Big ideas for new year

SANDPOINT – Two years ago, a community meeting brought a crowd of people to the Panida Theater. After a short preamble by the board of directors, those same people took the stage, supplied with pencils and clipboards, to help plot out the theater’s future.

The ideas they came up with have been part and parcel of board meetings ever since, finally emerging at the end of this year as a new campaign that goes by the name Panida Forever.

Some of the community directives were meant to bring the 85-year-old beauty up to fire code; some are aimed at improving the audience experience. All of them are designed to carry the grand dame of downtown Sandpoint forward to share with generations to come.

“The goal is to be able to keep it for everyone, always, and perhaps even be able to grow more,” said Karen Bowers, artistic director for the Panida.

No stranger to the world of fundraising – the theater was, after all, initially saved by an outpouring of community generosity and, over the years, has been spruced up and improved thanks to the same largesse – the Panida now embarks on a $1.2 million drive to install fire sprinklers throughout the building, inspect the ceiling for structural integrity and replace the serviceable but less than ideal lighting rig with a system that is in keeping with the caliber of internationally known acts and artists who appear on stage there throughout the year.

A separate campaign to raise $75,000 for a digital projector passed the halfway mark this month, on the way to funding the new technology required by movie studios. In a matter of months, many of those companies will stop sending reels of film and move to digital downloads instead.

“We have a short time frame, because we’re hoping to raise the rest of that money by this summer,” said Maureen Tillberg, who joined the Panida staff in August as business and development manager. “But it’s not just so we can keep up with the film industry – having a digital projector means we can hugely expand our programming.”

“With this technology, we can bring in live opera, live concerts and plays,” Bowers explained.

With two professionals in the office, each addressing different aspects of theater operations, the road ahead looks promising. Bowers looks forward to placing her focus on keeping the theater’s calendar packed with quality performances and maintaining the popular film series she spearheaded years ago.

Tillberg, meanwhile, has thrown herself into the task of getting the word out about those events. She calls her position a “two-sided coin,” with one side dedicated to paying bills, writing checks and working with vendors, while the other addresses grant-writing, fundraising and marketing. It’s in that last category that Tillberg sees the biggest opportunity for audience growth.

“I can’t tell you how many people have said to me, ‘Oh, yeah, I know all about the Panida – we just never get down there,’” she said. “My goal is to get more information out to those people to let them know about all of the things we have going on here. We’re trying to find new avenues to get the word out about the Panida, because people who are not involved in the arts or aren’t familiar with the theater don’t know what we have to offer.”

One way to get that done is through the theater’s e-mail newsletter, which son will top 1,200 names. The list is appended every time someone calls for movie times or to learn about upcoming shows and gets an invitation to receive emails in the bargain.

Bowers, who has been with the theater for more than 25 years and, until Tillberg came on board, was the sole administrative presence in combination with technical director Bill Lewis, has come to personify the Panida, both through tenure and personal investment in the theater’s long-term success. She points to the board of directors as a catalyst for making things happen, particularly as the Panida Forever campaign takes off.

“This is a working, forward-looking board,” Bowers said. “They are on it and involved.”

Board chair Stephen Bond Garvan turned the mirror of gratitude around and swept it back and forth to shine on a large population of supporters.

“We – the Panida Board, staff, volunteers, grantors, donors, members, presenters – are all working hard to preserve a solid future for our treasured theater,” he said. “It takes a community to maintain, restore and support. Huge thanks to one and all.”

Whereas past fundraisers have targeted specific projects, the Panida Forever campaign casts a wider net, one designed to put the historic building in top condition and then get the word out and keep the seats filled as a way to ensure financial stability.

Based on past performance and community support, Tillberg sees it as a situation where success breeds success.

“Absolutely,” she said. “One of the things I’ve been most impressed by is the fact that the Panida is a working theater. Karen’s role, over the years, has been to establish it as an entertainment center, which has contributed enormously to the success of the theater.

“The Panida is a gem in this region because we don’t just show movies – we have concerts, recitals and dance reviews,” Tillberg added. “I also see the theater as a piece of history from this area. For those who grew up here, there’s a special place in their hearts for the Panida. That’s why it’s important to see it preserved.”

Bowers, who has been at the helm through all but the very first fundraising drive, said the region continues to embrace the theater due to its sense of ownership.

“The Panida is ours – it’s owned by the community,” she reminded. “That has a lot to do with the support we get from the community.”

To learn more about the Panida Forever drive, see a calendar of upcoming events or join the e-mail newsletter, visit the theater online at: www.panida.org or call (208) 255-7801.