Passing the Torch Forward

November 2020

We’re Wrapping up November!

We have some great events coming up soon that are on sale NOW! Check them out below:

  • 11/28: Chris Boss
    • Rock music! Tickets are $5 online or $7 at the door.
    • 7:30pm-10:30pm
  • 12/5: Santa Saturday
    • An event for the kids! Take a photo with Santa at the Schreiner Mansion Courtyard & then walk over to watch Olaf’s Frozen Adventure at the Arcadia. 
    • Tickets are $8 for children, no charge for adult guardians. 
  • 12/19: Santa Saturday
    • An event for the kids! Take a photo with Santa at the Schreiner Mansion Courtyard & then walk over to watch The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol at the Arcadia. 
    • Tickets are $8 for children, no charge for adult guardians. 

NOTE: Our 12/18/20 event, Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis Holiday Shindig, is not yet on sale. Please stay tuned for announcements on this event!

The beginning of our month was a little quiet on the event front…. But for a big reason! Our state of the art sound system was installed in the theatre during the first 2 weeks of November. This sound system was carefully researched, is one of the best available, and will make us a highly competitive venue. Come check it out at a live music event~

This past month we had another installment in our Back Porch Music Series, Carlos & Dan and the Silver Bullets. Last weekend we had our first ticketed event, Walt Wilkins Red River Song Swap, as well as a showcase of a local music label with 3 bands, Nautical Nation with Brock Bushong, Baba Neon, and White Rabbit. It was a great month for live music in Downtown Kerrville.

What’s next? Great question! We’ll keep track of upcoming events on our website and post regularly on Facebook and Instagram

Let’s rock!

Chris Boss and his and band will bring rock & roll to the stage!

Autumn on Deck

The leaves have fallen from the Cypress trees in the park, but the view of the Guadalupe River from our deck has been STUNNING this fall. Come check it out at our Chris Boss event this Saturday, 11/28.

We have the venue… bring your own guests!

Take it from us, the Arcadia theatre is picture perfect. Plan an end of the year event with us OR start thinking about having your 2021 event at Arcadia Live! Please reach out to our awesome new Events Manager, Stacie Leporati, at events@thearcadialive.org should you have any questions.

Health & Safety
If you’d like to know more about the procedures that will be in place at Arcadia Live before you visit, check out our website.

Passing the Torch Forward

The Bold Blade’s Debut

A quick preface: We use the word “blade” in reference to our theatre’s signs- It is a term that can be used interchangeably with “sign.”

We’ve got a brand new façade, so what’s a better companion than a fresh, 21st century sign? The Bold Blade, which made its Grand Entrance mid-September, has been a work in progress for several months and is a modern interpretation of the torch featured on our 1926 Classic Blade. The goal of this project was to represent our mission to bring vibrance and new life into the community of Kerrville. Below you’ll find Katie’s responses to an interview she did with the Hill Country Community Journal.  


“The original blade, or as we at Arcadia Live call it, the Classic Blade, was unveiled with the Spanish Mission style façade in 1926. In 1948, the Arcadia theatre was “modernized” with its art deco elements in the corridor, the red fins, and our neon, Iconic Blade. In 2020, our group decided to pass the torch back to the Mission Façade along with the addition of our Bold Blade, our modern interpretation of the Classic Blade. 

The green Iconic Blade and Fins (that everyone knows and adores!) have an awesome new home overlooking our deck, our Antler Alley, and the Guadalupe River.

Our original idea was to replicate the 1926 blade. This romantic notion was modified when we realized that there is little information to be found on the Arcadia’s first sign. In fact, we do not even know where the Classic Blade ended up after the 1948 renovation of the theatre. All known photos of the blade are in black and white and do not show many clear details. A Kerrville Mountain Sun newspaper article from June, 24th, 1926 proclaimed the sign as, “A Riot of Color” which was achieved with twinkling lights under colored hoods- the predominant colors being red, green, and amber. We spoke to a few Kerrvillians who were around during the “era of the Classic Blade,” but they remembered little of the original blade. In the end, our team decided to modernize and enlarge the torch featured on the Classic blade in the construction of our new Bold Blade.

I would say my favorite part of this design project was the fact that our theatre has so many unique and meaningful design elements to draw inspiration from. In the case of designing the Bold Blade, it was important to me that it not only fit with the front of our building, but also with the feel of the entire venue. I wanted this sign to be the embodiment of our non-profits mission, “to promote vibrant and diverse entertainment while preserving the history and life of downtown Kerrville.” 

If you look closely at the Bold Blade, you will notice several sunbursts that mirror those pictured on the façade above the windows. Both the 1926 Classic Blade and the 2020 Bold Blade feature a torch. Our color scheme not only ties in with the red and gold you’ll see featured throughout the venue, but also matches the signage of our neighbors, Baublits. This provides a cohesive look across the entire face of our shared building. The black edge of the Bold Blade and the organic movement in the flames of the torch complement the ironwork details that grace the façade and our halls.

