Since its closure in late April, single-screen theater The Screen on the Santa Fe University of Art and Design campus sat empty and projection-less—but a new partnership between the city and the Center for Contemporary Arts will soon find films playing again when The Screen is rolled up into the CCA's Cinematheque program.
"We've been able to take something people loved and were afraid of losing and see it revitalized," Mayor Alan Webber said during a press conference on Thursday. "We get to have a great partner, we get to have The Screen alive and well, we get to have the Santa Fe University of Art and Design campus lit up."
Rather than lease the property with something boring and old-fashioned like money, CCA is entering what is known as a service value lease, wherein a certain level of in-kind value will be provided to the community through programming such as screenings, classes, events and partnerships with schools and nonprofits. According to CCA Executive Director Stuart Ashman, the lease for the movie theater space runs for one year with the option to renew. In a press release, city spokesman Matt Ross says the specifics of how the value will be determined are still being assessed.
"It's a big project to take on an abandoned campus," CCA Cinematheque Director Jason Silverman said at the same press conference. "It's such an inspiring moment to be here right now in this specific partnership with the city; this partnership that shows us that movies and culture can be an essential service the city can provide."
Specific days and hours have not been announced yet, nor have new employment opportunities, though the CCA's Nathan Hollis tells SFR that current employees such as himself and Chris Bredenberg will probably split time between the two locations. The Screen will be run from the CCA's office on Old Pecos Trail with longtime general manager Charlotte Martinez coming on as the Cinematheque's manager of community engagement. Ongoing programming is still being developed, though some special events were announced such as screenings of Pixar shorts, Yellow Submarine, and 1971's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as part of the grand opening on Saturday July 14.
The city has made few if any other deals for use of the sprawling Midtown campus. Next week, a group of architects and urban planners on a fellowship from Harvard are coming with help from the Santa Fe Art Institute to "weigh in and give feedback" about the city process.
