Silver City, NM – New Mexico MainStreet, a program of the New Mexico Economic Development Department, announced today that it will hold its second annual Historic Theaters Institute in Silver City on April 22. The Institute is open to New Mexico’s community leaders to help them improve the performance of their local theaters and spur economic growth in their downtown MainStreet districts.
“Participants in the Institute will have an exciting opportunity to learn from the successful rehabilitation of the Silco Theater, which has been a catalyst for driving new business and commerce to downtown Silver City,” said Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela. “It is my hope other communities can implement the successful strategies of other downtowns in their own economic revitalization efforts for older theaters.”
The Institute is part of a broader New Mexico Historic Theaters Initiative program, an ongoing statewide effort by NMEDD and New Mexico MainStreet to rehabilitate historic theaters and install new digital projection and sound equipment to run current features.
Since January 2013, the Economic Development Department has provided or set aside funding for seven publically owned classic theaters throughout New Mexico. These include the Luna Theater in Clayton, the Silco Theater in Silver City, the Lea Theatre in Lovington, the Shuler Theater in Raton, the El Morro Theater in Gallup, the Lyceum Theater in Clovis, and the Flickinger Center for Performing Arts in Alamogordo. Each historic theater has been identified as a catalytic economic driver for their respective community.
Revitalizing and operating a historic theater is an exciting community development project that can have spinoff effects for a business district. A successful movie theater or multipurpose performing arts theater requires dynamic promotion and programming strategies to attract diverse audiences for fun, entertainment and community building.
The one-day workshop offers:
- The latest news from NMEDD’s Historic Theaters Initiative
- Case studies and tours of Silver City’s Theater District, including the Silco Theater, El Sol Theater and Gila Theater. Learn more about how the Town of Silver City is building upon these unique assets to revive their downtown.
- Theater manager roundtable offering tips and insights on successful theater management
- New technology and marketing trends in the theater industry
- Networking and reports from the New Mexico historic theater community The Silco Theater is a dazzling project and dynamic new anchor of Silver City’s downtown business district. Learn more about the inspiring fundraising campaign and dedication of Silver City MainStreet leaders, and volunteers in partnership with New Mexico MainStreet, and many other funders that worked to save the Silco.
The Silco Theater is holding its Grand Opening on April 21, the evening preceding the Institute. For more information, visit http://thesilco.com/. The Institute will be held on April 22 in Silver City. Sign in will be at 8:30 a.m. Institute hours will be 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Registration is $15. Please register by April 18 for the Institute. Space is limited and registrations will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration does not include transportation, lodging and food.
The New Mexico MainStreet program provides technical assistance to affiliated community programs to assess their theaters. This includes developing architectural plans and cost estimates for rehabilitation projects; and advice on operations and business plans, programming and industry contacts.
New Mexico MainStreet serves 27 affiliated MainStreet Districts, eight state-authorized Arts & Cultural Districts, 14 Frontier Community projects, and seven Historic Theater Initiatives.
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