CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A nonprofit community movie theatre in Charlotte's Eastway neighborhood is making big moves.
The Independent Picture House (IPH) is expanding, both in the physical space and its mission. Starting this summer, IPH will be expanding further into the building on Raleigh Street where the theatre is currently housed.
"Charlotte has welcomed us and made our cinema part of their favorite outings," Brad Ritter, IPH's executive director, said in a news release. "This opportunity to expand comes at the perfect time, as we are seeing increased demand for film screenings and other events. Upon completion, we’ll be able to truly meet our mission to foster cultural connections through film.”
The announcement comes nearly two years since the theatre opened in June 2022.
As part of the expansion, IPH will be gaining a fourth auditorium. It'll be its largest auditorium, with roughly 145 seats, which will allow for more community performances and events in addition to film screenings. The expansion will also include the addition of a specific area to be used for various community events.
The Charlotte Art League (CAL), which had taken up a big space within the same building for its nonprofit art gallery, is not leaving the space -- it's just changing how it functions within the building.
Kate McAllister, the new executive director of CAL, told WCNC Charlotte that representatives of the nonprofit's board are working with the landlord to solidify what exactly the future holds, but confirmed CAL is intending to stay in the building, "albeit in a smaller footprint."
CAL said with the changes, the nonprofit will now be able to reassess its budget to ensure it's focusing on providing studio and wall space rentals for Charlotte artists, host educational offerings for the public, and increase arts events and programming to engage with the community across the city, beyond the Raleigh Street building.
"We are grateful for our landlord’s willingness to work with our organization through these difficult times, as well as our organization’s new leadership for stepping up to ensure CAL’s continued impact within the Charlotte creative community," McAllister said. "We are also excited for Independent Picture House's growth within our community and look forward to collaborating with them moving forward to promote both of our arts-focused organizations."
As the theatre expands, IPH said its team is hoping to continue its efforts of including local artists in events, and noted, "IPH is happy to have the Charlotte Art League remain neighbors in the building."
IPH said the construction should cause minimal disruption to programming over the summer. The theatre is aiming to open the new space by early November.