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gJJTlUIRSDAY ! jANUARY^2i2000j THE RED* > B^CK i
VARIETY
Athens reacts to
theater closing
By C. HASSIOTIS
The Red a Black
“Thank you for calling the Alps Art Cinema. We are now closed.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their
support over the years. Goodbye.”
So says the recording at the local moviehouse, reflecting the
lamented closing of Athens’ only forum for first-run arthouse films.
Sol Abrams, the theater owner, announced in early January that
it would close indefinitely.
Ever since Alps unveiled their arthouse format in August, atten
dance has dropped and profits plummeted, Abrams said.
“It’s because of the mall theaters and other new multiplexes,” he
said.
Abrams, who has been in the movie business since 1938 and was
a previous owner of Beechwood Cinemas, said he can find no
specifics for the lack of attendance.
“We had regulars who were very enthusiastic, but for some rea
son we just couldn't draw a crowd,” he said. “I guess people like sta
dium seating and fancy features better than art films.”
David Kahn, general manager of Beechwood Cinemas, says he's
disappointed by the loss of the theater “I’m very sad to see Alps
close,” Kahn said “I was a student here in '71, and it’s been around
as long as I can remember.”
Kahn attributes the lack of the arthouse's popularity to the
abundance of Hollywood studio pictures.
“There are things that we want to show, but with a limited
amount of screens we’ve got to show Hollywood films,” Kahn said.
“They're what the audience wants."
Financial concerns, however, are not the only worries for Athens
film fans.
“People will have to go to Atlanta again for the cinema experi
ence,” said University drama professor Richard Neupert. “I’m dev
astated.”
Neupert, who was at the final film showing at Alps, said that
despite Athens’ reputation as artistic, the film community is weak
in comparison to other towns. He did, however, acknowledge the
contributions of local filmmakers.
RAKHI OALAl T«, k.n . Hla. >
▲ Alps Art Cinema closed its doors forever this month
after 38 years. The theater could not survive once it took
up an arthouse format.
Jeremy Long, manager of the West Broad Street location of
Vision Video, said, “It’s terrible. Every time it looks like we’ll have
an art cinema it closes within a couple of months. It's just a tease.’’
Long also says that part of the success of art films is dependent
upon industry buzz.
“It's all about the festival buzz. Word-of-mouth is the best kind of
hype,” Long said.
As for the future of art cinema in Athens, neither Neupert nor
Long is optimistic.
“Tate (Student Center Theater) attendance is down because
people keep going to the multiplexes," Neupert said. “I don’t under
stand why — they’re just so boring. They’re square little boxes with
no personality."
Foreign and independent films still will mean big business for
Vision Video, Long said. “It’s probably where we do most of our
business, and we should be around for a while,” he said.
As for Alps itself, Abrams has said that there’s been some inter
est in buying the cinema, but nothing is certain yet.
“Everyone's really been wonderful — the regulars, the students,”
Abrams said. "We at Alps love them all, but this horse is tired and I
don’t know what’s next. ”
Stressed out? Dodd
exhibit provides relief
By KYLE MIN5HEW
Thf. Red a Black
Stress.
It’s a word every student
can relate to probably in
ways they would rather not
remember But for Victoria
Sharp, the cure for day-to-day
troubles came in a form that
works not only for her, but
also helps to relieve the stress
of people around her.
“I use my painting as an
outlet for the everyday experi
ences that I live through,"
Sharp said.
Opening in the main hallway
of the Lamar Dodd School of
Art Saturday night, Sharp’s
exhibit will include a series of
five oil paintings that display
her distinct style.
Self-described as a non
abstract artist, Sharp’s exhibit
hopes to reveal that art has a
deeper meaning than what you
would just find hanging on a
wall.
“I tend to try to not make
my work be just about the sur
face of a canvas,” Sharp said. “I
want to explore that there is
something deeper, a larger
meaning to the work. I think
all my work contains an ele
ment of raw human emotion."
While her work is an expres
sion of a truly personal experi
ence, Sharp said the true pur
pose of art is to create a rela
tionship with the observer that
leaves them both moved and
fascinated.
"I think that truly good art
is work that keeps the person
looking again, again and
again,” Sharp said. ‘‘The work
should make the observer won
der why did she do that’ or
‘what is the meaning of this.’ "
An art major at the
University, Sharp’s decision to
pursue a career as a profes
sional artist didn’t come auto
matically.
After pursuing other fields
of study. Sharp returned to her
childhood love of painting
through what she feels was a
certain vacuum in her life.
"I started out as a biology
major here at the University,”
said Sharp. “But as I got more
and more into my biology
classes, I realized that there
was something missing from
my life. And art was that miss
ing element.”
Running Jan. 15-21, the
exhibit will feature an opening
reception at 8 p.m. on
Saturday in the main hall of
the School of Art.
“We are planning for this to
be very informal," Sharp said.
“We want people to just come
and enjoy the paintings and
keep coming back in the
future."
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