Community-Friendly Business: What a Concept!

I went to the Mind Field premiere last night at the Senator. The skate scene isn't my thing, but the film was nevertheless pretty cool. It mostly consisted of footage of some amazing skateboard tricks, juxtaposed with music, animations, and short shots of trippy things. There was a slightly psychedelic aesthetic that made the film look almost hand-colored. Anyway, it was well done.

It really got me thinking about how important community-friendly business is. Between national premieres of films connected with Baltimore or made by Baltimore filmmakers, free public events at significant times like the inauguration or the Super Bowl to support the local food pantry, the many fundraisers for area nonprofits the Senator has done (someone told me they number at least in the hundreds), the tradition of getting the kids on stage in their costumes at Halloween, and the general friendly feeling you get of coming to a locally-owned neighborhood theatre, we really have a unique treasure here in Baltimore, not just in the Senator's architecture and history, but its management. There's a real hometown feeling at the Senator.

Would a national chain do all (or any) of the above? I don't think so.

This is one thing that worries me. News reports in the Sun have said the city aims to transition the Senator to a nonprofit, but one city official recently told me he isn't sure that's going to be the solution. Certainly the public perception is that the city is stepping in and turning the Senator into a nonprofit, but I'm not sure that's the reality. We don't know what's happening, and it seems to me the city is at least as likely to bring in a developer or a national chain as to create a community-owned nonprofit.

All of this keeps reminding me of something that was said at the January 22 town hall at the Senator, when Tom Kiefaber asked Senator supporters to contact their local officials and ask them to come to the table with him and discuss the Senator's future. I'm new to Baltimore, so it didn't all make complete sense to me, but red flags were raised nonetheless.

MaxGenus has footage of most of the meeting on YouTube, but his daughter must have run out of battery power for her camera before the end of the question and answer session. Below is one clip of Catherine Evans of the Belvedere Improvement Association. The rest of the meeting footage can be viewed here.



What MaxGenus didn't get, and it also wasn't reported by the media, was an interesting exchange toward the end of the Q&A part of the meeting. I didn't totally understand it, not knowing the history, but it was something like the following:

The discussion was about the importance of the Senator Theatre to this area.

A man sitting in front of me noted that he's been following the developments with the Senator Theatre for the past twenty years, and asked why the city government doesn't understand the significance of the Senator and its function in the local community.

Catherine Evans stood up and said she wanted to answer that question. I don't have the exact quote, so this is coming from memory and notes, but I think she said something like...Let me assure you that they do. When she came on board with the Belvedere Improvement Association, there were redevelopment issues in the area and she worked closely with then city councilman Martin O'Malley. Later, when Belvedere Square was closed, Andy Frank (now Deputy Mayor) was put in charge of this at the BDC. The city understands for sure the significance of the Senator and its future, but they're also determined to be the ones who control it, whether from a community standpoint, as Tom (Kiefaber) has always advocated, or a commercial development standpoint.

Then another woman stood up behind me and said basically, yes, that's true. The city has been waiting it out so they can step in and control it.

Again, I apologize for not having the exact quotes, but the exchange went something like that.

Those of us who support the Senator need to keep our ears to the ground carefully. Something is afoot, and I don't think it smells right.

Save the Senator Theatre

I was just at the Senator Theatre in North Baltimore for an emergency community meeting about the plans to convert the historic 1939 Art Deco theatre into a nonprofit, community owned arts venue. The situation appears to be this: the plans are stalled because the theatre is in imminent danger of closing, and the staff has all it can handle to just keep the theatre operating at this time. The current owner, Tom Kiefaber, who has striven for 20 years to keep the theatre open and provide entertainment and a community gathering place, cannot turn the theatre into a nonprofit if he can’t clear the theatre’s debts first.

The positive side to all this is, there is a great feeling that the community can expand the theatre’s role as a real place of community building. Many potential uses were mentioned, including a place for schools to show educational films related to their curriculums, a place for local filmmakers to showcase their work, and a place for live performances of many kinds.

There is a plan in the works for local bands to stage a fundraiser for the theatre, although those plans are not finalized. Some lawyers have made offers of free legal help for the theatre’s efforts to transition to a nonprofit as well.

I am new to the area, so I don’t have the fond memories of the history of the place that many members of the community have. I haven’t been there for the annual showing of “It’s a Wonderful Life” during the holidays, for instance, or the many fundraisers for community nonprofits.

Several members of the community who were at the meeting mentioned in particular that the recent gathering at the Senator to witness the inauguration of President Barack Obama was an outstanding example of the kind of community-building function that the Senator Theatre can serve, and currently serves --- bringing neighbors together in a spirit of celebration to witness a historically important event, and to gather food donations for the needy at the same time. The standing-room only event truly was a special moment for this community.

The recent national and international economic crisis has put the Senator’s survival in grave jeopardy. The failure of the theatre would also endanger the businesses in the surrounding area, which have a symbiotic relationship with the theatre, the prosperity of each contributing to the prosperity of the others. It would also negatively affect the community psychologically and in terms of home values. With support from local and state government for the goal of turning the Senator into a nonprofit, the theatre need not close. It is clear there is broad support within the community for the theatre. The question is really whether government leaders will come to the table to discuss how the conversion into a nonprofit can become a reality.

I ask elected representatives in the Baltimore area to come together and help save the Senator and the positive impact it has on the economy and the quality of life in North Baltimore.

Tom Kiefaber told us at the meeting that it is not a question of raising a specific dollar amount, but a question of getting enough institutional support behind the project for it to move forward. That said, he did also say that he would be grateful for any angels who wish to come forward. When he said it, I pictured angels all around him.

Residents of the Baltimore area can help keep the Senator in business by going to movies there, of course. The next film shown will be Defiance, starting Friday. Check the theatre’s web site for times. Let’s pack the house!