-News 14
WINSTON-SALEM – Like many cities across the state, Winston-Salem has seen a regrowth of business and visitors in its downtown area. And renovations started last week for a new art theater there.
“There’s been a lot more entertainment opportunities, whether it’s at the Stevens Center, some of the Alive After Five events, the arts district, there’s just always something going on,” said Gayle Anderson, with the Twin City Chamber of Commerce.
That includes business. Shop owner William Rike’s taking advantage of the National Black Theatre Festival to sell some imported home decorations.
“The other festivals we have, the wine festival, et cetera, brings people downtown,” said Rike. “People are living downtown. It’s a different time.”
It’s been decades since there was a theatre where the 1929 Carolina Theatre once stood. It was transformed into the Stevens Center for the Performing Arts over 25 years ago.
Just down Fourth Street, a space is being turned into the Aperture Cinema. The two-screen theatre will show independent, foreign and art films in addition to local and student films.
Officials think adding more variety downtown will stimulate revitalization efforts in the area.
“The more things we have, the more people who come, they see what else there is, that they may not have known about before, and they come back,” said Anderson.
Aperture will share space with the popular RiverRun Film Festival and show it’s films year round. It’s scheduled to open in January.