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Why
Donate to The State Theatre’s
Annual Giving Project?
The State Theatre
of Ithaca is your downtown performing
arts center. Ticket sales go a long way to
support our operation, but, as with all non-profit
theaters, we still must rely upon the active
involvement of our community to lend financial
support. Tax-deductible gifts from donors
allows The State Theatre to program our stages
with a diverse array of live, engaging performances
and enables us to preserve, maintain and improve
the functionality and comfort of this Theatre
as we remain this community’s center
of performing arts activity.
Donate Now!
To make a donation, please fill out the PayPal
Online Donation form below. We are a federally
recognized 501(c)(3) charitable organization,
and all contributions to the State Theatre
of Ithaca, Inc. are tax deductible.
Donate online via PayPal. Just choose your
desired donation amount below:
Important Facts:
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According to The History Center
of Tompkins County, downtown Ithaca
once boasted seventeen grand theaters,
including the Lyceum, the Crescent,
and the Strand. With just over 1600
seats, The State Theatre is the
last remaining of these majestic
theatres.
- During
the 2009/10 season, The State Theatre
hosted close to 70 events with a
total attendance of 45,474 patrons.
Despite many theatres across the
country reporting a 20-30% drop-off
in tickets sales, these figures
were right on par with the theatre’s
2008/09 numbers when 45,702 people
passed through our doors
-
According to The Americans for the
Arts 2010 Economic Calculator, The
State Theatre currently generates
over $1,500,000 in additional spending
in Tompkins County businesses due
to the theatre’s programming.
- Increased
tourism means additional money spent
in our community. When people visit
Ithaca, they purchase meals, drinks,
hotel rooms, and they shop. Analysis
of our ticket sales indicate that
during the 2008/2009 season, 13,875
ticket purchasers (29%) came from
outside Tompkins County, while 3,349
(7%) live 90 or more miles away.
Numerous economic models including
Smart Growth, Cool Cities, and Main
Street point to the importance of
downtown districts, historic preservation,
and arts and culture to foster economic
development.
- The
State outperforms most theatres
in the country by covering 78% of
its operating budget from ticket
sales versus the normal 50%. Most
theatres have to rely on 50% of
their operating revenue to come
from donations and grants. The State
already performs better than 95%
of theatres in the United States!
-
The theatre proudly hosts both nationally
touring artists (Arlo Guthrie, Bryan
Adams, Lyle Lovett, Joan Baez, Government
Mule, etc.) as well as community
events (Ithaca Ballet, Running to
Places, The Little Apple Follies,
etc.)
-
The State Theatre was listed on
the National Register of Historic
Places in 1996. In 1999, the American
Institute of Architects recognized
The Theatre as one of the top 60
most significant architectural landmarks
in all of New York State.
-
Downtown revitalization is driven
by three things: Arts, Dining and
Entertainment. The State Theatre
of Ithaca is the crown jewel of
downtown Ithaca’s arts community.
With continued community support,
The State Theatre will continue
to be a vital fixture in Tompkins
County’s arts landscape.
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What’s been done at The State Theatre
recently?
State
Theatre of Ithaca, Inc. has managed
to make many physical improvements to
this historic building in a short period
of time. As we opened our doors this
past fall, many patrons noted how the
theatre was in the best condition they
had ever seen. Recent improvements include
the following:
- The
entire front entrance, including
the plaster ceiling under the marquee,
has been renovated, and many other
improvements have been made to the
lobby, including the repainting
of all of the wood beams throughout.
-
The tiny light bulbs in the ceiling
of the theatre have been replaced,
so once again the “stars”
can come out at night.
-
In January 2010, major upgrades
were completed to the stage and
fly-gallery. A $92,000 rigging project
added 13 counterweight line sets
to the existing system allowing
greater programming options and
a more professional production space.
-
An insulated load-in door was also
added to the stage to seal a major
air leak, ensuring an ambient stage
temperature during performances
and saving significant money on
energy.
-
A new handicap accessible drinking
fountain was recently installed.
It was funded by a grant from The
Rotary Club of Ithaca.
-
A popcorn machine was introduced
to our concessions last April and
our food sales immediately doubled.
As far as future renovations are
concerned, we recently received
a grant that will address much needed
plaster repair throughout the interior
of the theatre. Despite the roof
getting fixed about ten years ago,
the damage left behind from years
of water damage are still visible.
This work is scheduled to be completed
by late January 2011.
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