Ribbon cutting held for Colonial Arts Center
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BUCKHANNON -- WVU Medicine St. Joseph's Hospital participated in the ribbon cutting for the Colonial Arts Center in downtown Buckhannon on Saturday, Oct. 21.
The theatre which had been vacant for many years, has now been restored and will house two theaters, the Men in Black (MIB) art gallery as well as the creative space for students on the ground floor. WVU Medicine St. Joseph's Hospital is proud to sponsor the Creative Suite of classrooms with colorful artwork created by WVU Medicine artist Lauren Lamb, a Buckhannon native.
"I am proud that our hospital can come forward to support the youth of our community in this important way," said Skip Gjolberg, President and CEO of WVU Medicine St. Joseph's Hospital.
"The Colonial Arts Center is a real jewel in the crown of our fabulous Main Street here in Buckhannon."
The building itself has been around since 1924. Garland West originally managed the building as the Colonial Theater, displaying films for all ages for over three decades (1930-1966). In the early 1970s, management transitioned to Gray Barker, a science fiction author who renamed the theatre Cinema V. Barker passed away in 1984, and the building was renovated into a bar shortly after.
The bar did not remain, and the building was closed. After nearly two decades, the City of Buckhannon knew that the loss of this historic building that it would be the loss of a key element to Buckhannon's Downtown Historic District. In March of 2017, a town hall meeting was held to seek community input, and a decision was made for the building to be renovated into a space that would benefit the community.
A grant proposal was submitted to the WV Department of Arts, Culture, and History in March of 2017 for the first phase of renovations to begin. This grant cycle awarded the theatre project $102,000 for demolition and clean-up work, such as floor replacement, roof repair, and other necessary renovations. The project also received over $5,500 from local art organizations.