Young at HArt Center A proposal for reusing the historic

Cathedral on Ash StreetCrookston, Minnesota

CASE STATEMENTprepared by “Artspace,” Minneapolis, Minnesota, with the assistance of

“Prairie Skyline Foundation, Inc, Crookston, MN.November 2011

A Place for Crookston Youthn the historic, renovated neo-Gothic cathedral near downtown Crookston, children will create. Within its walls young artists will translate their perceptions onto canvas with charcoal, watercolors,

and pastels; explore lines, shapes, form and design using a computer graphics design program, and they will perform on the same stage used by professional and local artists.IThe Young at HArt Center (or other suitable name) will be a place for the Crookston area youth to gather, explore a variety of artistic endeavors, and find ways to express and validate their world. Police Chief Tim Motherway stated that “anything that allows our kids to learn and expand on that (learning) will be for the good of the community.” It will provide a means to help the youth of Crookston reach their potential. Meanwhile busloads of kids from school districts all over the area will travel to Crookston enhancing Crookston’s economic growth.

Crookston, like many small rural cities across the nation, is at a pivotal point. Wellsprings of the town’s early growth and prosperity (land, lumber, brickyards, creameries, and railroads) have eroded. We overly depend on agriculture as our economic base, and cultural differences can be appreciated even more than we do now. On the bright side, Crookston is rich in community assets and potential. The scenic Red Lake River, an abiding and vital natural resource, winds its way through town. The University of Minnesota campus fosters higher education and attracts students from around the state and beyond. Arts-related groups and individual artists stimulate the creative capital of the community. And the quantity and availability of historic buildings gives testament to the stories behind Crookston’s strength and ingenuity, upon which Crookston’s residents can write its next chapter.

It is time to build on the town’s wealth of assets to revitalize the downtown and enable it to once again be the social and economic center for the community. Creativity, problem solving, and social interaction skills are the key to our future. And the place to start is by investing in Crookston’s most valuable asset – its children. Gary Stegman, Senior High Fine Arts Instructor says: “We have things going

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on, but it is sporadic.  We fight through budget issues constantly.  We have a lot of support, just not finances.  Our kids constantly perform in the arts at a high level.  We have kids who exhibited at the state level and have won large scholarships to art school.  At contest, we have an excellent reputation with area schools and arts agencies.  There is a pulse, but it could definitely be stronger.”

The youth of Crookston will benefit from a place in which they can explore the arts, challenge their thinking, and find direction and validation. The Cathedral on Ash Street is willing to be that place. The historic three steeples ,the longstanding symbol of Crookston, can bolster the future of downtown Crookston; its children can continue be valued as a vital center for the community.

Crookston is ready. The time is now. And you can help.

An architectural rendering of the stage of the Young at Hart Center

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The Case for Arts Education

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.Knowledge is limited.

Imagination encircles the world.” ~ Albert Einstein

f you think children’s participation in the arts is just a way to distract them from playing video games or scrawling graffiti on town edifices, you are right! Participation in the arts does indeed fill the

empty hours, it boosts self esteem, increases academic performance across disciplines, and provides an outlet for emotions and perceptions. Arts education is a powerful tool for a child’s development and well being.

IBacked by Research The 1999 study Champions of Change: The Impact of the Arts on Learning examined the impact of arts experiences on young people and explored why and how young people were changed through their arts experiences. Findings demonstrate that children ages three to 18, who have high levels of arts participation, outperform "arts-poor" students by virtually every measure. For more on “learning in and through the arts” visit: http://bit.ly/sCizbb.

The study, conducted by The Arts Education Partnership in conjunction with the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, found that learning in the arts helps develop habits that will support other disciplines, and that it can often reach at-risk students when other disciplines cannot. The arts provide authentic learning experiences, which enhance creativity and self-discipline, and build skills and confidence.

The SituationGary Stegman, Crookston’s High School Fine Arts Instructor has this to say of the current arts education status in Crookston: “We have a large gap in the elementary. Only a few elementary teachers teach the

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visual arts on a consistent basis.  Years ago we have had elementary art and a specialist, but that has eroded over the years. Mary LaFrance (currently the junior high art teacher) was the last person to circulate through the elementary and teach art.  I have often thought of doing summer arts camps for this specific purpose, but my calendar is more than full already.  We also used to have a full slate of junior high art which really has been very good.  Presently we only have a half time scope of art in the 7th and 8th grade.” Jenn Steinbrink, local potter, who thinks the idea is “way cool” has this to say about the Community Education summer program in the arts: “It’s a ton of work, and although I loved it, I really cannot do it again as it takes so much time.”

