Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre
Handicapped Accessible Restroom Fund
A big thank you to our generous donors! Our goal has been met, and construction has started.
| Goal | $15,000 |
| Anonymous (matching grant) | $5,000 |
| Latah County Community Foundation | $2,500 |
| US Bank Foundation | $2,500 |
| Anonymous | $1,000 |
| Anonymous | $1,000 |
| SLB, Inc. | $1,000 |
| Idaho Community Foundation | $1,000 |
| Gritman Medical Center | $ 500 |
| Beth Kenworthy | $500 |
| Sirius Idaho Theatre | $ 410 |
| Jay McCoy | Toilet |
| Pledged to date | $15,410+ |
Take A Seat
We mean that literally. The Kenworthy is offering you the opportunity to purchase one of a limited number of theater chairs in the main auditorium. Your gift will entitle you to an engraved, brass nameplate mounted on the back of the seat of your choice (based upon availability). One business or individual name per seat, please.
Purchase a chair for $500 with the option of installment payments over 12 months. Purchase a chair for $600 with the option of installment payments over 24 months. Name plates will be installed upon receipt of first half of payments.
Your gift to the Kenworthy will assist with the ongoing operation and renovation of the historic Kenworthy Theater and fulfillment of the mission of the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre.
To reserve your seat, please call Julie Ketchum, Executive Director, at 882-4127. We will be glad to designate a chair for you or you may come into the theater to personally choose your chair location.
The Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre
Would like to thank all those who purchased chairs in 2006.|
Andrea Petersen Beckett, CPA Besser-Potter Family Tom Bode Donna Busch Steve Busch Gritman Medical Center Austin Kenworthy Cole Kenworthy Klingler Family Carol Ann Lange Jerry Lange Nancy Luebbert Jack Miller Joanne Milot Jim Wallis |
What if the lights went out on Main Street?
Appeared in the May 18, 2006 issue of Pulse in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News
There is a very prominent and distinctive marquee that has lighted up Moscow’s Main Street for over half a century. The marquee at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre was installed during the 1949 renovation of the building and is a landmark in our downtown business district.
What if those lights went out and only darkened windows greeted us? Would something be missing? Definitely.
Since 1926, the Kenworthy Theater has provided residents of our area with an eclectic mix of events. Over the course of the last 80 years, the Kenworthy has presented vaudeville shows, silent films, live theatre, public forums, and a wide variety of classic and modern films.
Expenses to support downtown Moscow's historic theater are outpacing revenues. Increased operating costs, increased competition, and lower attendance have hurt the Kenworthy this year.
This is a national trend that is affecting theaters across the country. According to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), in 2005, movie theater attendance in the U.S. dropped almost 9 percent compared to 2004.
There are several reasons for this fact.
Early DVD releases mean that movies are in theaters for shorter periods of time. For example, the Oscar winning movie, Brokeback Mountain, released in theaters on December 9, 2005. The initial release was limited--only a few prints of the film went to theaters in major markets (big cities). Wider distribution came shortly thereafter. The film went to DVD just four months later, on April 6, 2006. Multiple copies of the DVD immediately became available in video stores across the country, including those in Moscow and Pullman.
A related trend is the increase in the number of consumer owned large screen TVs and home theaters. Add to this the increased price for the consumer to go out to the movies—the national average last year was $6.41 per ticket—and you can see why some people chose to stay at home. The MPAA reported that in 2005 the total number of moviegoers fell to its lowest level in eight years.
Another factor is the sheer number of movies being released. There were 549 new films released in 2005 according to the MPAA. The result is that the pieces of the entertainment pie are split into increasingly smaller slices. The number of options is growing so fast that fewer people are available to attend each event.
Commercial theaters on the Palouse charge up to $7.50 for movie admission and $4.50 for popcorn. They do this because up to 90% of their ticket revenues are paid to movie distributors like Disney and Warner Brothers. By contrast, the Kenworthy charges a mere $5 for adult movie admission, a price that is nearly equal to the 1999 national average ticket price of $5.08.
