The Lincoln Theatre first opened its doors as a movie palace on July 1, 1929 and welcomed crowds from all over the region for nearly five decades. In 1977, the theatre entered its "Dark Era," falling into ruin as the crowds stopped rolling in. When the doors closed, many assumed the total demise of the Mayan-Revival-style venue was inevitable and permanent.
However, the unbridled dedication of Marion's townspeople to preserving its heritage and artistic tradition proved much stronger than any national trend in favor of modernization and allocation to larger cities. While hundreds of movie palaces and other buildings constructed in this distinctive architectural style were abandoned for good, The Lincoln Theatre was given a second chance.
In the late 1980s, The Lincoln, Inc. was created by a group of passionate locals who set out to raise the funds needed to restore the theatre to its former glory. All thanks to generous donors, loving patrons, community leaders, businesses, and countless volunteers, the venue reopened on May 15, 2004 with a Song of The Mountains performance featuring Riders in The Sky.
Since the grand reopening, The Lincoln Theatre has welcomed thousands of enthusiastic patrons and added live music, comedy, community awareness events, theatrical performances, dance recitals, youth programs, award ceremonies, film festivals, storytelling presentations, and more to its calendar. Thanks to a resident film curator, The Lincoln Theatre is also revitalizing its cinematic roots. Every month, you will find no shortage of film events handpicked to entertain and educate. The catalog of events continues expanding to accommodate the wide array of patron interests.
In light of The Lincoln's prosperous revival, artist Darrin Pruitt has generously lent his talents to create a heartfelt, one-of-a-kind illustration paying homage to the venue's persevering history and the people who leave their mark on its legacy.
"We are shaped by the hills and country around us." - Darrin Pruitt
The concept behind this remarkable artwork is that the theatre frames the lives of the community. The trees on the hills (blue to remind us of the Blue Ridge) make their way to the theatre stage and, little by little, become people. Pruitt intends for the figures to be shaped like the trees and, like the trees, be of varying colors and shapes. We are shaped by the hills and country around us.
The sky is cheerful, full of warm colors, and suggests a rising or setting sun. Its lights cast long shadows that point toward the stage, and the audience on the other side of the stage complements the sun, with light on their faces—a kind of visual call and response.
The Mayan architecture of the theatre has references in the font, gradient of the sky, decoration of the stage, and frame holding the curtain.
The shadows cast by the figures and players are heart-shaped, representing both the love of theatre and community along with the great drama of love.
Darrin Pruitt did a bit of growing up in Marion, Virginia (and quite a bit more in New Orleans, Strasbourg, France, and Brooklyn, New York, where he now lives with his partner of 17 years.) He attended Marion Senior High School and it was there where he started his training in drawing, painting, languages, and literature. There, he had the good fortune of meeting teachers whose expansive thinking on what was possible was the exact complement he needed for his yearning to explore and have an intimate relationship with creativity.
"I have watched younger siblings and successive generations grow up and move away from Marion or get absorbed in the fight to survive, bound to the fate of the town. And, more recently, I have found great satisfaction in seeing Marion and its people, some of them my own people, shift from surviving to thriving. The town has gathering places now, like the Lincoln, where community can take hold. These places are precious because of the shared story they have had. They are worth keeping alive because of the story that has not been written yet of the community of people still gathering there."
The Lincoln Theatre is beyond thrilled to house Pruitt's 20th Reopening Anniversary commemorative work, which the artist has lovingly donated. Visit Lola's at The Lincoln to behold the impressive 14x21.5-inch illustration and take home a magnet featuring the work as a souvenir. Cheers to 20 years, and cheers to many more!
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