Reg Lenna Center for the Arts Theatre
The Reg Lenna Center for the Arts is one of 13 downtown historic performing arts centers seeking on-going $20 million in operating support from New York State.
The coalition, known as Alive Downtowns!, have met virtually since the start of the pandemic. Their goal is to encourage New York lawmakers to think of the upstate historic theatres as they do zoos and aquariums and public television statewide – organizations that have great public benefit to the citizens of the state.
The 13 facilities combined have an average age of nearly 100 years and have been keystones to their respective downtowns for all those years. They serve over 5 million people annually including thousands of students. Their aggregate budgets exceed $100 million and their economic impacts for upstates major downtowns conservatively exceed $350 million.
Reg Lenna Executive Director Hillary Meyer said, “The Alive Downtowns! coalition is vital for The Reg and for our WNY region. It means that a certain amount of state funds would be directed to the economic development of Downtown Jamestown’s art and cultural center, which in turn lessens our reliance on our local foundations.
In addition, I am grateful for this network of peers who worked diligently throughout the pandemic to advocate for our industry and continue to support our theater community across the state.”
Alive Downtowns! is an affiliate corporation to the Upstate Theater Coalition for a Fairgame, established eight years ago in response to the establishment of casinos in the eastern and southern tiers of the state.
For more information, visit afairgame.net.
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