Downtown Columbia movie theater temporarily closes. Here’s when it hopes to restart
In what it is calling a “post-pandemic reset,” Columbia’s Nickelodeon Theatre is temporarily closing for about a month.
The long-running arthouse theater, which is located 1607 Main St. in downtown Columbia, announced Monday night on social media and an in an email to supporters that it would temporarily suspend movie screenings as of March 1.
“We will be temporarily suspending screenings for a post-pandemic reset, a spring cleaning of our facility and a reorganization of the operational infrastructure,” the cinema posted on Twitter. “Our goal is to resume on March 27 with our Red Carpet Party.”
The Red Carpet Party is an annual event the the theater typically hosts as a celebration of the Academy Awards.
Xavier Blake, president of the theater’s board of directors, wrote in a Monday night email to supporters that it wasn’t easy to press pause on screenings.
“Sometimes in leadership we have to make hard decisions, and what we are sharing with you today is one of the hardest,” Blake wrote. “In order to sustain the Nickelodeon and provide the quality experiences our patrons should expect, we are temporarily suspending screenings while we work to reset and renew our organization for a post-pandemic world.”
The board president wrote that returning for the Red Carpet Party on March 27 was “contingent upon accomplishing the work we need to do.”
The Nick was founded in 1979 and has been located in the 1600 block of Main since 2012. It has been a key centerpiece in the revitalization of Main Street in the last decade, as the district has been reborn with new shops, restaurants, bars and hotels.
But the nonprofit theater has been on a roller coaster ride in the last two years.
Like many movie theaters across the country, it was closed for large swaths of 2020 and early 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened in summer 2021 and once again began showing a slate of independent and unique films. It also has been mixing in more mainstream fare. For instance, it played the summer blockbuster “A Quiet Place 2” and more recently screened the No. 1 hit “Scream” remake.
The Columbia Film Society, the umbrella organization that oversees the theater, faced allegations of systemic racism in June 2020 after a letter was circulated from several former employees that accused the organization of discriminating against minority workers. An official with the Indie Grits Labs arm of the organization resigned shortly after the letter was circulated, and a consulting firm was hired to look into the allegations.
In August 2021, theater director Anita Floyd resigned and Blake, an assistant production and operations manager with SCETV, was named the president of the board. The theater is still searching for a new executive director, a fact that was referenced in Blake’s recent email to theater supporters.
“A crucial part of our reset will be the appointment of a new executive director,” Blake wrote. “We expect soon to complete our search and look forward to introducing that leader to you and the larger community.”
The letter also said the theater is continuing to do “strategic planning work” that will include “hosting discussions about how we can serve you even better in the future, mindful that the Nickelodeon must embrace and reflect the rich diversity of our community.”
The email detailed that the Nick has “experienced decreased revenues due to low attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic” but noted it has still gotten strong support from members, foundations and multiple federal government programs.
“What we are focusing on now is our long-term viability, and our reorganization will ensure that our staffing will be appropriate to provide a consistent level of service to patrons while rebuilding our audience and community partnerships in a post-pandemic world,” Blake wrote in the email to theater supporters.
