Our Next Moves..

I don’t come into your inbox often, but we have big announcements this month, the foundation of our Imagine/Reimagine campaign, and I wanted to tell you personally this one:

We are beginning the search for a building that we will turn into the new Nordo…a vast, immersive experience that will house permanent installations that transport you into the magical worlds of Nordo.

When we first moved into the Culinarium at 109 South Main Street, we saw all the possibilities that could fit into that beautiful, historic empty box. Perhaps you’ve seen it transformed into a mid-century airplane, or an old west saloon complete with swinging doors, a haunted hotel lobby, or the viewing chamber of Dreams Inc.

And this fall, with Spirit Parlour, you will see us experiment with another iteration, very different from what we’ve done before, all in service of pushing forward the possibilities of Nordo. You’ll see more accessible ticket options that don’t include food. You won’t see four acts with three food breaks. You will see us, once again, experimenting and reimagining.

We will haunt the bejeezus out of The Culinarium, and then at the end of the year we will close its doors.

We signed the Culinarium lease in 2014 and knew we would be in our upstairs, street level venue for 5-10 years. We knew we would experiment with different forms, new ways of transforming the space and creating unique experiences for Seattle to enjoy. I am proud to say we have done that, hands down.

It’s time to look forward to new possibilities. And I couldn’t be more excited.

The Culinarium and the Knife Room are only the beginning in this artistic journey. Over the last 2+ years of pandemic shutdowns, we have had time to dream about life after the venues in Pioneer Square. And for a bit, we will operate solely out of The Knife Room, our subterranean cabaret, and use it as our creative laboratory.

Then we begin the planning stages for the next Nordo leap: a building of our own.

It is time to apply what we have learned into creating that next vision: A venue that can house a permanent version of our Cabinet of Curiosities - a show that has a near-legendary status in Nordo lore. We took over a three story building and turned it into a roving, edible, installation and performance experience!

Imagine rotating seasonal installations to wander and taste. Imagine having a candy shaped appetizer in Violet’s Attic, potato donuts with coffee gravy in the Lost Falls Diner, and finishing the evening with a Crum Bumb at the Sauced Speakeasy?

Imagine all of that in addition to accessibility from parking, to central air, to elevators, to more affordable ticket options.

This new vision begins now. We have already raised $57k of our 75k goal, and have $18k left to raise by August 30th to take the first steps towards this dream. A donation from you today would let us know you believe in our capacity to imagine a re-imagine. Won't you join us in celebrating the future of Nordo?

Thank You,

Terry Podgorski
Co-Executive Artistic Director
Nordo