Variety is Key @ the Capri
A Cultural Hub for Artists, Audiences, Events, and Excellence
There’s nothing predictable about the marquee at the Capri.
Be it a night with The Saint Paul Orchestra, the Twin Cities Black Film Festival, a pop opera about students at a Catholic boarding school or stand-up comedy, the events showcased here are as varied as the 45,000 visitors who have walked through the Capri’s doors since it reopened in October of 2021.
“We don’t curate. That is our operating principle,” said James Scott, Capri Director. “We want to make sure that everyone who wants to create something can.”
‘Everyone’ includes DanSan Creatives, a collective of artists who put on a showcase featuring different works from their repertoire.
It includes Emani Labon, a Minneapolis native who premiered her documentary film as a high school senior and sold the place out.
It also includes the City of Minneapolis, which rented the Capri following the unveiling of a new mural to give the public a chance to remember the late African-American artist John Biggers.
The Capri operates on a first-come, first-served basis, welcoming everything from civic discussions and board meetings to Wenso Ashby, a contemporary jazz pianist known for his unique blend of neo-soul, pop and smooth jazz.
“We’re also a place where artists who could not yet carry larger venues can perfect their acts,” said James Scott, Director. “We’re a stepping stone.”
There aren’t many venues where everyday people can perform and get professional sound and lighting support,” said Scott, adding “that’s why it’s so important to us to fill this niche.”
“When Prince played here in ‘79 he was just beginning his career as a solo artist,” said Scott. “And in five short years he had done “Purple Rain.” If we want to discover the next generation of iconic artists, we need places like the Capri.”
We’re here to provide the Northside and metro-wide community with countless opportunities to experience and produce art, to create and implement ideas, and to Be Together.
PCYC Announces New Executive Director
The PCYC Board of Directors is pleased to announce that we have hired Melissa Denton as our Executive Director, effective October 3, 2022. Melissa brings a broad range of experience and expertise to her new position, including an extensive background in theater and the arts, and 20 years of experience in all functional areas of nonprofit management. Her professional roots as an actor and director are in Minneapolis where, fresh out of college, she interned as a reporter at KMOJ Radio and performed with Dudley Riggs Brave New Workshop. From the Twin Cities she moved on to Los Angeles and New York, where she found her passion and expanded her vocational objectives to include arts education with a focus on youth. Most recently Melissa served as the Executive Director and Program Director for The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company in Los Angeles, a nonprofit whose mission is “to mentor, educate, and enrich youth in under-resourced communities through the creation of collaborative, original theatre.” As E.D., Melissa co-founded the Arts for Healing and Justice Network with 14 arts-based nonprofit organizations. Together, members of this collaborative work with thousands of youth in the L.A. juvenile justice system to build resilience and wellness using creative arts practices. During her tenure at The Unusual Suspects she also created long-range strategies to achieve organizational growth and timely progress toward goals; maintained 20+ national, state, local, and private partnerships, and increased revenue by 160% over 5 years to build the organization’s first-ever operating reserve. Ms. Denton received her undergraduate in Mass Communications from South Dakota State University, her Arts Education Certificate from Marymount Manhattan College in New York, and her Master of Arts in Nonprofit Management from Antioch University in LA. “We are so excited to bring Melissa on board, with her wealth of experience and her passion for empowering young people and communities,” said Karen Polzin. “She is a smart, generous, and creative soul who will serve PCYC very well. Our future looks bright!”
“It’s an honor and a joy to be coming back to Minneapolis to work on the Northside with the dedicated board and amazing staff at PCYC,” said Denton. “I also look forward to meeting all of the people who’ve come to know and support this agency over the years, and to telling the story of this remarkable organization to many more!”