2022-461-E-Arts Commission-Chelsea Art Theater INC-Outside agency

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Organization Description The mission of the Chelsea Theater is: To entertain, inspire and engage through film to enrich our div erse community. The Chelsea was once one of sev eral art house theaters in Chapel Hill and across the Triangle. Today the Chelsea is the Triangle’s only nonprofit cinema dev oted entirely to film and film related education. Originally opened in 1990, the Chelsea was sav ed from closure by a community fundraising effort (“Sav e the Chelsea”) and re-opened seamlessly as a nonprofit on March 30, 2018. As a nonprofit, the Chelsea quickly positioned itself as a v ital part of the local cultural community by establishing working relationships with national film distributors, attracting new audiences, and creating a space for discussion and interpretation of film. The Chelsea presents a portfolio of first-run, independent, feature, and documentary films. These films range from works by internationally known directors, to those by new and emerging filmmakers based globally and in our own community. In addition, the Chelsea regularly presents special series, as well as repertory and classic films. Many programs inv olv e collaborations with UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke Univ ersity, and community groups, and feature guest speakers or discussions on relev ant social, env ironmental, or cultural themes. Examples include: the Indigenous Peoples' film series; partnerships with the NAACP; an annual series of Dance on Film in conjunction with the American Dance Festiv al. The importance of the Chelsea’s reopening as a non-profit art house theater was indicated by the theater’s rapid early growth, with a peak of 1,500 member households and an annual attendance of 46,000 indiv iduals. This was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when the theater was forced to close for thirteen months. But adv ersity contained the seeds of opportunity, and the board used the lengthy closure to mov e forward with a much-needed renov ation of the theater by updating public spaces in the lobby and restrooms; replacing seats, sound systems, screens, and flooring; and installing a state-of-the-art air filtration system. The renov ation was fully funded the generous local community through their monetary contributions, as well as in-kind gifts of materials and labor. The updates resulted in three ADA accessible theaters with high quality audio-v isual equipment—offering patrons an outstanding big-screen experience in welcoming surroundings. The Chelsea’s board of directors is comprised of fifteen indiv iduals with backgrounds in nonprofit leadership, higher education (Duke and UNC faculty specializing in film), finance, health care, and construction. The board includes an equal number of men and women with approximately one quarter from Black or Latino heritage. The two full- time employees are the executiv e director and operations manager, who collectiv ely ov ersee all operations and functions of the theater. In addition, part-time employees include the assistant to the director who works primarily on PR and membership/dev elopment, and the digital media coordinator, responsible for design, website, and newsletters. The newly expanded part-time program manager position is now responsible for creating and managing an increased roster of special programs and writing and speaking about films. Additionally, concessions and ticketing are staffed by part timers, primarily students and recent graduates. DocuSign Envelope ID: C51EB45F-B413-43B9-9219-D43177B9056D