all the students and all of the talents... and just making great music together."

We’re thrilled to have Joe Spurio here at YSU to lead the Dana Chorale and share his knowledge with our students. 🐧

✨ Make sure you come support the Dana Chorale for their first concert of the semester on November 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the St. Columba Cathedral!

Address

547 Wick Avenue
Youngstown, OH
44502

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+13309413625

Website

, , , http:

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when YSU Cliffe College of Creative Arts posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The University

Send a message to YSU Cliffe College of Creative Arts:

Shortcuts

Share

Category