Luminary Arts Center – Gorgeous Performance Space in the North Loop

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

The Luminary Arts Center completed its renovation in July. We spoke to Ryan Taylor, President and General Director of Minnesota Opera, to learn more about the renovation, history of the facility and what we can expect to be staged in this beautiful space at 700 N 1st Street.

Ryan TaylorMCT:  Please provide some history of this space.

A:  The Luminary Arts Center building is an 8,000-square-foot stone box with 30-foot ceilings, carved out of the foundation of a historic Itasca warehouse along the Mississippi River. It’s located right next door to the Minnesota Opera Center, three warehouse buildings that Minnesota Opera moved into and renovated in 1990 to house its scenic and costume shops, rehearsal facilities, and administrative offices.

The theater, like its North Loop neighborhood, is rich in history. Designed and developed in 1988 for the Guthrie Theater as a laboratory for new works, the space served as the Guthrie’s second stage until the completion of its current theater complex in 2006. More recently, under executive producer Mary Kelley Leer, the theater (then called the Lab Theater) became a lively stage for both emerging and established performing artists in theater, music, dance, cabaret, fashion, and burlesque.

Minnesota Opera had been approached several times over the years to purchase the space, and finally did in 2019. The previous managers and tenants continued their work and performances without interruption through the start of the pandemic. On June 1, 2021, Minnesota Opera assumed management of the space. Beginning in July 2021, Minnesota Opera embarked on a major $6-million-dollar renovation of the building that concluded in July 2022. The space reopened to renters in September, 2022 and Minnesota Opera will host its first presentation in the new space this month.

MCT:  Please tell us about the renovation.

A:  The renovation includes enhancement to front-of-house facilities, structural and mechanical improvements, and improvements to the theater and its support spaces. The addition of a freight elevator improves the efficiency and safety of load-in processes for all users, and a tension wire grid allows for increased flexibility for event turnaround and a safer technical teaching arena. New flooring offers a safer environment for a variety of performers, including dancers, and new acoustic treatments render the space appropriate for a variety of potential renters. The renovated theater has 224 seats.

Q:  What types of events will be staged at this beautiful facility?

A:  We hope to keep the space as a resource for a wide variety of arts organizations and other community groups. So far, we have hosted Ten Thousand Things and Interact Center for the Visual and Performing Arts. Next, Minnesota Opera will present Handel’s Rinaldo this month at the space. We typically don’t present music from that early period, and I’m excited that the Luminary gives Minnesota Opera the opportunity to present pieces that we might not stage at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. Rinaldo should work nicely in this more intimate space, and I’m glad that we can use the Luminary to expand the types of stories that we’re able to tell. After our inaugural presentation in the renovated space, we’re confirmed to host the Danger Committee, Minnesota Dance Theatre, Ballet Co.Laboratory, Young Dance, and Cantus, and we have more bookings in the works. We have a wide variety of organizations interested in how the space can help them fulfill their goals, and we’re happy about that.

Q:  How do you go about pitching a new performing space to the artistic community in the Twin Cities? Do you have a backlog of requests to use the space?

A:  We’ve been in close conversation with the previous tenants of the venue throughout the renovation process, and we’re happy to see many of them return to the space as more live performances are happening. We are fielding requests on a first-come, first-served basis to prospective renters. We are interested in organizations that have a history with the space and have depended on it for their artmaking and storytelling. But we’re also excited to engage new organizations and community groups to use the Luminary, as well. We’re taking it slow and steady – Minnesota Opera primarily performs at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, which we do not own, and so we are learning a lot as an institution as we step into the role of managing a venue. I hope we will be good stewards of this historic performance space for years to come. 

Q:  May the public tour the space?

A:  The public is welcome to come and see a show at the Luminary, and tickets are available at luminaryartscenter.com. We held an Open House for the space in August and hope to have more opportunities for the public to engage with the space in the future. For private tours, interested parties can contact info@luminaryartscenter.com.

Q:  Thank you for being good stewards of this space. How may we follow your news?

A:  You can follow the Luminary Arts Center at luminaryartscenter.com or by signing up for Minnesota Opera’s e-newsletter at mnopera.org.

The Luminary Arts Center is located at 700 N 1st Street.  Photo credit: doitinnorth