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My Office Window is a Curse
and why I love Summer Arts Camp
Hello there!
Welcome to The Flying P, a weekly newsletter covering your Phipps Center for the Arts and anything else I might want to throw your way.
Being that this is the very first one, I thought it might be good to set some expectations (feel free to skip if you read the welcome email):
The Flying P…
will not be a marketing email. 🚫
You’ll still get those from the Phipps from time to time, but they’ll be short, to the point, and usually centered around programming or some other Phipps offering. The Flying P’s focus will be the Center itself. What goes into selecting shows? Who decides which pieces of art are displayed in the galleries? Is there a basement (hint: yes) and if so, what’s down there (hint: weird stuff). Every week, you’ll hopefully learn something new and/or interesting about your beloved arts center.will come directly from me. 🙋♂️
I’m Ben, the PCA’s executive director. I’ll be the one writing this thing and sending it out every Monday morning, so it’ll be peppered with my individual perspective on things. I’m going to keep my writing style pretty casual. Hope that’s okay.is going to be fun. 🎉
I know, I know…I might be jinxing myself right now, but I will try my best to make The Flying P an email you actually look forward to opening every single week. You’ll have to let me know if I end up succeeding.
Okay. I think that’s everything.
Thanks for subscribing and enjoy The Flying P!

EDUCATION
I ❤ SAC
One of my absolute favorite times of the year (I’m in year 2 so I get to have favorites now) is Summer Arts Camp.
Kids are running and screaming, there are activities everywhere, moms and dads dropping off and picking up. I actually collided with a small child running through the lobby the other day. We dusted ourselves off and gave each other a hi-five because THAT’S THE SPIRIT OF SAC!
The energy it brings to the building is truly wonderful. Over 1,000 young people1 are taking part in the PCA’s various summer arts camps this year, and we couldn’t be happier about that.

patio full of chalk art — a surefire way to tell that SAC is here
![]() “Phipps rule” | ![]() “different but together” |

best SAC buds

this week’s SAC schedule looks FUN
PHIPPS TOP 10
best-selling events this season by tickets sold…
1. The Drowsy Chaperone
2. I Am Woman…. presented by Lori Dokken
3. Mo Pitney
4. Prancer
5. Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society
6. Colleen Raye’s NYE
7. Underneath the Lintel, or: The Mystery of the Abandoned Trousers
8. The Andrews Sisters Onstage: a Jen Burleigh-Bentz production
9. Silent Sky
10. Transyl-Mania
BETTER HURRY LIST
best-selling events this season by percent sold (i.e., closest to being sold out)…
1. Underneath the Lintel, or: The Mystery of the Abandoned Trousers
2. I Am Woman…. presented by Lori Dokken
3. Mo Pitney
4. Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society
5. The Andrews Sisters Onstage: a Jen Burleigh-Bentz production
PEOPLE
Phipps production values are A+++
I recently signed up to be a scene shop volunteer and was able to carve out some time to help with the set build for Arsenic and Old Lace. Wow! I cannot say enough good things about our Production Department.
Mark Koski (Production Director), Kassi Kulow (Scene Shop Manager), and all the awesome scene shop volunteers are absolutely amazing. I’ve worked at many theatre2 orgs across the Twin Cities, and the production work the Phipps turns in is as good as any (and we do it with fairly modest budgets). Then there’s Katie Cherro (Production Stage Manager) consistently working magic in the booth and backstage…it’s all really quite impressive.
I know I’m preaching to the choir, but I just can’t get over how talented these people are. We’re so lucky here at the Phipps!
👏👏👏

my view from a lift while helping to install something VERY high
artist: Constance Misener
👆
my favorite gallery piece of the week
It reminds me of spending summers in South Dakota as a kid.
I worked on a honey farm. It was a blast.
RANDOM
My office view is NOT HELPING
Listen…
Do I enjoy working in the beautiful St. Croix Valley day in and day out? YES. Does the view from my office window make it easy to get work done? NO.
This is a pic I snapped just before the MN Orchestra started playing at the bandshell. Did you attend? If this annual event isn’t on your calendar, you’re doing Hudson incorrectly.
Ease up on the beautiful-things-right-outside-my-window-during-work-hours, everybody!

it was a pretty nifty evening
How much do you know about the Phipps?
Try The Flying C(rossword) and find out.
👇

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Talk to you next week!

1 Over 1,000 young people so far. SAC is still open for registration!
2 Regarding the age-old “theatre vs. theater” debate, I fall on the side of: “theatre” is an art form; “theater” is a venue for that art form. Is it a hill I’ll die on? No. Will you convince me otherwise? Also no.
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