In the 1970s, Atlanta rallied around a campaign to 'Save the Fox' from imminent destruction. The community effort rescued the building, preserved an iconic piece of the city's landscape, and created a hub for the arts that has hosted generations of performances. Now the theater wants to pay it back.
SaportaReport reported that on May 6, the Fox Theatre announced $1 million in grants to support the restoration of historic theaters in Rome and Thomasville, Georgia. The grants are part of the Fox's broader mission to support performing arts venues across the state, extending the impact of the original Save the Fox campaign beyond Atlanta.
The Rome theater receiving funding is the DeSoto Theatre, a 1920s movie palace that has been undergoing restoration for several years. The Thomasville recipient is the historic Ritz Theatre, another early 20th century venue that community groups have been working to revive. Both projects align with the Fox's belief that historic theaters serve as anchors for downtown revitalization and cultural programming in smaller cities.
The Fox Theatre Foundation, the nonprofit that operates the Midtown landmark, established the grant program using revenue from the theater's concerts, Broadway tours, and special events. The foundation's leadership said the grants honor the spirit of the Atlanta residents who saved the Fox in 1975 by helping other Georgia communities do the same for their own historic venues.
The announcement came at a private event at the Fox attended by representatives from both recipient theaters and Georgia's arts and preservation communities.
