In nearly 30 years of working at the Reif Center I’ve witnessed the extraordinary support the Grand Rapids community has for the arts and culture in northern Minnesota. Here are a few of the projects at the Reif Center that have been supported by our community over the years.
1981 – Myles Reif Performing Arts Center opens.
1998 – Purchase of Wenger Legacy Orchestra Shell and Acoustic Clouds.
1999 – Construction of 2 dance studios and ICTV Studio, later converted to a dance studio.
2000 – Purchase of Steinway D piano.
2005 – Construction of the orchestra pit in the Wilcox Theater.
2005 – Improvement of visiting artists and local dance amenities with the construction of a green room, dance dressing room and bathrooms. Construction of a piano storage room.
Before the green room was built we just used the back hallway of the theater, and the Steinway piano was stored in the scene shop!
2015 – Major renovation that included: bigger lobby, more bathrooms, more seats in the Wilcox, adding fly loft to the Wilcox, converting ICTV Studio to a Dance Studio, construction of Ives Studio Theater and construction of new scene shop and costume storage facilities.
2016 – Purchase of new choral risers.
It’s been almost 10 years since the Reif completed our big renovation and I’m excited about a couple of big new projects that are in the works!
Until 2016 Grand Rapids had a beautiful location on the Mississippi River where the Mississippi Melodie Showboat performed. I remember one summer the Reif brought in a travelling Shakespearean troupe to perform A Midsummer’s Night’s
Dream here! As far as I can tell it was the only outdoor stage on the Mississippi to use the river as its backdrop!
After losing that riverfront location, Grand Rapidians have been exploring opportunities to build a new stage on the water. A few years ago, there were some community meetings looking at a riverfront amphitheater, perhaps at the Forest History Center or Veteran’s Park, but nothing ever came of it. During covid we started doing boat in concerts on Pokegama Lake which were very popular, but not the same experience.
This spring the Reif Center was awarded a $475,000 grant from the Blandin Foundation to study the feasibility of constructing an amphitheater and cultural center in Grand Rapids. An outdoor theater that takes advantage of our area’s natural beauty would be a cultural and economic asset to the area. A multi-purpose cultural center would serve as a year-round venue for gatherings, conferences, community events, and exhibitions.
What are the steps to such a big project? Within the next 18 months there will be focus groups, workshops and surveys for the community to give input into the design and usage of the amphitheater and cultural center. Then, based on economic feasibility studies, site selections, building designs and funding strategies, and with community support, we could be looking at completion in 4-5 years!
I’ve come to realize with our past projects that the flashy public spaces get the most attention. I’ll be pushing my narrative that what you don’t see is just as important! Don’t forget changing rooms for the bridal party, catering rooms, a coat room, adequate bathrooms and ESPECIALLY storage! Don’t get me started on storage! I could do an entire article on how we’ve squeezed every bit of space in the Reif Center for storage!
The Reif has a second project in the initial stages. Even though I still call it the “new” orchestra shell, after 27 years it is reaching the end of its useful life. We were one of the first venues to purchase the Wenger Legacy Acoustical Shell, and it was a great improvement over the “old” shell that didn’t have castors and was heavy and impossible to set up by yourself.
The mechanical design to raise and lower the shells consists of a winch and belt system which, over the years, has started to break down, leaving us with only 10 of the original 13 units. We are close to losing a couple more soon. We can no longer make repairs, as Wenger has discontinued this product and no longer offers parts.
Wenger has redesigned their Legacy Shell with a new and improved lifting mechanism. Unfortunately, everything else looks about the same, which means, while new ones will function better, they aren’t going to look very different from the old ones. Unless you think we should get the new wood grain option, I’m not a fan personally!
We acquired our band/orchestra chairs and music stands from the GRHS Band when they bought new ones several years ago, and they are really showing their age. New LED music stands for the Grand Rapids Players and High School Spring Musical’s orchestra pit musicians would be a great improvement over our old stand lights.
Another piece of equipment that is often used and at least 40 years old are what we call our “band” risers, but they are used for any type of production that needs elevated risers on stage. The legs fold down from the bottom of the riser and their height is not adjustable. New risers would be lighter and safer to set up, and each deck section would come with a variety of leg lengths.
The Reif purchased new lobby furniture 10 years ago, but with wear and tear much of that needs to be replaced. A new projector for the Wilcox Theater would be a considerable upgrade, especially when it is used for projected scenery in our Theater Arts productions!
Replacing the orchestra shells, band chairs, music stands, risers, lobby furniture and projector are estimated at $175,000. Dale Gunderson, Grand Rapids High School Director of Bands, has volunteered to spearhead a community fundraising initiative. The Reif plans to fund half the project with a grant or a legacy bequest that would match the funding raised in the community. We are hoping for strong support for these items that will improve the equipment used by our young musicians, provide more comfortable furniture for the lobby and upgrade our projector! Look for additional information on this fundraising project in the next few months!
The Grand Rapids community has already proven how important the arts and culture are to the Northland, and I look forward to seeing the next 30 years of growth and change!
