Light the Marquee Campaign

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Thank you to the McKnight Foundation and over 500 donors who contributed to our Light the Marquee Campaign, making it possible to restore our historic theater sign.

People used to walk up and down the 400 block of Cedar Avenue completely unaware of The Cedar Cultural Center. Perhaps we were easy to miss when our old theater marquee was just a home for squirrels and not really a sign that advertised our venue. That dilapidated marquee had potential to be a prominent representation of The Cedar and a landmark for the entire Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. The Cedar (a 501c3 non-profit) is in its 20th season, and what better way to celebrate our anniversary than fixing that rusty sign? The Cedar’s Light the Marquee Campaign launched in fall of 2008 raised over $50,000 for several capital improvements including the restoration of the historic theater sign. Neon tubing now light the “CEDAR” lettering and the rusted façade and structure have been fixed. A well-lit marquee will draw more people to the West Bank district, enhance neighborhood aesthetics, build communal identity, and improve pedestrian security.

Watch the marquee renovation in action:

On April 25th, The Cedar hosted a Light the Marquee celebration event to ceremoniously switch on the newly renovated sign. Though the marquee campaign is over, you can still help keep Cedar’s dynamic programming alive: click here to make your 2009 donation. click here to learn about our current campaign, Cedar Staycation.

Here is the marquee before:

Here is the marquee now, thanks to your donations: