TACOMA, Wash. — Pierce County's only nonprofit center for film and film education has announced a multimillion-dollar fundraising campaign to purchase the Merlino Arts Center in Tacoma.
The Grand Cinema is looking to ensure its future by providing stability to its neighbors like Tacoma City Ballet, a black box theater, artist studios and the popular Corina Bakery.
The Merlino Arts Center is located at Sixth and Fawcett Avenue in Tacoma where it has been home to The Grand since the organization was founded more than 26 years ago.
In that time, it has housed thousands of independent, international and local film screenings, as well as hundreds of film camps, festivals, competitions, director Q&As, panel discussions, and other community events and educational programming.
The staff is currently preparing for the upcoming Tacoma Film Festival that started back in 2006.
The Grand has been a beneficiary of Tacoma Creates funding, expanding access to film by offering free admission to students who attend any public or private school in Tacoma. The funds also allowed The Grand to bring free film camps to the community.
With many community theaters and small businesses closing over the past few years, the dedicated volunteers that fuel the Grand Cinema have been preparing to take matters into their own hands.
“We have been working towards the opportunity to purchase the Merlino Arts Center for years,” says Executive Director Philip Cowan.
The Grand Cinema has grown to become a vital part of the arts ecosystem in Tacoma and the decision to buy the building comes with a sense of service to the community.
The Grand Cinema’s Board of Directors approved a purchase and sale agreement with the longtime owners of the Merlino, allowing the nonprofit the opportunity to raise $5 million to take ownership of the building and expand its mission.
“You’ll notice we have donor names on the backs of the theater seats. When we converted from film to digital projectors in the 90s the community stepped up and invested in us and we are confident they will help to make this our permanent home,” say Cowan. “Buying the Merlino means we control our destiny, to preserve part of the fabric of this city and to reimagine our mission and expand access to the art of film.”
The Grand Cinema has evolved from two full-time staff in 1997 to a 365-day-a-year cinema operated by more than 200 volunteers who take tickets, sell popcorn and clean the community theater. The Grand Cinemas has until June 2025 to raise $5 million to purchase the building. To donate to the campaign or learn more about The Grand Cinema, visit their website.