News From The Cultural Center

Norman Kennedy to kick off Think-Off weekend

Scottish balladeer and storyteller to kick off the 2015 Great American Think-Off weekend with a concert at the Cultural Center on Friday, June 12th at 7:30pm Don’t miss the opportunity to hear Norman Kennedy in concert at the Cultural Center on Friday, June 12th at...

2015 Annual Kite Festival, NEW Rocket Launch

The Kite Festival is back at the New York Mills School This annual program sponsored by the Cultural Center has in the past included classes from NYM building and launching various types of kites with help, instruction and supplies from the Cultural Center. This...

2015 Regional Art Show

Submit your work and participate in the annual regional art show at the Center. Everyone is welcome, all media are accepted, and this is a non-juried show. Details below. Wednesday May 27th – Thursday July 2nd, 2015 Open to all artists working in any medium...

2015 Garden Party: Thursday May 14

Join us for our annual live & silent auctions Spring is here to stay...let's celebrate with the annual Cultural Center Garden Party fundraiser! We will have many gardening and other items for your bid at our May 14th event. The Cultural Center’s annual spring...

2015 Think-Off Finalists Announced

The Cultural Center's Great American Think-Off committee is pleased to announce that the four finalists for the 23rd annual debate have been selected to answer this year's question, "Does Technology Free Us or Trap Us?". Arguing that technology traps us will be Paul...

2015 Think-Off Finalists Announced

The four finalists have been chosen for the 23rd annual Great American Think-Off, to answer the question "Does Technology Free Us or Trap Us?" Arguing that technology traps us will be Paul Terry and Marsh Muirhead, while David Eckel and David Lapakko will argue that...

2015 State High School League Arts Festival

Annual student gallery show April 29 - May 6 Each Spring the Cultural Center hosts the annual Minnesota State High School League Arts Festival for Region 6A North. This year the show will be in the gallery April 29 - May 6th. The festival will be on Wednesday, May...

Open House for Jamie Robertson April 23rd

Jamie's Off to New Adventures Please join us on Thursday, April 23rd, 2015 for an Open House honoring Jamie Robertson at the Cultural Center from 4:30-7:00pm, with a short program at 5:45pm. Help us thank Jamie for sharing his creativity and devoted service to the...

Young artists’ shows in April and May

Now through May 22nd see student work in the gallery in three separate but linked shows. The local high school show is in the gallery now through April 25th to be followed by the State High School League show and the local elementary show. High school artists from 5...

Annual Meeting – Tuesday, April 21

Welcome Betsy Roder, the Center's new Executive Director This year's annual meeting (Tuesday, April 21 at 6:00 pm) is particularly noteworthy because Betsy Roder, Arts Retreat Coordinator and Gift Store Manager, will assume her new leadership role as Executive...

Artist-in-Residence Angela Sprunger

A printmaking artist from Minneapolis will be occupying the Arts Retreat house for the first few weeks of April 2015. Angela Sprunger is an artist, educator, and administrator. She creates socially engaged prints and objects to agitate cultural complacency. In the...

Cultural Center Announces Roder as New Executive Director

The Cultural Center, located in New York Mills, MN announces the selection of Betsy Roder as its next executive director. Roder will assume the position on April 22, when current executive director, Jamie Robertson leaves his post of nearly 8 years, to pursue personal...

Next “little big year” event at the Cultural Center

Little Big Year bird count Movie night with snacks, beverages and door prizes on Thursday April 16 at 7:30 p.m. We'll be watching "The Big Year" starring Owen Wilson, Jack Black and Steve Martin. As you can tell by the cast, this is a comedy, but at the same time it...

Amanda Standalone with Dave Virnala and Dorthy Fix Friday April 10

Tickets for the Great Debate

Tickets available now Buy your tickets now to get seats at this year's debate slated to begin at 7:00 pm on Saturday, June 13, 2015. The event will be held at the James Mann Center for the Performing Arts at the New York Mills Schools. Cost for advance tickets...

Visiting Artist March 2015: Dave Mondy

Join us Monday March 23rd at 7:30pm for a Reading & Reception for Dave Inhabiting the retreat house for several weeks in March is Dave Mondy, a Creative Nonfiction Writer from Tucson, AZ. Dave has been lauded for his work in multiple genres: food writing (Best...

Yoga with Mel – Spring 2015

Sculpt and Vinyasa Flow classes on alternating Monday evenings Come to the Cultural Center on Mondays at 6:00pm for Yoga with Mel. On alternating Mondays, Mel will offer an upbeat Yoga Sculpt class and a more gentle Vinyasa Flow class. A description of each follows....

Apply Now! Artist Residency Deadline April 1st

FREE Artist Residency Opportunity! The New York Mills Arts Retreat is currently accepting applications for July – December 2015 artist residencies. The Arts Retreat program offers self-funded 2-6 week solo residencies for selected artists in ALL disciplines. A small...

Art in Your Park Summer 2015

Art in Your Park for Summer 2015 dates will be announced soon! Stay tuned for dates in New York Mills, Perham and Wadena

Spring Folk School Classes

A list of the upcoming and recently completed folk school classes Gardening for pleasure and for health Saturdays, March 7 (Transplants), March 14 (Nutrient deficiencies), and March 28 (herb gardening) at 11 am. (Patrick Kilby of Sugar Creek Woodworking will teach a...