Something for EveryoneAt the heart of the Arts Center will be a group of evolving and comprehensive art stations, at which children of all ages and abilities can explore a variety of “hands-on” visual and performance arts-based activities. Resident artists, UMC interns, and older teens will facilitate the stations where children will sculpt, weave, paint, draw, and design as well as participate in the creation of other visual art forms. The redesigned altar space, which was once a part of a sanctuary known for its acoustic excellence, will serve as a venue for the exploration and accomplishment of performance arts and home to Crookston’s Community Theatre.

Further, the Center’s location next to Crookston’s Central Park, Red Lake River, the Grand Theatre, and the Public Library will help to create symmetry and possibilities for working together with existing programs. A local artist, Irene Bertils said, “I've always thought that the kids need to have something to do in this town. It's a cool idea and a really good idea, and it has a lot of potential to expand.”

Expansion in the future can include the former Methodist Church which can provide a gym, another stage, and studio and classroom spaces. The former Carnegie Library can house the “Northwest Regional Arts Council, responsible for the promotion of the arts in the Northwest Minnesota region. On any night, you can ask where are the kids? And the answer will be, in C-Town, at the Castle, (former Cathedral) the Fortress, (the former Methodist church) or the Park.

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From drawing to sculpting, from play writing to performance, the Crookston Young at HArts Center will be the pivotal heart center for arts education.

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The Case for Exhibition and Performance Space

“When you perform you are out of yourself –larger and more potent, more beautiful.

You are for minutes heroic.” ~ Agnes De Mille

he Crookston area has no dedicated exhibit space for visual arts. Neither does it have a civic auditorium or an outdoor pavilion that can be used for local and visiting performing artists.

Crookston no longer has arts education in the elementary schools. In addition to arts education, the Young at HArts Center will provide space for the creation of performance art – music, theater, and dance – and exhibit space for visual arts.

TA Place to ExhibitThe northwest region of Minnesota is bursting with artistic talent, with more than 100 identified active visual artists. The Young at HArt Center will include two art galleries: the Children’s Gallery, which will showcase the work created by the children who visit the Center, and a Northwest Minnesota Artists Gallery, which will showcase the work of resident artists as well as other area artists.

A Place to PerformThe former altar area of the Cathedral will be transformed into a stage for plays, dance, theater, and musical performances – for youth, adult community organizations, and professional performers. The former sanctuary space and three balconies, which used to accommodate 1,000, will be reconfigured to seat 250 people in comfortable chairs with excellent sightlines and acoustics.

The performance and exhibit spaces of the Young at HArt Center can be a central place for the entire Crookston community to gather, even as it generates revenue for the Center’s larger youth arts mission. It

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will be a place where neighbors can connect with each other while experiencing the power of artistic expression.

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The Case for Historic Preservation

“The first rule of intelligent tinkering is to save all the parts.~ Paul Ehrlich

n 2012, the three towering spires of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (now called the former cathedral on Ash Street) have been a part of Crookston’s skyline for 100 years. At

times, a central gathering place for the community, the cathedral has stood, largely unchanged, as Crookston evolved and reinvented itself.

IIn recognition of its unique architectural style and historical significance, the cathedral was awarded a place on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. In addition to its gothic beauty, renowned acoustics, and three balconies, it is the one of the most magnificent of the three neo-Gothic churches with three towers that are unique to Northern Minnesota.

To Preserve and RepurposeVacant since 1990, the 1912 cathedral is experiencing the usual effects of vacancy, including deterioration of its flat roofs and windows. However, the building is structurally sound and the Prairie Skyline Foundation has been working to stop further damage. In 2006 the Foundation replaced the hip shingles on the steeples using grant funds from the Minnesota Historical Society.

Much as the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Duluth (which was designed by the same architect) has been converted to arts use as a music center, the Cathedral on Ash Street can be preserved and repurposed as a vibrant arts facility. And because the building is on the National Register of Historic Places, Historic Preservation Tax Credits will be available to help pay for its renovation.

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The time is ripe to revive the grand structure and repurpose it so it can anchor and serve the Crookston community through its youth and the arts.

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The Case for Crookston’s Economy

“The arts are the best insurance policy a city can take on itself.”~Woody Dumas, former Mayor of Baton Rouge

he Young at HArts Center will benefit Crookston in several ways. It will draw vacationing families who are looking for activities for their children. Busloads of children and parents from other

school districts will come to town. It will bring customers to downtown restaurants, and stores. It will engage and support the development of local youth. It will increase tourism by drawing audiences to our local performances. And it will help define Crookston as an artistic and progressive community.

