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PRESS RELEASE:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT TYLER OLSEN-HIGHNESS
Tyler@victoriatheater.org
$2 Million Grant from Mellon Foundation takes Victoria Theater to final phase of Capital Campaign
Doors to Open in August for new home for performance, exhibitions and classes.
Victoria Theater Arts Center (VTAC) announced a recent $2 million grant from the Mellon Family Foundation, adding to hundreds of individual donations, government funding from local, state, and federal funds, and local and national foundations, bringing the campaign to over $7M for the project.
“We’re all about building community power in the Frogtown and Rondo neighborhoods in Saint Paul,” says VTAC’s Executive Director Tyler Olsen-Highness. “The arts are a critical piece of any community’s health. They provide space for celebration of our rich cultures, healing of our collective trauma, and a chance for us to connect with each other and work towards our collective liberation. One last push this spring will take us over the top of our goal. With the community’s generous help, we will open in August with our campaign fully funded.”
In 2009, the community joined together to save the historic building at 825 University Avenue from being turned into a parking lot. This work was largely championed by the Frogtown Neighborhood Association (FNA), which saw this historical building (originally built in 1915 as a silent movie theater) as a cherished community asset. Through FNA’s commitment and stewardship, the building was saved from demolition, and started on its path towards revitalization.
Now VTAC has grown on a clear path to opening; thousands of people have volunteered their time and effort through political advocacy to protect the building through local historic designation and to secure state bonding support for its renovation as well as community design sessions. A dedicated board of directors have stewarded the process.
Located on the border of Frogtown and Rondo in Saint Paul, the new building will highlight its historic elements, such as its stencils and decorative woodwork, hand painted murals, and its quirky exterior. It will also feature new spaces designed by internationally renowned VJA Architects: performance space, community meeting space, and technical support spaces will allow the building to embrace the diversity of its neighborhoods.
Even without a physical space, VTAC has a very active portfolio of programs and projects in the community, setting the stage for success once the building opens. These include arts festivals like SPEAK OUT AND LEAD, its youth arts festival, and the annual Frogtown Arts Festival, which will serve as the grand opening of the building. Dozens of yearly community events include rap battles and double dutch contests are masterminded by Mercedes Yarbrough, its Community Engagement Director.
This final campaign will fund furniture, equipment and technology, and will jumpstart programs once the building opens. Programs will include public art projects, intergenerational collaborations in VTAC’s MINECRAFT server, original theater productions, and community classes.
CONTACT TYLER OLSEN-HIGHNESS
Tyler@victoriatheater.org
$2 Million Grant from Mellon Foundation takes Victoria Theater to final phase of Capital Campaign
Doors to Open in August for new home for performance, exhibitions and classes.
Victoria Theater Arts Center (VTAC) announced a recent $2 million grant from the Mellon Family Foundation, adding to hundreds of individual donations, government funding from local, state, and federal funds, and local and national foundations, bringing the campaign to over $7M for the project.
“We’re all about building community power in the Frogtown and Rondo neighborhoods in Saint Paul,” says VTAC’s Executive Director Tyler Olsen-Highness. “The arts are a critical piece of any community’s health. They provide space for celebration of our rich cultures, healing of our collective trauma, and a chance for us to connect with each other and work towards our collective liberation. One last push this spring will take us over the top of our goal. With the community’s generous help, we will open in August with our campaign fully funded.”
In 2009, the community joined together to save the historic building at 825 University Avenue from being turned into a parking lot. This work was largely championed by the Frogtown Neighborhood Association (FNA), which saw this historical building (originally built in 1915 as a silent movie theater) as a cherished community asset. Through FNA’s commitment and stewardship, the building was saved from demolition, and started on its path towards revitalization.
Now VTAC has grown on a clear path to opening; thousands of people have volunteered their time and effort through political advocacy to protect the building through local historic designation and to secure state bonding support for its renovation as well as community design sessions. A dedicated board of directors have stewarded the process.
Located on the border of Frogtown and Rondo in Saint Paul, the new building will highlight its historic elements, such as its stencils and decorative woodwork, hand painted murals, and its quirky exterior. It will also feature new spaces designed by internationally renowned VJA Architects: performance space, community meeting space, and technical support spaces will allow the building to embrace the diversity of its neighborhoods.
Even without a physical space, VTAC has a very active portfolio of programs and projects in the community, setting the stage for success once the building opens. These include arts festivals like SPEAK OUT AND LEAD, its youth arts festival, and the annual Frogtown Arts Festival, which will serve as the grand opening of the building. Dozens of yearly community events include rap battles and double dutch contests are masterminded by Mercedes Yarbrough, its Community Engagement Director.
This final campaign will fund furniture, equipment and technology, and will jumpstart programs once the building opens. Programs will include public art projects, intergenerational collaborations in VTAC’s MINECRAFT server, original theater productions, and community classes.