REQUIEM FOR THE ART THEATER

The independently owned motion picture theater has been an endangered species for many years. In this day and age even big theater chains with multiplex settings and IMAX features are struggling to survive. The options for home theater, both physical media and streaming services, have been encouraging more film lovers to relax in their homes instead of venturing out to pay high prices for tickets and concessions and dealing with the sometimes bad behavior of other moviegoers. And now, because of the forced shutdowns in the COVID-19 pandemic, the future of theaters of any type is in question. Here in Champaign, Illinois, where I've lived for over forty-five years, we were blessed with a marvelous resource called The Art Theater from 1987 until its closing on October 31, 2019. The managers of the theater were unable to survive financially in the changing landscape of the film world. Now the property has been put up for sale. There is always a chance, one supposes, that some enterprising souls will take over and reopen the place, but that is highly unlikely in today's business climate.

The Art began its life in 1913 as The Park. Its name was changed in 1958 when its focus was shifted to the showing of foreign and art type films. In 1971 it became an X rated venue. This state of affairs lasted until 1986 when the place closed down. Then in 1987 it was purchased and remodeled by a local entrepreneur and once again started showing not only foreign films, but also independent, avant garde features, short films, and retrospectives of classics and cult movies. There were some eventual changes in management personnel and in 2012 the theater became cooperative. People were able to buy memberships in the co-op and have a role in the decision making process regarding the future of the theater, needed repairs, etc. Co-op members were also given certain benefits such as free movie showings throughout the year.

Through the generosity of its patrons, The Art was able to install the equipment needed for the conversion to digital projection, without which the theater wouldn't have a chance of surviving the new world of the movie business. A few years later, enough donations were raised to install new and brighter marquee lights. And in February, 2019, the amount of $25,000 was requested by management in order to keep the theater going, and once again patrons came through. There was a lot of obvious love and support for The Art Theater.

Over the years, The Art was a godsend for film lovers in this area. Not only were we able to see new releases that would most likely never be shown in the multiplexes, but the theater management also organized film festivals showcasing a diversity of themes and genres. There were film festivals dedicated to Latin, Greek, Asian, LGBT, documentary and short films. Many of the films shown were introduced by local film scholars and critics and many were followed by panel discussions where audience members were invited to take part, ask questions and join in the discussions. One of the most memorable panel discussions I remember followed the screening of the 1948 film STRANGE VICTORY, which dealt with the struggles of African-American GIs in the years after World War 2.

The theater also held many retrospective screenings of classic and cult films. I was able to see my all time favorite film THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (1955) on the big screen for the very first time at The Art. I also saw, among so many others, THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI, Stanley Kubrick's THE KILLING, DONNIE DARKO, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?, CARMEN JONES, Ingmar Bergman's SUMMER WITH MONIKA, etc. There were many more classics shown that I unfortunately missed.

And then there were the late night movies, which were probably the most fun experiences of all. The most popular of the late night showings were THE BIG LEBOWSKI, MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL, THE SECRET OF KELLS, DRIVE, and CABIN IN THE WOODS. Some of these I managed to miss. But I did go to see, VIDEODROME, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, THE BABADOOK, BLADE RUNNER, BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO, A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT, and Andrzej Korzynski's bizarre 1981 horror film POSSESSION. Without a doubt, one of the most popular recurring late night movies at The Art was Tommy Wiseau's 2003 epic THE ROOM, complete with enthusiastic audience participation,

There were also occasional silent films presented with live orchestral accompaniment, such as NOSFERATU (1922). And the theater even became a popular venue for weddings. With 246 seats, The Art wasn't the largest theater around. But its cultural impact over the years was huge, and its loss to our community is immeasurable. I, along with many others, hold out hope that it may reopen someday.