Winston-Salem’s a/perture cinema surpasses its fundraising goal

On Wednesday morning, a/perture cinema, the independent arthouse theater in Winston-Salem, announced that it had surpassed its fundraising goal of $100,000 by more than double.

The theater, which has been operating since 2010, announced in September of last year that they were facing significant financial difficulties that would keep it from operating in the future. That month, the longtime director and founder of a/perture, Lawren Desai, also stepped down.

They started a fundraiser with the goal of raising $100,000 to sustain operations.

In December, the organization, which is a nonprofit, announced that they had hired a new director in Leigh Dyer who formerly led teams at the Mint Museum in Charlotte and GreenHill Center for NC Art in Greensboro.

On Wednesday, the organization announced that it had raised $251,775 since the start of their campaign five months ago. More than $181,000 of the funds came in the form of donations from community members ranging from $5 to $20,000. The theater also received $70,000 in grants from area foundations.

“We can’t thank the Triad community enough for demonstrating this extraordinary level of support for a/perture and its mission,” Dyer said in the press release. “And now, the real work of ensuring our long-term sustainability must begin.” 

The news of the fundraising comes as a/perture celebrates its 15th anniversary in the city. To celebrate, the theater will be offering 15 percent off concessions today and will be kicking off a series of 15 films over the next 12 months.

The organization is also launching a new fundraiser for this spring called “Return to the Red Carpet,” which will be held in conjunction with the Academy Awards on March 2. The event will be held at a/perture and will feature cinema-inspired cuisine, cocktails, a silent auction and a viewing of the Oscars.

Learn more about a/perture and the upcoming events here.