Phipps Center for the Arts

Who We Are

Our Mission

The Phipps Center for the Arts, propelled by our community-based arts councils, serves as a welcoming and open home for the St. Croix River Valley region and beyond to empower and cultivate lifelong artistic expression, participation, and appreciation.

Statement of Inclusion

The Phipps Center for the Arts embraces equity, diversity, and inclusion as core beliefs and values. We strive to create and foster an environment of respect, where everyone’s creative spirit is supported and celebrated, no matter their race, ethnicity, creed, color, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, socio-economic status, religion, age, gender, or gender identity.

We, at the Phipps, will endeavor to maintain an equitable, diverse, inclusive, and accessible organization by actively addressing barriers, exclusions, and biases. We will honor differences to make the Phipps a place in which each unique person can collaborate, create, and celebrate with others.

Our Story

For more than four decades, the Phipps Center for the Arts been a place to explore, host, and celebrate the arts. We are a destination for visual art, theater, song, and dance in the St. Croix Valley of western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota.

  • A Tradition of Artistry

    The Phipps Center for the Arts opened in 1983 with a theater and classroom space, due in large part to the generosity of the William H. Phipps Foundation in tandem with community support. In 1992, we doubled in size with the addition of galleries, a black box theater, a larger scene shop, and music and dance studios.

  • Community Guided Programming

    The center’s programming is guided by six councils: Drama, Children’s Theatre, Music, Visual Arts, Dance, and Volunteer. In addition to having representation on the Phipps board of directors, these councils help select programming, work on stage and backstage, build sets, help jury art for the galleries, usher at performances, and so much more.

  • Partnering with the Community

    Our community art programs have been enlivened through rich partnerships with local organizations over the years. In 2003, the Phipps collaborated with Hudson Hospital to create the Healing Arts program, which has since become Enriching Arts, providing rotating art to local senior living communities in the St. Croix Valley.

Leadership & Staff

Our artistic efforts are bolstered by the leadership and active involvement of our board and dedicated staff.

Staff

Ben Thietje - Executive Director
Gail O'Connor - Business Director
Lee Ann Pomplas - Arts Engagement Director
Mark Koski - Production Director
Russell Jensen - Facilities Manager
Kassi Kulow - Scene Shop Manager
Katie Cherro - Production Stage Manager
Bridget Lentz - Costume Shop Manager
Kristin Prideaux - Team Assistant
Tom Dahle - Sound Engineer

Board of Directors

Paul McGinnis, M.D. - President
Andrea Voelker - Vice President
Mark Schaeffer - Secretary
Tom Van Pelt - Treasurer
Gloria Adrian
Mike Brown
Tom Dahle
Kendra Dare
Ellen Denzer MacSwain
Tracy Habisch-Ahlin
Michael Huber
Gary Jader
Dawn Lewandowski
Greta Lewis
Heidi Tansom