by: Erin Morrison
Over 100 years after they first opened, The Art Theater, located in downtown Champaign has permanently closed. The theater was run by a non-profit organization, The Art Film Foundation, which announced that it too was shutting down.
The announcement of the closure of The Art Theater and The Art Film Foundation came suddenly, just a week before the official closing date of Oct. 31, 2019. A message was posted on The Art Theater’s website announcing the closing. An email with the same message was sent out to members of The Art Film Foundation, including member Trish Barker, who is also a part-time faculty member here at Parkland. Barker said, “I was really shocked that they didn’t announce ahead of time that they were closing!” While the reason for closing has not been made explicitly clear, the message sent out states that, “The film industry is changing, and we will face systemic challenges that show no signs of abating.”
The Art Theater and The Art Film Foundation did not respond to an email asking for further information on the closure.
At this time, it is also unknown what exactly will happen to the space in which the theater operated. Kraft Properties owns the building the theater in which the theater was located. They have not responded to an email asking about the closure. However, speaking to a local WCIA news reporter, Jennifer Jensen, David Kraft, the owner of Kraft Properties, said he is hoping someone else will run the theater.
Not only were members of the theater and people of the community surprised, but Kraft said in the same interview with WCIA that he found out about the theater closing from a friend who saw the news posted online, not from the theater itself.
The Art Theater had been known to show films which you would not normally be able to see at other theaters including independent films and documentaries. Paula Boyd, a Professor of English at Parkland, recalls seeing Brokeback Mountain at the Art before other theaters were willing to play it. Boyd said, “To me that’s always what’s been great about The Art Theater, is that they are willing to show those films that aren’t necessarily going to be picked up by theaters that are just in the business of making money.” She also remembered bringing her five year old son to see a documentary called Babies which follows the lives of different babies around the world.
“I’m always sad when a place in the community closes because that’s where you meet other like-minded people.”
The Art Theater provided a unique experience to the Champaign Urbana community, showing films that were not available anywhere else. Boyd pointed out that many films like this have now been made available online, which may have to do with why the theater had to close. Showing these films at the Art may have introduced a new film that someone like a student may not have found out about on their own.
Lindsay Cox, a Parkland student, went to The Art Theater for the first time a month ago. Cox said at the theater, “You just feel so at home.” She enjoyed how nice everyone was there and the theater’s vintage decor. Cox said, “I’m always sad when a place in the community closes because that’s where you meet other like-minded people.”
The Art Theater offered great experiences in a unique setting to the community that will be missed by many. If another theater does come in to take over, The Art Theater will be a hard act to follow. For now, instead of showing movies that are currently showing, the theater marquee reads “closed” on one side and “thanks for the memories” on the other.
