en.Wedoany.com Reported - Arthouse Houston is leading a $14 million fundraising campaign to transform Houston's Garden Oaks Theater into an arts community center and restore its cinema function. The nonprofit is collaborating with Preservation Houston, Gensler, and filmmaker Wes Anderson, with a goal to complete fundraising by July 30.
Opened in 1947, the Garden Oaks Theater featured typical post-war cinema amenities: a tall blade sign, a backlit marquee, an art deco lobby, and a 783-seat auditorium. After being acquired by a church in the 1990s, the theater's facilities were left unused, storefront windows were bricked up, and the sign was replaced. Last year, developers Heights Equity Trust and Sage Equity Partners purchased the building and planned to demolish it. Maureen McNamara, co-founder and president of Arthouse Houston, said the organization "barely got in front of the wrecking ball." After successfully leading the campaign to preserve the River Oaks Theater, the group stepped in again to prevent the demolition of Garden Oaks.
Designed by Dallas firm Pettigrew & Worley, the theater is located in a low-rise building along North Shepherd Drive, which previously also housed a pharmacy, a post office, and a five-and-dime store. Earlier this summer, Gensler's Stephanie Burritt visited Garden Oaks, after which Gensler produced renderings of the proposed restoration. Emily Ardoin, director of preservation services at Preservation Houston, said the renovation will focus on preservation, retaining existing features while reconstructing lost ones based on historical photographs.
Arthouse Houston envisions a full transformation of the building. Plans include restoring a vintage soda fountain/café next to the theater and establishing a makerspace and classrooms for arts education in the former five-and-dime store and post office locations. Of the total $14 million fundraising goal, $7.1 million will be used to purchase the building from its current owners, and $6.9 million will go toward renovation and restoration.
Arthouse Houston has enlisted Texas native and Oscar-winning filmmaker Wes Anderson for support. On the evening of July 17, a Wes Anderson Homecoming Soiree was held at Zilkha Hall in the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, celebrating the 30th anniversary of his debut feature film "Bottle Rocket." The event included short film screenings, a Q&A session with Anderson on stage, and an auction of signed memorabilia, which also featured experiences with filmmakers John Waters and John Cameron Mitchell.
