As the Emporia Arts Council continues its early work to own and operate the Granada Theatre next door, it plans some financial adjustments soon and a capital campaign to come.
That was one of the topics addressed Wednesday with Arts Council Director Dawn Young and Board Chair Jill Burton as part of KVOE’s Newsmaker segment. The interview follows lengthy in-house conversations for the Granada Theatre Alliance Board of Directors, which culminated with the theater approving the Arts Council as its owner/operator less than two weeks ago, as well as parting ways with theater staff and dissolving the theater board.
Burton says the Arts Council is planning to augment ticket revenues with fundraising — because it has to.
Burton tells KVOE News there was no actual purchase of the Granada. Instead, the Theatre Alliance transferred its assets to the Arts Council after completing its stated mission of restoring the theater over 15 years ago.
Young says the Arts Council will look for additional Granada-specific staff over the next few months, notably an operations director and technical director. She also says it was the right time for both the Granada and the Arts Council to forge this partnership, although the behind-the-scenes discussions and work may take another four to six months to finish.
For the Granada, there will be a longer event schedule and an added emphasis on rentals. While the Arts Council plans to honor contracts for different private events through the end of this year and an appearance by the Glenn Miller Orchestra next spring, it also has its own events coming — including Art Gifts soon, its 2024-25 Performing Arts schedule, classes and rentals.
More information is available online at emporiaksarts.org.
