New Mexico MainStreet Announces Second Annual Historic Theaters Institute

Silco Theatre interior, courtesy of Cinema Treasures

New Mexico MainStreet announced on Monday that it will have its second annual Historic Theaters Institute in Silver City on April 22.

The Historic Theaters 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.

New Mexico MainStreet is a program of the New Mexico Economic Development Department, and is partnering with Silver City MainStreet to host the institute. The Silco Theater will also have its Grand Opening April 21, the evening preceding the Institute.

“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.”

Silco Theatre exterior – black & white image courtesy of Cinema Treasures; color image courtesy of The Silco Theatre on Facebook.

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.

ABOUT THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA: Founded by Ben Hall in 1969, the Theatre Historical Society of America (THS) celebrates, documents and promotes the architectural, cultural and social relevance of America’s historic theatres. Through its preservation of the collections in the American Theatre Architecture Archive, its signature publication Marquee™ and Conclave Theatre Tour, THS increases awareness, appreciation and scholarly study of America’s theatres.

Learn more about historic theatres in the THS American Theatre Architecture Archives and on our website at historictheatres.org