A Cultural Center Vision

A Cultural Center is not just an inviting piece of architecture. It is the experience that lies on the other side of its threshold.

Music fills the air. The nimble feet of folk dancers weave their pattern across the floor. Little ones follow along.

In a cozy corner of the Scandinavian café, old and new friends share memories and laughter over strong, aromatic, coffee. International college students and their professor chat over tea.

Voices rise in discussion as rare old books are opened in the library. Nordic mythic figures are traced to modern literature and contemporary cinema and contrasted with those of other cultures.

In a cooking class, two teenagers enjoy the taste and smell of cardamom bread just out of the oven. They nod in approval.

Wearing her treasured bunad, a folk costume given to her by her grandmother, a woman gives school children a smile and opens a beautiful wooden chest. Beneath its worn surface and painted designs lie intriguing objects brought by her ancestors to America.

A young man and woman clasp hands as they stroll through an exhibit of modern Nordic photography. Later, they join others at a gathering to explore their family genealogy and learn how to capture oral histories from relatives.

A Cultural Center touches the senses and speaks to the heart. It celebrates, it shares, it displays and it teaches. It carries on tradition, brings history to life, and finds roots. It keeps pace with a vibrant modern Scandinavia.  It honors families. It embraces the wider community, warmly opening its doors to all who come.  It thrives on the intermingling of diverse cultures.  It is an environment that says, “Welcome,” where we learn how much we all have in common.