Minnesota Public Radio features Think-Off

MPR features Evan Johnson's documentary about the Think-Off A documentary about the lost art of civil debate. Hundreds of participants from around the country submit essays answering a big philosophical question, and the finalists appear in the "Great American...

2015 Great American Think-Off poster

Click on the poster image to print out a 8.5 x 11 poster of the 2015 Think-Off. Or send a link to your friends via email or on your Facebook page. Share the poster with your philosopher friends and neighbors.

Senior/Gentle Yoga Resumes

Ann Pate returns to the Cultural Center with yoga classes this winter/spring Senior/Gentle Yoga Instructor Ann Pate is a certified yoga instructor. Classes will be held Wednesday mornings from 9 - 10 am beginning March 4th and continuing through May 13th in the...

Beth Wood and David Stoddard Concert

Saturday, March 7th at 7:30 pm David Stoddard and Beth Wood, accomplished singer/songwriters, will appear at the Cultural Center on Saturday, March 7th at 7:30 pm. Call 218-385-3339 for ticket reservation. Advance sale price is $12, or $15 the night of the concert. ...

John Piepkorn, finding the beauty in the abandoned

Wadena native mounts photographic show John was born in Wadena and his exhibit of "the abandoned" will be on display in the Cultural Center main gallery from March 4th through April 11th. A reception, slide show, and presentation by John will be held on Saturday,...

Monroe Crossing Concert February 27

Monroe Crossing bluegrass band Minnesota’s premier bluegrass music ensemble will perform at the Cultural Center in New York Mills at 7:30pm on Friday, February 27th. Tickets are available by calling 218-385-3339. Admission is $12 advance sale and $15 the night of the...

Brew your own pro biotic tea

Making kombucha You can easily make your own kombucha, a pro biotic fermented yeast enzyme tea that is very good for you. Enjoy making this healthful drink and save money too. Monday, February 16 at 6:00 pm Cultural Center gallery Fee: $5 Instructor: Brad...

Cultural Center OPEN Monday Nights!

The Cultural Center is happy to announce we will now be open Monday nights from 5-8 P.M. At this time you could.... join our sit-n-stitch group for some needle arts! ...do some yoga by candlelight with instructor Melissa Lepper. experience Charles Matsons' light...

About our northern climate in 2015

ABOUT OUR CLIMATE: What We See and What You Should Hear Join a conversation with climatologist Erlend M. Knudsen and conservationist Oria Jamar on current news of climate change and its impact on northern areas like ours. This is a 60+ minute gathering which will...

Winter Light Festival February 2, 2015

Winter Light Festival February 2 Shake off the winter blues and come to the Cultural Center for the 2nd annual Winter Light Festival on Monday, February 2, 2015. All the events are free of charge and everyone is welcome to enjoy the activities from 4 pm to 8 pm. 1. ...

Sit-N-Stitch News

Sit-N-Stitch will not meet Monday, February 2nd because the Winter Light Festival will be taking place from 4-8 pm. The group will meet again on Monday, February 9th from 5:30-8:00 pm. And, please note: the Center will now be open every Monday evening from 5:00 -...

Great American Think-Off since 1993

Wondering about what the Think-Off is? The Great American Think-Off is an exhibition of civil disagreement between powerful ideas that connect to your life at the gut level. The Cultural Center, located in the rural farm and manufacturing town of New York Mills,...

Visiting Artist Nadia Alenov

Visiting Visual Artist Nadia Alenov will be staying in the Cultural Center's Retreat House January 25th until February 14th. “I am a freelance artist from St. Paul, Minnesota. I began my career in art as a photographer and expanded to including illustration in my...

Death is the mother of beauty (for Wallace Stevens)

Charles Matson Lume's light installation opens January 15 in the ground floor gallery Artist reception Monday, February 2nd from 4 pm - 6 pm with presentation by the artist at 5:30 pm Minnesota artist Charles Matson Lume spent two weeks in early January this year in...

2015 Great American Think-Off question is here

Does Technology Free Us or Trap Us? Submit your 2015 essay no later than April 1, 2015 Winners will be notified no later than May 1, 2015 The 2015 debate will be held in New York Mills on Saturday, June 13 NEW YORK MILLS, Minn. – The 2015 Great American Think-Off has...

2015 Great American Think-Off question

Does technology free us or trap us? Submit your 2015 essay no later than April 1, 2015 Winners will be notified no later than May 1, 2015 The 2015 debate will be held in New York Mills on Saturday, June 13 NEW YORK MILLS, Minn. – The 2015 Great American...

Stamping Made Simple

Make your own gift tags and unique wrapping paper

Longest Night Music Festival Sunday Dec. 21, 2014

Listen to musicians from around the region at this annual free concert Join us for this free concert as the world turns toward the longer days of spring. A bevy of artists (including Lisa Winter, Fr. Peter Kirchner, John Perry, Dave Virnala, Tyson Cavalier, Todd Voss,...

Holiday concert with Tim Sparks

The Nutcracker Suite - Saturday December 13 Hope you can take time this holiday season to enjoy Tim Sparks' playing of his arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite here at the Center on Saturday, December 13 at 7:30 pm. Admission is $12 by advance...

Community Art Show in December

Opening December 5th in the ground floor gallery Do you have a special painting, photograph, or other work of art in your home that you would like to see on display at the Cultural Center’s ground floor gallery this December? Will you share that work with the...