A New Home for Perham Center for the Arts

By Missy Hermes

When the Bishop of St. Cloud said the final Mass at “St. Stan’s,” residents worried what would become of the beautiful brick and bronze-steepled building. Pioneers tracing their heritage back to Poland had sacrificed to construct this beautiful place of worship.

Fortunately this historic center of faith has now emerged as the Perham Center for the Arts. With gorgeous stained glass windows and other architectural elements, the church which once hosted choirs on Sundays now hosts concerts, Taekwondo and Just for Kix dance classes.

With its ornate patina-enhanced belfry rising high above a residential neighborhood, the center is encircled by tall pine trees. The lush manicured lawn is the perfect setting for the annual outdoor summer concert series. Folks have plenty of room to spread out blankets or set up lawn chairs.

Inside, the Center for the Arts hosts a variety of creative endeavors. Book signings by local authors, art classes and dramatic performances are just some of the events taking place. Executive Director Michelle Kunza envisions so much more, including weddings and parties, now that a
capital campaign has wrapped up.

She has family connections to the church and is thrilled that the building can now reach its potential. Community organizers raised close to $1 million to make the building accessible with an elevator, accessible bathrooms and reconfigured stairs.

Philanthropic business leaders, “saw the history and beauty behind it.” They had faith that area residents would recognize the importance of preserving the church while also giving the arts community a showcase. In 2013, the Perham Center for the Arts received non-profit status
under the supervision of co-founder Fran Johnson.

Local fundraising efforts headed up by Dennis Happel and others helped secure a resurrection of sorts for the circa 1922 church. The vibrant Perham cultural community now has a permanent home.