There is a reason that the Kenworthy is reluctant to raise its movie ticket prices on par with the commercial theaters. The Kenworthy is a non-profit organization. Our mission is to be Moscow’s premiere historic, downtown, community performing arts venue and cinematic art house dedicated to hosting and providing high quality arts experiences to residents of and visitors to the Palouse. Movies are our bread and butter and enable us to provide a venue for other non-profit organizations like Moscow Community Theatre, Sirius Idaho Theatre, and Rendezvous.
Even so, profits are needed to pay for management, upkeep, and renovation of the historic facility. To keep our prices affordable for a wide range of people, we must rely on gifts and grants to make up the difference. About 40% of our annual income comes from donations, grants, and sponsorships.
The good news is that other local arts organizations have at some time during their history faced similar economic issues. Because the residents of Moscow and Pullman value these organizations and their intrinsic value they remain icons of our community’s cultural life. Moscow is, after all, the Heart of the Arts. We can’t simply pay lip service to this title. We must support the artists and arts organizations that give our city its identity.
The Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre is a community treasure. The building is part of Moscow’s Downtown Historic District and is itself on the National Register of Historic Places. It is part of our history as well as our daily life.
The Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre
Would like to thank its 2006 Donors|
Terry Abraham & Priscilla Wegars Gail Adele American Building Maintenance Appearances Marketing Audiological Services, Inc. Andrea Beckett Steven & Katharine Beyerlein Janice Boughton Tenley & Charles Burke Don & Karen Burnett Busch Distributors Gail Byers Bob & Nel Carver Becky Chastain & Henry Willard Robert Clyde Dennis & Louise Colson Bert Cross Culligan Water Jackson & Miranda Davis Mark & Gail DeSantis Arthur & Connie Driver Mary DuPree & Mark Hume JoAnn Evans First Step Internet Larry Fox Sally & Richard Fredericks Jim & Karen Frenzel Garden Lounge, Ltd. Sherry & Richard George Gritman Medical Center Pete & Margaret Haggart Joel & Mary Jo Hamilton Tom & Susan Hess Sue Hovey Janet Iverson Milburn & Bethine Kenworthy Kenworthy Enterprises Kenworthy Ltd Partnership Kimberly Kenworthy Manaut Greg Kimberling Jane & Peter Klaiber George & Joan Klingler Sandi Klingler Martha Klontz Marc & Anne Klowden KMOK Radio Jerry & Carol Ann Lange Bonita Lawhead Duane & Phyllis LeTourneau Karen & Reed Lewis Margaret Littlejohn Jean & Bruce Livingston |
Nancy Luebbert & James Wallis Marketime Drug Elinor McClosky Doug McFall & Holly Barnes Judi McKetta Carl & Lois Melina Elinor Michel & Walter Hesford Mikey's Gyros Mr. & Mrs. John Miller Charlotte & Phil Mohan Sarah Nelson O'Brien Real Estate Denise Ortiz Neil & Evelyn Palmer Chris & Molly Pannkuk Joy Passanante & Gary Williams Joan K. Pilgram Mrs. Duffy Porter Nancy Porter R Design Louise Regelin & David Sherman Jim Roberts Melissa Rockwood Royal Motor Inn Terri Schmidt Darlene Schneider Schreck Family Foundation Pat & Don Scott Jenny & Luke Sheneman Jean'ne Shreeve Chris Sokol Paul Spencer & Susan Daniels Carol & Walter Spurling John & Laurie Stegner Marci Stephens Helen & David Stiller Andrew Storfer Strom Electric, Inc. Mrs. John Talbott Ellen Thiem Tom & Jo Ann Trail Tri-State Distributors University Inn Best Western Peter Vincent Sarah Weems & Doyle McClure Rich & Dana Wekerle Beverley & John Wolff Bill Woolston & Donna Kendall-Woolston Joan Worden George & Gleanne Wray |
© 2008, All Rights Reserved, Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre, Inc.
Last update: 4/09/2008