Sibyl Center shares joyful sounds of music
With its stained glass windows, soaring ceilings and historical ambience, the Sibyl Center is a community hub for the arts in downtown Stanley.
Now in its 19th season, the center hosts a full schedule of entertainment, arts, musical performances and social events from April through October.
Completed in 1928, the historic First Presbyterian Church had closed and was about to meet its demise.
“The building was ready to meet the wrecking ball,” says Linda Lumley, the director of programming who is also a board member. “A group of people gathered together and managed to rescue the building and take over ownership of it.”
The brick Tudor-style building is now protected for perpetuity and “stands as testimony to the quality craftsmanship of the time, a one-of-a-kind example of prairie church architecture,” the Sibyl Center’s website shares.
Its adaptive reuse honors the memory of Sibyl McDonald, who brought the joy of music to hundreds of Stanley’s young people during her long piano teaching career.
Today, the Sibyl Center has been extensively renovated to capitalize on its acoustically and visually rich performance space. With new lights and sound system, the center has also added remote-controlled shades to offer a theater effect during performances.
“The acoustics are fabulous, the building is beautiful,” Lumley says.
And visitors from across the region appreciate the venue’s offerings.
“Our audience comes from all over North Dakota and beyond,” she said. Admission is a suggested donation of $10 and students are admitted for free.
The center is also reaching out to a younger audience, by offering its programs to local students this past spring. A magician performed for the students and the Skyla Burrell Band visited the school in April.
“We brought the band to them and it was impressive,” Lumley said.
The July and August schedule includes:
· July 17 | Marlene and Sibyl Singers in Concert, 3 p.m.
· July 23 | Merrill Piepkorn Band and Dance, 7 p.m.
· July 24 | Merrill Piepkorn Band Gospel Concert, 3 p.m.
· Aug. 5 | Classic Rhythm Band and Dance, 7 p.m.
· Aug. 19 | Steve Kuykendall Guitarist/Vocals, 7 p.m.
To learn more, call 701-629-1721 or visit www.sibylcenter.org.
Turkey tradition draws a crowd
More than 500 pounds of turkey prepared with a special recipe will be on the rotisserie July 17 for hungry visitors in Guelph, as an annual tradition continues.
Serving will start at 11:30 a.m. and continue until the food is gone at the Guelph annual turkey barbecue.
The event started in 1983 as a fundraiser when the community acquired the former Guelph school building.
“We wanted to keep the building in the community,” says Jeanne Thorpe, one of the event organizers.
“It’s a community effort,” she says. “That’s how we pay for maintenance of the building.”
The event is held at 110 Vilas Ave., with serving held in the former school gymnasium.
The turkeys are prepared the day before with a special local recipe, then they are placed on an outdoor rotisserie. Cooking the 24 turkeys starts at 6 a.m. Potato salad, coleslaw and homemade desserts also tempt the tastebuds.
From 300 to 400 people are served each year, Thorpe says.
During the afternoon, the 50-year graduates are recognized with a program, and the community band performs.
To learn more, call 701-710-0888.
Luann Dart is a freelance writer and editor who lives in the Elgin area.