TCatalysts for Economic GrowthAuthor and economist Ann Markusen wrote in the 2006 study: Artist’s Centers: Evolution and Impact on Careers, Neighborhoods and Economies. “Artist centers make important contributions to regional economies and to the social, cultural, and commercial lives of their neighbors.” Arts-centered facilities are acting as catalysts for economic growth and community development across the country.

Studies repeatedly show the economic benefit arts organizations have on communities, including rural communities. According to a 2001 report by the National Governor’s Association Center for Best Practices (2001), “If states intend to build their economies on the jobs of the future and improve rural communities they must cultivate a creative workforce and attract arts and culture-based businesses.”

It has been proven that top business executives will choose the community that has the most amenities for their kids and is within driving distance to cultural centers like Grand Forks and Fargo.

Crookston has the ability to develop young people’s potential through the arts, and support artists by establishing an youth arts center next to downtown. Together, we can support our kids, bolster our economy and enliven the downtown.

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Good questions, good answers

Why this project? It’s been proven time and time again that arts organizations transform communities in multiple ways. By restoring and repurposing the Cathedral on Ash Street into the Young at HArt Center, we will be saving a part of Crookston’s arts-rich history while creating a new venue for artistic expression and economic development. By reusing the Cathedral as an arts facility we all benefit. The children of Crookston benefit. The artists of Crookston benefit. The people of Crookston benefit. And a beautiful, welcoming symbol of Crookston will be here for future generations.

Why now? Deterioration of the Cathedral and the decay of the downtown needs to be addressed before further damage is done. The time is now to address the needs of our children, as general boredom, use of recreational drugs, bullying, and overstimuation by technology need to be reduced. Improvement is needed in teen’s social skills and the ongoing struggle to integrate a diverse community needs to be faced.

Crookston is at a crossroads shared by many rural communities in the Midwest. Rural communities are seeking ways to broaden economic bases that have been and are heavily dependent on agriculture. Rich in resources and community assets, Crookston has the ability to successfully address those concerns. By using the historically significant Cathedral on Ash Street to house the Young at HArt Center, we can achieve our combined goals of arts education, economic development, and youth development within a “jewel on the prairie space.”

The former cathedral - the “Castle,” can be the start of increased creativity, problem solving skills, and sense of community in Crookston.

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Why me? Transforming Crookston into a beacon for children, the arts, and new businesses is not an easy, quick fix, it will take all of us working together. Take the time with your friends and family to come to understand that this project can be something truly extraordinary. We will a need a fresh, new youth arts organization that will take all of us working together to accomplish these goals. A great example is the Detroit Lakes Boys and Girls Club Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/u1cUEz. People of energy and spirit and everyday heroes are needed to invest in this new and exciting community project. Representatives from Crookston community organizations are needed to contribute to this project by forming an advisory group. To form the Youth Arts Center advisory group, come to one of the upcoming Crookston Stewardship planning meetings. The first is planned for the evenings of November 15th and 16th, 2011. Watch the media for the times and location or email khegge@gmail.com to volunteer. For updates on the project, please follow the blog: www.ourcrookston.blogspot.com.

Flip the page for the financial projections if you believe that “Anything the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

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Year-Round Arts Center Summer Arts Center SavingsGeneral Conditions $47,000 General Conditions $36,000 $11,000 Demolition $29,736 Demolition $29,736 Masonry Restoration $101,383 Masonry Restoration $101,383 Wood $38,682 Wood $38,682 Insulation, Roofing, Flashing, etc. $56,148 Insulation, Roofing, Flashing, etc. $56,148 Windows and Doors $120,833 Windows and Doors $118,833 $2,000 Painting and Finishes $166,628 Painting and Finishes $116,628 $50,000 Accessories $4,840 Equipment $160,000 Equipment $160,000 Mechanical & Plumbing $74,685 Plumbing $5,000 $69,685 Electrical $63,680 Electrical $50,000 $13,680

Pre-design Construction Contin-gency $122,500

Pre-design Construction Contin-gency $109,500 $13,000

Total Construction Costs $986,115 Total Construction Costs $871,910 $114,205

Professional Fees $118,000 Professional Fees $100,000 $18,000 Total Project Costs $1,104,115 Total Project Costs $971,910 $132,205

Funding Plan  Small Grants $157,000 Brownfields Clean up Grant $200,000 Donations/Corporate Gifts $247,115 "Legacy" grant $500,000   $1,104,115

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