Save the Chelsea, a group of local film fans, filmmakers, artists and business people has reached agreement with current owners Bruce and Mary Jo Stone to purchase and take over operation of the Chelsea Theater effective March 30, 2018.
As a result of a grass roots fundraising campaign, which kicked off on January 21, 2018, local movie-lovers responded to an urgent call for support, with $90,000 in cash and pledges toward the first year budget goal of $150,000 already secured from approximately 210 individuals.
The new non-profit will be managed by newly hired Executive Director Emily Kass and our Board of Directors. The Chelsea Art Theater Board wants to make improvements as fundraising allows and is busy learning how to run a theater. There will be many opportunities for volunteer support.
As one donor commented “The Chelsea is soulful, authentic and offers us movies worth seeing. She’s part of our history and identity in Chapel Hill!!”
Pending successful conclusion of the transaction, the new non-profit Chelsea Art Theater, Inc. will continue showing the first run, independent, foreign, documentary, and specialty films which have made the Chelsea a beloved destination for film-goers. In addition, the theater plans to add new offerings, such as film-related discussions, showings by area filmmakers, and classic films
Save the Chelsea President Tom Henkel points to the role of film in promoting cultural diversity and positive social change. “We want to reflect the diversity of the various communities that comprise our market area. Through our films and related programs – speakers, filmmakers, performers, and scholars, for example– we will strive to promote understanding between cultures and serve as a catalyst for positive social change. We aspire to be a leader among the 4,000 art theaters in America,” he added.
The Chelsea Theater in Chapel Hill (at Timberlyne Shopping Center, 1129 Weaver Dairy Road, Chapel Hill) has been in continuous operation since 1990. It was faced with extinction, when owners Bruce and Mary Jo Stone announced their plan to retire at the end of March 2018. In 2015, Raleigh’s Colony Theater, which specialized in Independent Films, was closed. In addition to the Colony, the Triangle has already lost Cary’s Galaxy Cinema. As the Indy Newspaper reported when the Colony closed, “Independent films will remain a part of the Triangle scene, but the loss … represents the decline of indie-centric theaters in the area.”
With the establishment of the Chelsea Art Theater, Inc. as a sustainable non-profit, independent film will be alive and well in Chapel Hill.
Current owners Bruce and Mary Jo Stone add, “We feel confident that the theater will be in very good hands and look forward to the new, improved, bright and shiny Chelsea as it moves forward into the months and years ahead!”
To support the ongoing Save the Chelsea effort, visit the websites www.savethechelsea.com and “GoFundMe” at www.gofundme.com/save-the-chelsea-theater. Any contribution is welcomed and anyone who would like to volunteer is encouraged to send an email to SaveTheChelsea@gmail.com.
Save the Chelsea is chaired by local businessman Tom Henkel with CPA & Treasurer Bonnie Schaefer Bevan, and former Chapel Hill Town Council Member Julie McClintock as Secretary. Other Board members include filmmaker and journalist Mark Barroso, healthcare researcher Charles Humble, arts professional Emily Kass, activist and volunteer Adrienne Madry, filmmaker and leadership consultant Diana Newton, broadcaster Jim Russell, planning board & task force member Del Snow, and UNC -Chapel Hill senior Allison Strickland.
Contact: Tom Henkel, President, Chelsea Art Theater Inc.
Mailing Address: 11312 US 15-501 North, Suite 107/110, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
(919) 593-5510
www.facebook.com/SaveTheChelsea