Causes: Arts & Culture, Performing Arts

Mission: The Cedar’s mission is to promote intercultural appreciation and understanding through the presentation of global music and dance. The Cedar is committed to artistic excellence and integrity, diversity of programming, support for emerging artists, and community outreach.

Geographic areas served: the Cedar Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis

Programs: The Cedar puts on 250+ events and shows per year, including more than 70 global acts. In any given month, you’ll find artists from around the world here at The Cedar. Our annual Global Roots Festival is a celebration of The Cedar’s world music roots. Each year, it reaches 3,000 audience members with performances, educational programs, and workshops featuring established and emerging international musicians. The only world music festival of its kind in the state, the festival attracts audiences of all ages and backgrounds from all over the region, presenting unique and innovative artistic voices from diverse cultures. Midnimo, the Somali word for “unity, ” is a program that features Somali artists from Minnesota and around the world in multi-week residencies and events that engage Somali immigrants with the arts and increase understanding of Somali culture through music. Midnimo is reviving and preserving Somalia’s rich musical traditions while fostering social connections between generations and cultures in the heart of the largest Somali diaspora in North America. Since its launch in October 2014, Midnimo has served over 12,500 audience members, including 2,500 K-12 youth. In 2015, The Cedar began expanding its partnerships throughout the state in order to take Midnimo to areas with growing Somali populations and has since conducted activities in Mankato and St. Cloud. The Cedar Commissions is our flagship program for emerging artists made possible with a grant from the Jerome Foundation. Since its launch in 2011, The Cedar has commissioned and showcased new work by more than 30 local, emerging composers and musicians. The Cedar Commissions is known for supporting an eclectic range of musical artists and styles, making it, according to Noah Keesecker, Program Director of Artist Development at Springboard for the Arts and a Cedar Commissioned artist, “…one of the most impressive and progressive commissioning programs in the Midwest. ”