Beowulf Alley Selected By City for Facade Improvement Investment Over a year ago, Beowulf Alley was selected to participate in the first phase of a matching fund program to improve the facade of the theatre. The structures to be considered had to have been built prior to 1948 with the design reflecting the period of original construction.theatre@beowulfalley.org or go to our website at www.beowulfalley.org and volunteer to help us make a better Downtown.
We knew that the building was more than 90 years old but our research only produced one photograph of the building in 1954 when it was the Western Auto. We couldn’t find any photos prior to 1948 but we had been told that Western Auto owned the building until Johnny Gibson’s moved in sometime in the 1950′s.
Thanks to our architect, Bob Vint, we learned something interesting. Only one photo was found. Our building was originally a place call Jax Cafe. And the architecture of the period was Art Moderne. Bob met with the Gibsons and with Beowulf Alley and produced a terrific design on a non-profit budget. For $60,000, we would have the opportunity to refresh the building with new paint, update our name on the building, replace the existing glass, add a small, lighted marquis that would be readable from Congress, Broadway and 6th Avenue, and add an outside box office window.
It was necessary for us to find $30,000 in order to receive program matching funds of another $30,000. The Gibson Family is commiting most of the funding. Our task was to raise $10,000 before construction could begin.
We were so excited but we knew that we still had to compete with seven other building projects for Phase 2 of the program since the matching funds were limited. But we were hopeful because we have such a strong belief in our value to the Tucson community and the importance of the work we do to promote the talented artists in Tucson.
Disappointment was strong when we learned last October that we were not selected to received the matching funds. But we had a great design with such potential that we just knew that we could do something to implement at least some of the plan. We put the renovation on the back burner since the season was in full swing and our human resources are so limited but this summer, while we were doing some housekeeping, the idea of improving the front of the building came to the forefront again. Sometimes, you just have to start the ball rolling and we thought that if we could raise our original $10,000, we could improve the front by replacing the old window glass with insulated glass, repaint the sign and just do some basic beautification.
Well, what do you know? On August 3, after having begun fundraising, we received a call that one of the buildings selected for Phase 2 was no longer participating and that Beowulf Alley was one of two buildings that would now receive matching funds, At that point, we had managed to raise almost 1/10th of the $10,000 and we have until December 1st to raise the rest.
This is such an amazing gift to receive to celebrate our 5th Anniversary on 6th Avenue! J ust imagine…first-time visitors to Beowulf Alley will be able to find us. We will be better able to promote our programs and our community image will be stronger and more attractive. We will have made a difference in our Downtown’s appearance – our community will be stronger.
Will you please consider helping us make this renovation a reality? Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Beowulf Alley’s Facade Upgrade. We can’t do this without you. Please call the Administrative Office at (520) 622-4460, email us at
Thanks!.
