Cultural Center Celebrates 30 Years on Main Avenue in New York Mills
New Exhibit Now @ Cultural Center Gallery
NEW YORK MILLS, MN, Nov 11, 2022—The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center is excited to invite the public to join us in celebrating 30 Years on Main Avenue in New York Mills! A new original exhibit, A Look Back: NYMRCC Celebrates 30 Years on Main Avenue, is open to the public in the Cultural Center Gallery now through Saturday, December 3rd, 2022. A reception will be held on Saturday, November 19 from 4-6 p.m.
The exhibit is packed with glimpses into the Center’s history, including original floor plans, news articles, posters, the work of past visiting artists, including the art of the very first artist-in-residence who came to New York Mills, and more.
The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center is located at 24 Main Ave N in downtown New York Mills. The building was built in 1885 as a General Store, and later housed Karvonen Furniture for many years, before becoming the Cultural Center in 1992.
In 1990, the New York Mills Arts Retreat was founded by John Davis as an artist residency program on an old farm outside of town. The original plan was for artists to stay in the renovated barn. Davis, an MCAD graduate who left the Twin Cities seeking a life in the arts in rural America, was a visionary who painted houses and ended up getting to know the locals when they invited him in for lunch or supper when the painting was done. Davis discovered that many local citizens were interested in the arts, and his vision grew from the original residency program to a multidisciplinary art center located in downtown New York Mills. When Davis heard the “old Karvonen building” might be torn down after the furniture business moved to Perham, he approached the Karvonen family, who donated the building, and city officials, who decided that instead of spending the money for razing the building, it would be invested in remodeling and rebuilding as an art center. With a dedicated team of volunteers and backers, in 1992, the building opened its doors to the public.
The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center has been woven into the fabric of the community ever since, providing high quality arts opportunities that are normally only found in much larger cities. These days, more than 180 events take place at the Center each year, with more than 6,500 visitors enjoying Cultural Center programs annually. These include music of diverse genres and origins, local, regional, national and international visual artists, workshops, theater performances, authors, the nationally-renowned Great American Think-Off, community festivals and events, a sculpture park, gift shop, artists in classrooms & community, and the artist residency program that was the beginnings of the Cultural Center and has remained active for more than 32 years.
In 2011, President Obama brought national attention to New York Mills in his appropriations request for the new “Our Town” program of the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts). He said, “In communities across the Nation, investments in the arts have made a profound impact. You don’t have to take our word for it – just look at the facts. New York Mills, Minnesota is a rural community with a population of less than 1,000. In 1991, the City of New York Mills invested $35,000 to renovate a downtown building into an arts and cultural center in order to reverse a trend of economic decline. Within five years after this investment, 17 new businesses opened in town creating 210 new jobs – representing a 40% increase in the number of jobs in this community.”
The Center continues to be a leader in arts and cultural programming in rural Minnesota to this day.
The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center invites everyone to join the celebration on Saturday, November 19th from 4-6 p.m. at a reception honoring founder John Davis and all the early supporters and volunteers whose hard work and dedication resulted in that grand opening back in 1992. Attendees can share stories, view memorabilia from the past 30 years, and help us look ahead and dream about the future of arts and culture in rural MN. Refreshments and bar available. Free to attend and open to all!
The Cultural Center Gallery is always free to see and open to the public. Gallery Hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays 10am-7pm, Fridays 10am-5pm and Saturdays 10am-3pm. Private viewings can be arranged anytime by calling Cheryl Bannes at 218-385-3339 or emailing [email protected].
These activities are made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through an operating support grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Visit kulcher.org or call the Cultural Center at 218-385-3339 with any questions.
About the Cultural Center
The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center is a rural hub for creativity, community vitality, and lifelong learning in the arts. The Center offers visitors intimate opportunities to encounter art and artists in its 80-seat concert listening room, visual art gallery in a historic building, gift shop featuring local artists, artist residency program, sculpture park, and a variety of opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. Since its incorporation in 1990, the Cultural Center has been passionate about connecting people to artists and rich cultural experiences in rural Minnesota, celebrating the local and being a window to the world. For more information, call 218-385-3339, or visit www.kulcher.org.
