SERVICES > Governor's Arts Awards > 2012 GAA Award Winners
2012 GAA Organizational Achievement Award
Friends of the Midwest Theater (Scottsbluff/Gering)
Friends of the Midwest Theater (FMT) is an organization of concerned citizens who joined together to help operate activities at the historic Midwest Theater in downtown Scottsbluff. It is the mission of the FMT to preserve and enhance the theater for present and future generations by offering mainstream and specialty films, performing and visual arts events, and school and community educational programming. The Midwest Theater, firmly supported by the FMT, offers a wide range of programming that ensures the availability of a broad array of artistic opportunities and outreach programming that reflect the diversity of the region.
The Midwest Theater stands in a location which has been the home of the town’s local theatre since 1925, when the Egyptian Theater was built. After that theater was destroyed by fire, the Midwest Theater was constructed in 1946. A beautiful theater built in the Art Moderne style, it has been completely renovated and listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
Friends of the Midwest Theater (FMT) was established in the fall of 1998 with the help of the Oregon Trail Community Foundation. FMT received non-profit status shortly thereafter and began the mission to foster the development of the Midwest Theater as the primary presentation venue for films, arts and educational programming in Western Nebraska.
FMT’s initial project involved raising the $1.3 million needed for renovations and purchase of an adjacent building to enable the venue to function as a multipurpose facility and address accessibility needs. Once the renovation was complete, the FMT assumed operations of the facility, which is overseen by a board of directors, a full-time general manager, two part-time office staff, and projectionists. All other venue duties, which comprise the bulk of the operational labor, are performed by dedicated community volunteer with duties ranging from concession work to fundraising, marketing, and cleaning.
The Midwest Theater’s film programming includes a mix of film genres including mainstream, independent/arthouse, documentaries, and children’s films. Special programming includes the Community Cinema series, the Reel Earth Film Festival held with free admission during Earth Week, six Summer Kiddie Movies, and a free library movie for children that completes their summer reading goals.
The Midwest Theater’s performing arts series includes a set of four to five distinct performances, such as Turtle Island Quartet, Soweto Gospel Choir, Kelly Hunt, Golden Dragon Acrobats, and Many Moccasins Dance Troupe. Several performing arts acts are from Nebraska and the surrounding region. The performance series includes free educational matinees whenever possible. Area students, in audiences numbering up to 600 individuals, have attended these events.
Local, private sponsorships play an important role for theater programming which keeps the community involved and continues to keep the theater a vital part of the region. In addition, partnerships with the Nebraska Arts Council, Lied Center for Performing Arts/Arts Across Nebraska and the Mid-America Arts Alliance help the Midwest Theater continue to present quality performances.