From day one of this project, our goal at Arcadia Live has been to pay homage to everything that this theatre has been over its near century of existence. We have a cultural cornerstone in our hands and we’ve done everything in our power to seek out and preserve the memories of this theatre. Beyond that though, part of our job is to make sure that this venue is competitive and ready to thrive in our modern landscape. We believe we’ve found a happy middle ground by saving what we had, recreating what was lost over time, and adding modern details throughout.

I am very proud of where the Arcadia Theatre is at today. So many people in this community have supported us on this project and helped us get to this point. Hanging the Bold Blade felt like placing the cherry on top of a beloved, history-ladden sundae.”
 

Local Talent: King of Neon & Guadalupe Signs

While our own team worked hard on perfecting the façade, this blade was made possible by collaborating with some seriously talented local businesses. 

First, thank you to Ray Lynch of King of Neon for both restoring our neon Iconic Blade and building our new Bold Blade. Second, thank you to Guadalupe Signs for bringing our vision to life! They did a fabulous job painting, adding vinyl details, and installing our new sign on a tight deadline. 

Bold Blade: Actualized!

The colors featured in the final piece have high contrast compared to the preliminary design shown below. The chosen colors should maintain their vibrance as the sign weathers and ages!

Bold Blade: On the screen

Here’s a peek behind the curtain! This was the preliminary design for the Bold Blade, done on Katie’s iPad prior to finalization of colors & details.

Putting the FUN in Fundraising

Construction is Done but We Need You

Since this project was started at the end of 2018, we have made astounding progress thanks to our team’s dedication and the resounding support of our community. To date, our Capital Campaign has nearly met our construction costs. While the theatre is ready to go (check out the before and after images of the main bar below to see how far we’ve come), our non-profit has an immediate need to raise funds for our one time capital expenses. 

If you were thinking of making a year end donation please consider making it now. A gift this month will help us pay the balance on some of the best sound and lighting in the Texas Hill Country, our DLP film projector and screen, curtains and more. Please contact Anne, at info@thearcadialive.org or 830-315-5483, if you have any questions about the capital expenses or naming opportunities.

Main bar BEFORE:

This photo was taken prior to the kickoff of construction in November, 2019. Some might remember this area as the Crying Room.

Main Bar AFTER

Refreshing, am I right? The wood showcased on the main bar was actually reclaimed from upstairs. Black and gold details really let the bricks & wood shine in this space.

Community-Centered Neighbors

Volunteer Opportunities

As a non-profit, we need all the help we can get. If you’re interested in spending some extra time (and sharing your talents!) at the Arcadia theatre, please consider signing up as one of our volunteers.

If you’d like to get involved, please reach out to our Volunteer Coordinator, Laurie Rees, at volunteers.thearcadialive@gmail.com or respond to this email & I will get you in touch.

Our most immediate need will be for ushers at live events, however, we will have a wide variety of volunteer opportunities available in future. So, we encourage you to sign up now to get on our radar, cool cat!
 

This newsletter is brought to you by our Corporate Sponsors

Thank you to the following companies and individuals for supporting Arcadia Live’s mission. We sincerely appreciate you.


Starring Sponsors

Texas Hill Country Bank

HCTC
 

Supporting Sponsors

Encorpe, Inc.

John Fontenot, Consultant

Ken Stoepel Ford

KPUB

Michael R. Borchers, DDS & Shari Addington, MD

Steamatic Restoration & Cleaning

Texas Multi-Chem, LTD
 

Applauding Sponsors

A3 Studio Architecture
DFEO
 

Please look forward to seeing more about these sponsors in upcoming newsletters, on our website, and in the theatre!

SPOTLIGHT: Ken Stoepel Ford: Hill Country Proud Since 1966, Ken Stoepel Ford is a family-owned and -operated dealership that became an early Corporate Sponsor of Arcadia Live. We’re grateful to have y’all along for the ride!

Want to be an Arcadia Live Corporate Sponsor?

Becoming a corporate sponsor shows your commitment to the Kerrville community and will help us bring diverse, live entertainment to our iconic downtown venue.

Join the ranks of the wonderful corporations and individuals acknowledged above by becoming a Corporate Sponsor. You can complete this process by clicking the button below.

That’s a wrap!

Thank you for reading our eNewsletter! We sincerely hope you enjoyed it and that you’re looking forward to the Arcadia Live’s December 2020 Newsletter! Consider checking us out on Instagram and Facebook while you wait and don’t forget to share this newsletter with your friends!

Wishing you all a happy & restful Thanksgiving holiday.
 

Rock on,

The Arcadia Live team

Katie, Michael, & Anne