III.3. Hopkins Center for the Arts Update; Anderson
CITY OF HOPKINS
Memorandum
To: Honorable Mayor and Council Members
Mike Mornson, City Manager
From: Lynn Anderson, Hopkins Activity Center & Arts Center Director
Date: January 21, 2025
Subject: Hopkins Center for the Arts Update
_____________________________________________________________________
PURPOSE
Receive an annual update on the Hopkins Center for the Arts and anchor tenant Stages
Theatre Company.
INFORMATION
For over 25 years, the Hopkins Center of the Arts has built community through the arts
by fostering creative expression and providing artistic and educational opportunities for
people of all ages. It is an important focal point for community activity, pride and
involvement. The Center truly is an arts-based community gathering place and over the
course of a year welcomes over a quarter million visitors.
THE ARTS CENTER
2024 at the Hopkins Center for the Arts was a great success! Ongoing programming
was well attended, new initiatives are off to a great start and the Center is in sound
financial position.
The Center presented 17 concerts in 2024, including mainstage concerts, After Dark
concerts in the JC Studio, and The Sunset Series (free summer concerts on Thursdays
in Downtown Park from mid-June to Mid-August). Kelly Blau, Concert Coordinator, and
the Center team are committed to bringing diverse talent to the stage, and galleries. In
2024, nearly half of the concerts represented BIPOC communities and highlighted a
broad array of music genres, including contemporary Native American rock, Modern
Ethiopian, Latin/Dance, and Afropop. Mainstage concerts averaged 500 tickets sold per
performance.
Hopkins Center For the Arts
Two and one-half years ago, the Center took on managing our box office services,
having previously contracted through Stages Theatre Company. This transition is a
valuable tool for building membership, cross marketing to patrons who may attend a
concert but are not aware of other arts center offerings. Prior to the concert, ticket
holders receive an email reminding them of the concert, important details and an
invitation to arrive early to enjoy art exhibitions, and social time. Due to this, there has
been an increased interest in pre-concert viewing.
Open seven days most weeks, Hopkins Center for the Arts is accessible for more hours
than most art centers throughout the metro area. Community members and visitors from
across the state and beyond can enjoy a myriad of free art exhibitions that represent
works by artists from Minnesota, throughout the United States and Canada, and in the
case of Arts North International as far away as Bangladesh and Japan.
Art Exhibitions are selected through a competitive proposal review process. In 2024,
45 proposals were received for approximately 14 available slots. The Arts Center
presented 21 exhibitions in the three main galleries including annual shows like Arts
North International, Member exhibitions, Reveal – the Community Education students
and instructors exhibit, and Hopkins Schools Youth Art Month Exhibit (every other year).
Recent art exhibitions and concerts showcased traditionally under-represented artists
and/or genres, including: the Twin Cities Iranian Culture Collective exhibition, the
largest collection of work by contemporary Iranian -Americans in Minnesota; multiple
exhibitions highlighting cognitive, physical, or invisible disabilities by artists such as
Loretta Bebeau, Gail Wallinga, and members of Open Circle Adult Day Center; Interfaith
Artist Circle presented art reflecting on spiritual themes including prayer, the soul,
mysticism, creation, and mortality from different culture perspectives. In addition, works
by 23 Member Artists were showcased through our Member Spotlight program at the
Arts Center, and various other locations including Cream & Amber, Hopkins Activity
Center, and most recently The Hopkins Depot.
Artist Talks are coordinated to enhance most exhibitions, free to those who wish to
attend and videotaped for viewing on the website and YouTube channel. Artist Talks
present educational opportunities in a multitude of ways – through the presentation
experience by the artist, and to the audience - allowing better understanding of art, the
artists’ work and creative processes. Hundreds of people watch these videos each year.
The videos are also shared with the exhibiting artists so that they may be used for their
own marketing purposes.
ArtStreet – public art sculpture program that changes annually based on submission
review. This year there are eight sculptures on view including a new location next to
Ovation. The sculptures will be on display through May 2025.
Studio West Art Tour, a juried arts tour held in September. The second year included
twelve host locations showcasing works for sale by 33 artists including jewelry,
ceramics, paintings sculpture and wearable art. Mark your calendar for September 13
and 14, 2025.
MN State Arts Board Grant: We received a grant of $89,127 for the 2024/2025
programming season, a 16% increase from the previous year. Jim Clark, Visual Arts
Manager, does a great job telling the Center’s story for grant applications , and the
improved financial status has played an important role in increased support. We are
grateful for the increases we have seen in comparison to past awards: 2020: $33,146,
2019: $37,301, 2018: $29,404.
Friends of Hopkins Center for the Arts: The non-profit partner of the Center. Each
year, The Friends contribute a percentage of funds raised through membership,
exhibition programs, and fundraising to the Center. In 2023, the Friends donated an
additional $40,000 to help eliminate the deficit.
Memberships are at an all-time high. The Friends continue to educate patrons about
Membership and the importance of support. In addition to expanded email and social
media engagement, Friends’ Board Members are at concerts, exhibitions and other
events to answer questions and promote membership and support. They have also
added a pre-concert video to engage audience members highlighting upcoming events
and the importance of support. Partnering with the Activity Center, they also introduced
a Dual membership that seems to be growing in popularity.
Facility rental income has rebounded from Covid times, and the Center continues to
receive many inquiries. Roxie Wolfe, Rental and Event Manager, does an incredible job
of navigating all the details involved. In addition to the Center – Roxie also handles all
rental inquiries for Downtown Park and now The Depot!
Jim Clark and I meet with Community Development throughout the year to discuss
Hopkins’ public art programs. In addition to his role at the Center, Jim Clark is also an
integral part of the Mainstreet banner program, mural program, and LRT creative
placemaking strategies.
We have partnered with a new photo group called The Ongoing Moment. This group
meets monthly to discuss photographers, peer work, and we look forward to building
this partnership as an added benefit to members.
Finally, staff is excited to share that the Center exceeded the 2024 Budget forecast and
has eliminated the long-standing deficit. Thank you to all for the support of the Arts
Center.
HCA patron and artist feedback from surveys, reviews and interviews:
• “This organization has us so proud & grateful to live in Hopkins! Thank you”
• “My first experience was the Lanois concert. We loved the galleries and viewing
all the artwork. We will certainly be back!”
• “I was amazed that Hopkins could bring in a world class talent like Daniel
Lanois.”
• “It is a real service to present the Art Talks Series. [I’ve] learned so much about
current, modern, and local artists and their processes.”
• “Visiting the HCA galleries is always so inspirational. I look for [an art center] like
this everywhere we move or visit and there aren’t any that do it as well as you
all.”
• “We’ve had nothing but positive feedback about the event and the location.
Thanks so much for all your efforts. It was a pleasure working with you all.”
FUTURE ACTION
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