Thursday, September 8
7pm at the theater
The Future of the ART Is in Crisis:
A message from our President
The Acrosstown has been a mainstay of the Gainesville theatre scene since its inception in 1980, but it’s future is now at a crossroads.
We can no longer stay in this beautiful and unique theater at the old Baird Hardware Complex (now named South Main Station), which we have called home since 1985, and we have nowhere else to go. We are also in desperate need of new leadership.
When I took over as President in 2015, my goal was to lead this entirely volunteer-run company for three-to-five years and make it thrive both financially and artistically, which we did (and it was an honor and a pleasure!). However, since then, my health has required greater and greater attention, and nobody else has shown interest in leading. The pandemic only compounded this situation, leaving us with a skeleton crew of six on our Board of Directors. Our Treasurer will need to move on soon, as well.
We have systems in place, we have grants, we have a mission and a vision and talent galore— we have just about everything we need except the two most crucial things: a building and leadership. Even if an angel were to provide us with a new home (which was a possibility at one point), we’d still need your help to run it.
We will be having an open meeting at 7pm on Thursday, September 8. We hope you’ll join us and help shape the next incarnation of the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre.
We have always provided theatre for the community by the community. And it’s time now for that community to rise up. It’s time to give the ART a new home, new leadership, a more cohesive family and a future.
If you love the Acrosstown, please help us. Donations are always appreciated, but mere donations will not get us through this crisis. The only thing that will, is action– action by a good group of people who love our mission, vision, and considerably history, and who wish to keep it going. We need you.
~Carolyne Salt
ART President
Please join us here, at the theater, at 7pm Thursday, September 8, as we determine
the Acrosstown’s future.