DEAR FRIENDS,
Greetings from The O’Shaughnessy at St. Kate’s. Thank you for being part of the community that gathers here for celebration, solidarity, ceremony, and joy.
Spring is an exciting time at The O’Shaughnessy, when the upcoming O’Shaughnessy Presents season comes into clear focus.
Each season of O’Shaughnessy Presents is designed to bring the mission, vision, and values of St. Catherine University into our community through exceptional artistry, inspiring visionaries, and deep engagement with the community that lives and works nearby – especially Highland Park and St. Paul.
Whether you can walk to see a show or drive over an hour to be here, we are so grateful for the time you have shared with us. And, at this critical inflection point in The O’Shaughnessy’s season, we hope you will consider making a gift to support another season of compelling art with collective impact.
Will you make a gift to support The O’Shaughnessy’s upcoming season? Your support at this critical time helps The O’Shaughnessy to:
- bring nationally and internationally renowned artists, leaders, and speakers to Highland Park
- create meaningful engagement opportunities between artists, visionaries, and community members – including St. Kate’s students, young people, and members of our broader community
- uplift and celebrate the vibrant artists and arts organizations who make Minnesota thrive. (Did you know? The O’Shaughnessy hosts over 100 events presented by local artists each year!)
Thank you for being part of this community. Your support at this critical time brings bigger, bolder, extraordinary experiences to St. Paul – and shines a light on the exceptional artistry that helps us all imagine a brighter world – together.
With appreciation,
Irene Green, Executive Director
and the entire O’Shaughnessy Team
COMPELLLING ART, COLLECTIVE IMPACT
Thank you for joining The O’Shaughnessy this season to experience “Art Plus” — excellent artistry, plus high impact events that create connection, deepen curiosity and inspire change. Check out a few highlights from the season so far.
AFTERMATH
Aftermath brought professional artists, activists, and students together to create a new work responding to Memorialize the Movement’s Night and Day exhibit of murals created in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd.
The project put a student at the center of that work as a writer and performer, helping her find her voice as an artist and connect with working artists and activists in the community.
In partnership with Katie Leadership Impact, the piece was followed by a panel discussion and community conversation about racial justice, featuring the artists who worked on the piece and the executive director of Memorialize the Movement, Leesa Kelly. The panelists spoke directly to the audience and shared a strong call to action.
NOT THE RIGHT MOM
Following a hilarious and heartfelt performance, Megan Dolan, the artist behind Not The Right Mom, was joined onstage by two Occupational Therapists (including an alum from St. Kate’s Doctorate of Occupational Therapy program) for a conversation about neurodiversity and best practices in providing support to members of the neurodiverse community and parents of neurodiverse kids.
The panelists reflected on the performance and answered questions from the audience; parents of neurodiverse kids shared they especially appreciated seeing their experience represented onstage with warmth and humor.
Through a partnership with St. Kate’s Office of Access and Success, The O’Shaughnessy was able to offer free tickets to parenting students, along with free childcare — so parents could attend the show worry-free.
THE CEREMONIAL INAGURATION OF MAYOR HER
The O’Shaughnessy was proud to host the Ceremonial Inauguration of Mayor Her, a historic moment that marked the
beginning of her tenure and helped propel her into her work with strong relationships, support, and care. The event was particularly well suited to The O’Shaughnessy as we celebrated a woman who leads and influences in St. Paul.
KELLY HALL-TOMPKINS
Art and Service with Katie Leadership Impact.
Award winning violinist Kelly Hall-Thompkins brought her artistry to The O’Shaughnessy as well as her story.
Founding Music Kitchen, a nonprofit that brings exceptional classical music to soup kitchens across the country. The event was preceded by Empty Bowls, a Soup Social fundraiser for local food-based nonprofits.
Community members from the neighborhood, the campus community, and O’Shaughnessy’s subscriber family came together to share a meal and raise funds for St. Kate’s Food Access Hub.
These are just a few of the stand out moments of the season thus far.
To learn more about how the O’Shaughnessy compares exceptional artistry with meaningful impact in our community, explore the 2024-25 Impact Report.
Thank you for being part of The O’Shaughnessy’s family of artists, audience members, and supporters. To help continue the work of compelling art plus collective impact, make a gift to support next season at The O’Shaughnessy.
Thank you!