Storefront Improvement Program Used to Restore Art Marquee
The Art Film Foundation is preparing to officially rededicate the renovated Art Theater Marquee on Monday, December 18th at 6:30 PM. This year long project involved a community fundraising drive to match the $10,000 available in the City’s Storefront Improvement Program. In total, $23,000 in repairs were made. The project included structural repairs as well as replacing the failing neon, electrical systems, and lighting. This marquee was originally installed on the Park Theater in 1950 and later renamed to the Art Theater around 1958. The Art Theater is Champaign’s oldest surviving theater, having opened in 1913.This icon of Downtown will continue to dazzle downtown goers for another generation.
