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Letter from The President
As we celebrate The Cedar’s 20th anniversary, the institution is stronger and more hopeful than it has ever been. This strength is apparent on the stage as well as in our financial performance. A collective effort by our audiences, donors, volunteers, and staff rewarded us a balanced budget for the first time in nearly a decade, and the importance of this can’t be overstated. The Cedar is now positioned to leverage the generosity of our funding partners and individual donors to enrich and extend our mission. Three elements are key to succeeding in The Cedar’s next chapter:
- First, maintain and build our international reputation for excellence in performing arts. Events that serve our unique audiences are our most profound form of outreach and service. Our new sound system and innovative programming are examples of our commitment to both audiences and artists.
- Second, solidify and grow our annual fund. The generosity of individual donors proves that The Cedar is valued by a large number of people. Our annual fund theme, “Made of Cedar” asks for support from everyone who believes The Cedar is essential to the quality of our community.
- Third, strengthen and expand our institutional relationships. We can often do collectively what we cannot do individually. Partnerships with the Minnesota State Arts Board, The Bush Foundation, The McKnight Foundation, Target, and Project Success enable and drive the future of The Cedar.
The Cedar’s legacy of extraordinary performing arts continues. The dedication of our patrons, volunteers, donors, and staff is testimony to the resonance we have in the community. As I enter my second year as Cedar Board President, I am excited by the opportunities of the organization. Given the state of the economy, 2009 is sure to be challenging for The Cedar. But with your support, The Cedar is poised to accelerate into its next 20 years.
– Hugh Pruitt, Cedar Board President
Cedar History and Mission
The Cedar Cultural Center, commonly known as The Cedar, is a non-profit performing arts organization that presents the best in local, national, and international music. The Cedar’s mission is to promote inter-cultural appreciation and understanding through the presentation of global music and dance. The Cedar is committed to artistic excellence and integrity, diversity of programming, support for emerging artists, and community outreach. The Cedar hosts about 150 events per year including music performances in all different genres, dances, workshops, and benefits. The only all-ages venue of its kind in the Midwest, The Cedar was established in 1989 and operates in a building that was constructed as a movie theater in 1948. The hall seats 465 audience members and provides a high quality sound in an intimate concert experience.
Located in the heart of Cedar-Riverside, the most prolific neighborhood for live music in Minneapolis, The Cedar plays a key role in maintaining the vibrancy and diversity of the Twin Cities’ arts scene. The Cedar supports innovative local artists, hosts international artists who may not otherwise visit Minnesota, brings communities together under a common appreciation for music, offers unique educational opportunities, and facilitates collaborations between artists. Columnist Bill Snyder has called The Cedar “the most essential venue in the Twin Cities” and Minnesota Public Radio has said, “The Cedar is regarded as one of the best venues in the country to be able to see and hear an artist as though you were in their living room.”
September of 2008 opened The Cedar’s 20th season. To celebrate this milestone, the organization has launched several new programs and building improvements. Because of strong and sustained community support, The Cedar now has the momentum to become not just an appreciated addition to the Twin Cities arts scene but an unparalleled and indispensable presenter of art and culture.
However, despite recent success and growing support from the community, The Cedar faces a challenging 2009; the current economic climate has caused many foundations to cut their support to the arts, which is a threat not just to The Cedar but to entire arts communities in cities all across the country. Support from our patrons in 2009 – both in the form of ticket purchases and donations – is more crucial than ever to ensure that The Cedar will continue to play an essential role in the Twin Cities arts community.
Two Decades Backstage: Behind the Scenes at The Cedar In honor of our 20th Season, we present Two Decades Backstage: Behind the Scenes at The Cedar, exposing a side of The Cedar that you’ve never before seen.
In 1948, before the establishment of what we now know as “The Cedar Cultural Center,” a movie theater opened on the West Bank. Its location on Cedar Avenue inspired the very creative title “Cedar Theater.” The marquee only hinted at the sordid affairs that occurred on and off screen, and its reputation brought droves of eager, albeit awkward, patrons.
It was later discovered that in addition to showing films of questionable content, the
Cedar Theater also served as a regional meeting place for the Midwestern leg of a secret society during the Cold War. The society’s goal of converting Minnesota’s crops into rocket fuel ultimately failed, but they came up with some fantastic casserole recipes along the way. Cedar lore holds that society members were the first to move chairs aside and indulge in fits of uncontrolled dancing, a tradition that The Cedar continues to inspire in even the most modest Minnesotans.
As Cold War fears subsided and the technological minds of the 1980s concentrated their brainpower elsewhere, the society relocated downriver to try their luck at harnessing the power of the great Mississippi. Without the society shouldering their portion of the building rent, it only took three letters to seal the movie theater’s demise: V-H-S.
In the late 1980s, the theater was reclaimed by a group tired of dancing to Prince at the “Hub of Hell.” These free spirits wanted a safe haven where they could let loose and expand their cultural horizons, man. And so, 20 seasons ago today, The Cedar Cultural
Centre (later, realizing that we aren’t British, changed to “The Cedar Cultural Center”) was born.
Check cedarblog.org for future installments of Two Decades Backstage: Behind the Scenes at The Cedar.
