Summary
Organization name
Penumbra
Tax id (EIN)
41-1563764
Categories
Arts & Culture , Education , Community
BIPOC Serving
BIPOC Serving
BIPOC Led
BIPOC Led
LGBTQ+ Serving
LGBTQ+ Serving
Address
270 North Kent StSt Paul, MN 55102
Penumbra
A nonprofit organization
$30,578 raised by 197 donors
87% complete
$35,000 Goal
About
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Mission & Vision
Penumbra honors the emotional, physical, and spiritual power of Black cultural expression to advance racial healing.
We offer powerful art for creative inspiration and spiritual nourishment; knowledge and skills to counteract racist behaviors and policies; wellness opportunities to detoxify from the stress of racism; and avenues to engage in community building and civic engagement.
History & Legacy
Founded in 1976, by celebrated scholar Lou Bellamy, Penumbra has contributed significantly to the diversification of American theatre, to the leadership development of young activist artists, and to the employment and skill-building of thousands of Black professionals. For generations, we’ve invested our resources to ensure that Black people can create meaningful work, cultivate their craft, practice leadership, and support their families.
Penumbra garners national acclaim with a remarkable portfolio of nearly 200 plays and over 30 premieres, serving 30,000 patrons and 5,000 youth annually.
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The artists who have called Penumbra home are groundbreaking change-makers who bind our community together through their leadership and fellowship. They include: Award winning actor Roger Guenveur Smith
Obie-winners Laurie Carlos and Marion McClinton
US Poet Laureate Rita Dove
Pulitzer Prize-winner August Wilson
Academy-award nominee Jevetta Steel
“Empire” star James T. Alfred
McKnight Distinguished Artist Seitu Ken Jones
McKnight Distinguished Artist Faye Price
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Center for Racial Healing
Building upon our 48-year history, we have expanded our mission and impact to become a center for racial healing: a performing arts venue, wellness retreat, and learning space developing new work for social change.
| Penumbra is a statewide resource and national beacon for individuals and organizations seeking racial healing. We define racial healing as a restorative process for individuals to bravely and lovingly contend with the severities of racialized experiences in America. |
Programs & Services
We are creating spaces — on stage, in classrooms, and on our yoga mats, where we can bring what’s inside out, to be gently regarded, acknowledged, and attended to.
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Arts
Changing Narratives |
Equity
Nurturing Leadership |
Our 48th season reaches across decades and centuries and into the present to bring you four extraordinary stories of challenge and change…and, through it all, hope. From beloved classics to bold new visions, join us to be moved and empowered for the work ahead. |
Penumbra has been on the leading edge of innovative and transformative solutions for equity work for over twenty years. We offer a holistic, integrated approach to racial healing that supports discovery, belonging, and reciprocity, while offering practical tools to support organizational and communal wellbeing.
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Wellness
Building Power |
Youth
Investing in the Future |
Our public wellness programs are an invitation to heal together. Join us for honest conversations and engaging wellness practices in spaces cultivated for vulnerability, possibility, and momentum. |
For decades, Penumbra has used the arts and equity training to help young people cultivate a positive sense of self and see themselves represented authentically and lovingly. Now we’re opening more space for youth to learn, grow, lead, and feel at home.
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Support the Future
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Whether you are a longtime champion of the work we do or new to our organization, you are part of our success story. Together, we are building upon our legacy, extending our impact, and making truly transformational change in Minnesota and beyond. |
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Organization Data
St Paul, MN 55102