Raising Hope on the River
This year, Lundstrum’s “Rollin on the River” Gala was a resounding success, raising a total of $325,000, including $215,000 specifically targeted for Northside students to access summer classes! This year’s result far exceeded our goal and thanks to the generosity of friends and supporters, Lundstrum is launching a new Northside Strong Scholarship Program. This scholarship ensures that any student who lives on the Northside can take classes for a pay-what-you-can rate. Removing financial barriers from performing arts training means more young people will have access to the transformative power of the arts!
This year’s “Rollin’ on the River” gala performance featured a one-of-a-kind musical review that included vocal performance, hip hop, tap dancing and showcased Lundstrum rising stars along with professional performing artists from the Twin Cities. Lundstrum’s Hip Hop Company performed Jeremi, a piece of original choreography by the late Patrick Moore in honor of his brother. The Dancemania company (students with special needs) performed a Wizard of Oz Spectacular, including music from The Wiz and Wicked.
“When I think of home, I think of a place
Where there’s love overflowing.”
-The Wiz
Lundstrum students were also joined by local performers: recording artist and Northside worship leader Jovonta Patton and the tap dancing Ausland brothers, who performed a technical tour-de-force to the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The performance ended with a custom performance of the “Rollin’ on the River” finale that showcased Lundstrum faculty and students in a glittering, joyful spectacle. See performance highlights below.
This year’s gala paid tribute to the visual arts in several meaningful ways. One was the commission of Minneapolis-born and New York-based illustrator Ed Rath to create a vibrant work of art to highlight Lundstrum’s energy and location on the Northside. The night of the gala, a museum quality print of the piece was auctioned off with proceeds supporting the scholarship fund. Rath wasn’t the only artist to participate in our gala. This year’s community honoree was Charles Caldwell, a painter and muralist best known for his iconic “Welcome to the Northside” mural at the 4th Street Saloon on West Broadway in North Minneapolis. Caldwell is a grandparent to a Lundstrum student, and we’re grateful to have such a creative soul as part of the Lundstrum family.
Original “Rollin’ on the River” artwork by Ed Rath
Lundstrum also honored longtime supporters Mike and Diane Beddor as honorary chairs. The Beddors have been instrumental in Lundstrum’s success. For years, their business, Japs Olson, has provided in-kind printing support to Lundstrum, and many of our galas have taken shape under Diane’s expert guidance.
If there was a bittersweet moment in the event, it came when the event honored Patrick Moore, an exceptionally talented performer, choreographer, and long-time Lundstrum faculty member, who passed away suddenly this spring. Patrick was also a caring mentor and rock to many of our students. At the end of the evening, Charles Caldwell presented Lundstrum with an original piece of art commemorating Patrick. It’s now on display in our lobby.
We are grateful for the many donors, volunteers, students, parents and friends who pulled together to make this year’s gala such a success. It’s always a joy to see so many wonderful members of our community gather to support our students. The success of this year’s gala makes our hearts glow even brighter. If you’d like to help support our new Northside Strong Scholarships, there’s still time to help!
If you know someone who would benefit from this scholarship, please let them know. We’re eager to expand our Northside family!
