O' Shaughnessey Hall, St. Paul, Minneapolis

Also known as The O'Shaughnessy Auditorium of the College of St. Catherine Located on the gorgeous St. Catherine University campus in St. Paul, The O’Shaughnessy is one of the Twin Cities’ preeminent performing arts venues. Its name honors former St. Catherine University trustee, generous benefactor and Renaissance man, Lawrence “Larry” O’Shaughnessy. Upon its opening in 1970, The O’Shaughnessy quickly became a coveted venue for local and regional orchestras, chamber music ensembles and modern music. Today, The O’Shaughnessy hosts a wide range of artists — musicians, dance and theater companies — who rave about its performance space and acoustics. Since its inception, The O’Shaughnessy has become a forum for women in leadership. Coretta Scott King, Dr. Susan Love, Jeham Sadat and Madeleine Albright have all shared their stories from its stage. Annually, it hosts a variety of public lectures and St. Kate’s educational programs, as well as convocations and commencement. The designer of this concrete wonder, award-winning Minneapolis architect Curt Green was a founding partner of Hammel, Green and Abrahamson (HGA). Renowned for his acoustic expertise, Mr. Green gravitated to projects that demanded impeccable sound quality. He is also responsible for the Catherine G. Murphy Gallery on the St. Kate’s campus. The style of architecture is called “Brutalism,” which simply means that the building exposes the materials it was built with. So you’ll see, for instance, the impressions of the wooden forms used to cast the concrete that make up the structure. For all its exterior coldness, the auditorium itself is intimate and inviting, and a wonderful venue to hear music, or experience dance. The O’Shaughnessy has three event series each year: The O’Shaughnessy Presents, incorporating Women of Substance Guest Presenters St. Catherine University Events