North Suburban Center for the Arts

About Us:

We are a 501(c)3 arts nonprofit organization based in Fridley, MN, with a mission to foster creative connections within the greater Twin Cities area.

The North Suburban Center for the Arts (NSCA) has served the greater Twin Cities since 1979. Our organization started as a grassroots, women-led effort to create a place for creatives to gather in the Twin Cities’ north metro region and continues to fill a crucial gap for our surrounding communities today.

This year for Give to the Max Day, the NSCA seeks to raise $10,000 in support of our annual operational fund, the Creative Connection Fund. This operational fund supports our necessary expenses, including utilities, building maintenance, fair staff & instructor wages, shared classroom art supplies, cleaning supplies and other required costs. 

We've reimagined our role in the community and expanded our offerings to accommodate all skill levels, from arts professionals to curious explorers. 

We are located in a firehouse-turned-art center that features an art gallery, maker's market with over fifty local vendors, a classroom, no-cost makerspace, and a community library filled with art-related texts and children's books.

 In 2023... 

1. We hosted 168 artists from 28 Minnesota cities in 5 open-call exhibitions.
2. Our visitors contributed $27,837 to 71 small businesses featured in our maker's market.
3. We provided free arts programming to several community partners, including the Minnesota Black Authors Expo, Springbrook Nature Center, and Minnesota Aurora FC.
4. Through a collaboration with Forgotten Star Brewing Co., we highlighted 12 local authors at a monthly children's story hour. 
5. We offered several low-to-no cost programs at the art center for all ages, including yoga classes in the gallery and suncatcher building.
6. Invited talented local creatives to teach a wide range of artist-led workshops, from mini tapestry weaving to poetry.

While we primarily serve the Twin Cities' north metro region, we have a wide reach, bringing artists from all over together with our rotating exhibitions and related programs.

Your Support Makes a Difference.

 

With your support, we can cover our necessary operating expenses with donations to avoid passing the burden of these costs to our community, either through expensive admission fees or other prohibitive barriers. We seek to be a place for anyone to gather regardless of financial capacity.