Support Pillsbury House Theatre & Make Art Happen.

Once upon a time, 140 years ago, there was a Settlement House (Pillsbury House) which morphed into a much larger organization with multiple community centers - Pillsbury United Communities. Inside Pillsbury House was a 96-seat theatre space, which artist Ralph Remington built into a professional theatre, Pillsbury House Theatre, in the early 1990s. The theatre and community center operated separately but side by side for many years, then merged operations in 2009 under the artistic leadership of Co-Artistic Directors Faye M. Price and Noel Raymond and became a professional arts/human service hybrid rebranded Pillsbury House + Theatre: a Center for Creativity and Community. PH+T has been working to integrate artists and arts participation into all of the human service programs that happen in our building as well as out into the fabric of our neighborhood, towards a goal of increasing Access, Attachment and Agency among artists, audiences and participants. Now, on the precipice of our 30th anniversary, and in a moment of intense community distress, and with new but long-connected leader Signe V. Harriday, PH+T is embracing our history and dreaming boldly into the future.

30th anniversaries are celebrated with pearls. Is it just a coincidence that Prince and The New Power Generation had a hit 'Diamonds and Pearls' 30 years ago the same year Pillsbury House Theatre began? We're not sure, but we are certain that over the last 30 years – with the support of our incredible community - we have witnessed, collaborated with, and cultivated pearls.

Pearls like:

·         Artists finding a home to make transformational work.

·         Kids discovering, sharing and celebrating their talents.

·         Community members engaging in deep dialogue about equity and inclusion.

·         Audiences actively centering Black healing and Black joy.

·         Neighborhood residents feeling creative, connected, welcome.

·         Faye M. Price, PHT’s recently retired longtime Co-Artistic Director, becoming the first Black female artist to be awarded the McKnight Foundation’s distinguished artist award.

So what are we doing to celebrate our 30th? We are welcoming new leadership and dreaming boldly! Signe has big plans to expand PHT’s work and impact with new programs, new partners, and new spaces. PHT is more committed than ever to creating art that moves/connects/inspires/heals/activates/transforms in collaboration with our incredible community of artists and with deep accountability to our participants and community.

We are so grateful to you – our supporters – that have been with us through overlapping pandemics of these past two years. Now, we invite you to join us in dreaming boldly into the coming year and the next 30!

Sincerely, 

Signe V. Harriday, Artistic Director

Noel Raymond, Managing Director