Cinerama to remain closed, Vulcan shutters Arts + Entertainment division
May 27, 2020, 2:58 PM | Updated: Oct 7, 2024, 9:33 am
Attendees line up at the premiere of Vinyl at Cinerama on January 27, 2016. (Photo by FilmMagic/FilmMagic/GettyImages)
(Photo by FilmMagic/FilmMagic/GettyImages)
The Cinerama in Seattle announced Wednesday that it will remain closed for the foreseeable future.
In early February, the theater said it would close for renovations, promising at the time to “reopen late this year ahead of the year’s biggest films.” Most of the employees were laid off at the time of the closure.
Now, amid the COVID-19 crisis, which has impacted many businesses, including arts, entertainment, and theaters, Cinerama reported Wednesday on its website and social media that the theater is stopping its renovation efforts and plans to stay closed.
An update from Cinerama. pic.twitter.com/MuWEIJfdhG
— Seattle Cinerama (@SeattleCinerama) May 27, 2020
The Seattle Times reported that Vulcan Inc., the owner of Cinerama, is closing its Arts + Entertainment division and its filmmaking entity, Vulcan Productions, by the end of the year.
The late Paul Allen was a co-founder of Vulcan Inc.
Included under the Arts + Entertainment division of Vulcan Inc. is a number of art events, cultural spaces, and museums, including Cinerama, the Seattle Art Fair, Living Computers: Museum + Labs, and the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum. The two museums will remain closed for now as well, and the 2020 Seattle Art Fair had already been canceled.
The previously announced renovations at Cinerama would have included new carpet, general wear-and-tear fixes, and an updated menu.
