Great things are stirring. And great things that stir often inspire even greater things to surface. In Billings, greatness is held with especially high esteem; community-focused developmental efforts atop the greatest of all.
Art House Cinema, the independent non-profit cinema of Billings, is seeing its greatest of visions becoming a reality; a manifestation of Art House’s greatly anticipated, Billings-centered and community-supported Phase 2 expansion. Perhaps to be their greatest achievement yet, Art House Cinema’s Phase 2 expansion is rapidly closing in…
Art House Billings opened in 2015 at its current location at 109 North 30th Street in downtown Billings. In 2016, Art House began raising funds for a truly visionary, truly great dream – a dream shared by the impassioned Art House team – had, held, and set forth before our community by Art House Executive Director and founder Matt Blakeslee. This dream is known by many in Billings as “Phase 2.” The completion of Phase 2 will officially become a reality thanks to a generous, greatly effectual gift of $250,000 given to Art House by Billings residents Jim and Christine Scott.
“We have always supported the arts and culture in Billings and know that the completion of the Art House Billings project [Phase 2] will add more opportunities for film, music, and engagement for the whole community for years to come. Lights, camera, action!”
~ Chris and Jim Scott
The gift received from the Scott’s has ushered forth a completion of Phase 2 now dated for the 2023 summer. The expansion of Art House Cinema will transform the current single-room theater and bar into three separate screening rooms, a kitchen cooking up an artisanal menu of foods to be enjoyed before, during, and after films and events, and a newly developed pub in the lobby in which filmgoers can and indeed are encouraged to engage in conversations about film and, as Matt has envisioned since 2015, art and culture as a whole. “What do you think?” discussions will have the opportunity to… stir… in the coming theater’s operating seven days a week!
“This has been our dream from the beginning to be an entertainment hub at this location, with food and drinks to enjoy before, during, or after your movie. It’s been a long road, with many unforeseen turns, but we’re so grateful to the city of Billings for believing in this thing called Art House!”
~ Matt Blakeslee
To become the greatness embedded in the vision of Art House, the Art House where film, music, concerts, poetry is found under one roof, Art House Cinema will shut its doors on March 16th, 2023 signaling, with the simultaneity found in great things, the end of an era and the beginning of a new, significant period for not only Matt and the Art House team and community behind them, but for Billings and Billings’ future. The nucleus of this coming period, an Art House Cinema anew, will open its doors this summer. In the meantime, continue supporting Art House Billings by watching “Art House” films at the Babcock Theatre and by stirring community enrichment so that the Billings community remains in good health because, just as Matt Blakeslee has said and clearly promotes, “A healthy community has a healthy downtown.”
Thank you. Downtown Billings is forever better because of you.
Great things within a great city stir
Greatness stirring will ensure
that greater things will be found
in the greatness bound
to soon occur
