Local News

Walls that support history

The Grand launches 1876 fund and unveils new donor wall

NEW ULM -- As The Grand Center for Arts & Culture approaches 150 years in its enduring location on Minnesota Street, the organization is taking a proactive step to ensure it lasts for the next century and a half. 

At its recent End of Summer Member Appreciation Party, the organization gathered members, artists, and supporters to unveil two major initiatives: the official launch of the 1876 Fund and a brand-new donor wall featuring updated plaques recognizing its vital supporters.

The 1876 Fund is a dedicated preservation fund created in the organization’s milestone 150th year to protect and maintain The Grand’s historic building so that arts and culture can continue to thrive in New Ulm for the next 150 years. 

Guided by the resonant theme, “Walls That Hold History. Doors That Open Futures,” the fund directly addresses the pressing infrastructural realities of managing a historic landmark.

“The 1876 Fund is something that the board has been working on all summer long to be able to launch,” said board member Nicole LaGrow. 

The fund was developed by a small executive committee within the board, known as the 1876 Endowment Fund Committee, which has worked to plan for the long-term future of the facility.

According to LaGrow, the fund is designed for “proactive preservation” rather than emergency repairs. 

“The building is the biggest risk in the next 20 years. Finding contractors and funding for building repairs shows the need for a dedicated fund to secure the roof and other systems,” LaGrow said. “Taking care of a historic building takes a lot of effort and a lot of resources, so we want to make sure that we can have this not only now in the moment, but in the long term.”

The 1876 fund is specific to maintaining the physical space, covering upkeep, refurbishments, contingency funds, and major structural repairs. 

This explicit separation of the 1876 Endowment Fund allows regular grants and annual fundraising efforts to be used directly for community programming.

“We want to make sure that when we are seeking these grants and funding, we’re able to use it for programs, we’re able to use it to offer arts to the youth in our community, we’re able to use it for the press, we’re able to use it for the music that we offer in the cabaret,” LaGrow said.

Board Chair Dan Hoisington echoed this perspective, emphasizing the financial wisdom of foresight. 

“Proactive preservation is less expensive than emergency repair and allows the organization to plan for the roof, the masonry, the windows and the unexpected,” Hoisington said. He added that the building possesses strong structural integrity, stating, “The building has good bones. This is about preserving the Grand building. A historic building takes a lot of resources to maintain.”

Housed at 210 N. Minnesota Street, The Grand features the 4 Pillars Gallery, a gift shop, an arts education area, the Cellar Press letterpress and printmaking studio, and The Grand Kabaret live performance space. 

Having witnessed numerous businesses come and go along Minnesota Street over the years, The Grand space now stands as the longest-enduring use of its building in recent local history.

Founder and board member Anne Makepeace highlighted the irreplaceable connection between the physical space and the broader arts community. 

“Without this building, there is no gallery, no live music, no youth art camps, no Cellar Press residencies, no artist studios,” Makepeace said. “The building is not just where art happens. It is the reason so much art can happen in New Ulm.”

Since 2010, The Grand Center for Arts & Culture has presented 1,200 live music events, 170 art gallery exhibits, and welcomed more than 1,000 youth art program participants. These offerings have successfully attracted tourists and local residents alike to downtown New Ulm to eat, drink, shop, and experience diverse cultural offerings.

The impact of these programs extends deeply into families throughout the region. 

One parent of a Creativity Camps participant shared how incredible it has been as a parent to watch the excitement every evening and to see what their child worked so hard on. 

The parent said their child has been diagnosed with ADHD and that it is rare for him to have hands-on programming in a way that works so well for his needs. 

The parent expressed deep gratitude, saying the family is thankful for the program and appreciates the hard work put into running it.

Looking toward the future, The Grand recently listed specific building needs for the next 10 years, including $80,000 to $100,000 for tuckpointing and masonry work, along with $50,000 to $75,000 for brick facade restorations, in addition to other vital upkeep projects.

Hoisington, who has served on the board for 17 years and authored the National Register nomination for the New Ulm Commercial Historic District, connected the building’s physical presence on Minnesota Street to the rich historical fabric of the region. 

Hoisington lives just north of St. Paul but has been deeply involved in New Ulm for 30 years through Turner Hall and historic preservation initiatives.

“For me, this building on Minnesota Street represents the women who opened up their millinery shop a hundred years ago. Not in this spot, but on Minnesota Street. People who had law offices walked up the stairs,” Hoisington said. “This whole Minnesota Street is central to being a town, and that’s what it represents.”

Hoisington explained that Minnesota Street includes many historical businesses, such as meat markets, groceries, saloons, and family-owned establishments like Veigel’s Kaiserhoff at 221 North Minnesota that have anchored the street for decades. He also said the street’s history goes deeper and includes the legacy of the Dakota War.

“During the Dakota War, the uprising, after that, the dead were buried out on the street in front of the Grand. They were wrapped in shrouds and dug in shallow graves. They were later moved out to the cemetery, but the initial burial spots were right on the street,” Hoisington said. “It represents the people who were here.”

Hoisington said downtown New Ulm was built and rebuilt by generations of immigrants, merchants, and families who transformed it into a vibrant center of commerce and community, leaving layers of history behind.

“I first came to town thinking about preservation, and it’s like unless you make the buildings interesting and the history interesting, what do you have?” Hoisington said.

Board member Anne Makepeace said this past season has marked a period of remarkable growth for The Grand, encompassing its framing and matting studio built specifically for local artists, its gallery shop, monthly gallery exhibitions, Artscape, and various community events, alongside printmaking, bookbinding, and live original music on Friday nights in the Kabaret.

The End of Summer party also featured the official unveiling of a new donor wall featuring updated plaques honoring recent contributors and long-time supporters. 

Makepeace said the wall serves as a visible thank you to the community whose continuous support has made the organization’s endurance possible.

With the launch of the 1876 Fund, the primary focus is now on ensuring that this vital space remains open and active for the next generation of artists and audiences. 

The Grand’s mission is to enrich community life through arts and cultural education, offer memorable experiences, and support local artists. 

That mission depends entirely on a stable home, allowing the board to operate proactively rather than reactively so program dollars can remain focused squarely on people.

As the organization’s 1876 Fund promotional flyer states: “Protect the foundation everything stands on. Give today at thegrandnewulm.org.”

More information on the 1876 Endowment Fund and how to contribute can be obtained by contacting The Grand Center for Arts & Culture at 507-359-9222 or by stopping by the Grand Center for Arts & Culture located at 210 N. Minnesota Street, New Ulm, MN 56073. 

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