STRENGTHEN GROW•EVOLVE
A collaboration between The Englert Theatre and FilmScene
Building the greatest small city for the arts in America.
Iowa City is a great city for the arts. We are known for our rich culture. It is why people live here, what people remember when they come to visit, and the charm that attracts new people to call this place home.
Strengthen • Grow • Evolve is a collaborative campaign led by two Iowa City-based arts nonprofits, The Englert Theatre and FilmScene that seeks a major reinvestment to strengthen the arts through modern and historic venues, innovative programming, and new models of collaboration. We’re already great, but by working together, we can be the greatest.
Maybe you mean: 'strength' or 'strength-sub' or 'grow-sub' or 'evolve-sub' or 'grow' or 'evolve'
Sustaining our Historic Spaces
We will strengthen FilmScene’s flagship Ped Mall location and modernize the historic Englert Theatre, sustaining our venues, improving audience experience and accessibility, and enhancing lighting, sound, and stage production to deliver that all important nightly, “wow.”
FilmScene Ped Mall Cinema Revitalization
- New seating
- Lobby improvements
- Maintaining modern presentation standards
The Englert Theatre Historic Preservation + Modern Enhancements
- Building facade and brick repair
- Improved energy efficiency
- Window restoration
- HVAC renovation
- Electric and wiring renovation
- Stage and house lighting
- Carpet replacement
- Roofing membrane
- Modernized audio system
- Fire panel replacement
- Gallery renovation
2020 Englert Stretch Goals
Iconic marquee rehabilitation • New seating • Plaster repair • Solar installation • DCP film projector + screen
FilmScene at Chauncey
A new state-of-the-art three-screen facility at The Chauncey—in the heart of downtown—will become FilmScene’s landmark home. Working towards ownership of the facility by our nonprofit will ensure organizational stability and secure the future of film as an art form in Iowa City.
- Three new cinemas, seating over 225 moviegoers
- Flexible space for educational programming
- Programming expansion through increased show-times, community partnerships, and film offerings
- Cutting-edge picture and sound with enhanced comfort and expanded food and drink options
- Office space for a growing staff
Festival Investments
- With expanded cinema facilities, we will create Refocus Film Festival, presenting films inspired by and adapted from original text—a unique film event for our City of Literature.
- Continued nurturing of the Englert’s two annual festivals: the literature and performance mainstay Mission Creek Festival and Witching Hour, which explores the creative process.
2020 Stretch Goals
Outdoor screening capabilities on the Chauncey Park lawn • Endowing our festival efforts
Our Dream
Every student in the Iowa City Community School District will engage a meaningful arts experience before graduation.
Arts Access Initiative
We seek to launch an arts education effort in collaboration with local partners to expand arts engagement in our community. Together, we will hire a Community Engagement Director, dedicated to fostering deeper artistic connections with our local K-12 schools, universities and colleges, neighborhoods, and the diverse cultures of our community and to expanding year-round arts education workshops and artist visits to our schools.
Allied Arts Initiative
The Englert and FilmScene will deepen important partnerships with the Bijou Film Board, SCOPE Productions, and other University of Iowa organizations and work with a collective of local cultural nonprofits to share ideas and best practices, work together, and envision a collective future for our entire region, starting here in Iowa City.
2020 Stretch Goals
Active year-round artist residency house • Collaborative programming and artist support
Support Our Goal
Please consider a donation to support the Strengthen • Grow • Evolve campaign to build the greatest small city for the arts.
Our goal is to raise $7 million dollars to secure the long-term vitality of our two organizations and expand our community impact.
Progression as of 4/19/2019
$3.3M of $6.5M raised
Funding is needed immediately to stay on track for a fall 2019 opening of FilmScene at the Chauncey and phase one renovations at the Englert. Our campaign will continue to raise funding until the new marquee is lit on the historic Englert Theatre in summer of 2020.
Donor Tiers
Every dollar matters
You can make a one-time contribution or a five-year pledge quickly and easily online right now.
Donations by check can be made out to “Strengthen Grow Evolve” and mailed c/o The Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., Iowa City, IA 52240.
Your contribution will help us reach our ambitious goal. Thank you!
Name a seat
Leave a lasting legacy by naming a seat at FilmScene or the Englert! Our new modern seating will be carefully selected for comfort, attractiveness and durability.
We are offering our community an opportunity to sponsor a seat at multiple levels that are meaningful and significant. Seat naming is available through a five-year pledge agreement, and your named seat will far outlive that commitment.
Thank you for supporting our campaign with a lasting commitment.
Named & Creative Giving
Legacy naming opportunities are available for major giving, including theater and room naming options. To discuss these exciting options, or for creative giving options including stock transfers, multi-year pledges, or to pledge by phone, please contact Taylor Leigh Jackson by phone at 319-519-6736, or by email at taylor@strengthen
Leadership
Staff Leadership
Andre Perry
Englert Executive Dir.
Joe Tiefenthaler
FilmScene Executive Dir.
Katie Roche
Englert Development Dir.
Andrew Sherburne
FilmScene Assoc. Dir.
Campaign Co-Chairs
Dick & Joyce Summerwill (Honorary)
Wally & Karen Chappell (Honorary)
Amanda West
Nina Lohman
FilmScene Board of Directors
Karen Chappell, Chair
Hans House, Vice Chair
Laura Seegmiller, Secretary
Chris Ameling, Treasurer
Laura Bergus, Past Chair
Emma Barnum
Hannah Bonner
Corey Creekmur
Will Downing
Evan Evans
David Gould
Tommy Haines
Adam Ingersoll
Tristen Ives
Uri Lessing
Nina Lohman
Jake Nelson
T.J. Norris
Kembrew McLeod
Doug Ongie
Ryan O’Leary
Andre Perry
Anna Stone
Nick Westergaard
Englert Board of Directors
Amy Hospodarsky, President
Andy Martin, Vice President
Jason Wagner, Treasurer
Nick Bergus, Secretary
Vickie Sharp, Past President
JB Barnhouse
Carl Brown
Rob Decker
Todd Fanning
Timothy Hill
Brad Johnson
Muneera Kapadia
Nellie Link
Tim McDougall
Joe Moreland
Jessie Singerman
Elliott Sohn