Butch’s Fox-y Building Blog

(or reasons to drink from small bottles of champagne)

July 28, 2011

As you may know, I, Butch, am obsessed with the Nickelodeon’s relocation from the current building at 937 Main Street to the new Nick at 1607 Main Street and if you look at the videos to the right, you can pull up some of my most recent work related to the above mentioned obsession.  My first cousin Andrew was helping me out by videotaping and editing these segments for me but he got married recently and I, Butch, basically got thrown out onto the curb. Not being able to find anyone else who would do the video work for free, I declared to continue to use “up with Positism” as my mantra and not be defeated by the above situation i.e. being forgotten and reprioritized just because cousin Andrew now has a wife (aka breeder, money pit and micromanager).

Anyway I am calling this Blog “Butch’s Fox-y Building Blog because:

1.     I am Butch

2.     The theater the Nick is relocating to is the former “Fox” Theatre

3.     It’s a building

4.     This is a blog (I think)

So, every Thursday and until the building officially opens to the public, I will take my little bottle of champagne (of course wearing my Butch hard hat, John Deere t-shirt and sanitary gloves)  and celebrate the progress by posting a new update on this website.  It will feature up to the minute construction goings-on in with some neat pictures that I have to take myself (or some of them I get my new butch construction worker friends to take).

THIS WEEKS UPDATE:

This week has seen a lot of cool stuff going on in the building (by the way, if you don’t know where the new building is, it is right beside the new Mast General Store and across from Solid Gold Beauty Supply- a shout out to Mr. Kim).

First of all they are putting up these metal poles that are defining the rooms on the ground floor. (the restrooms and projection booth for instance).

the metal bar things

And there is this big hole where the elevator is going to eventually go.  I have insider information there is some permit or permission they need regarding something do with the actual elevator before they can pour concrete in the hole. (hurry up, I have almost fallen into this whole several times and it’s kinda nasty.)

the nasty hole

Speaking of concrete, because I am a sponge for seeking out exciting information that might be useful at cocktails parties, I was told that the concrete men were going to pour some of the concrete floors this morning so, never having experienced the pouring process, I got up at 4:30 a.m., trapsied down to the theater and got these snapshots of this process. Basically the process involves a bunch of guys just standing around with this super butch guy holding this hose where the concrete is emitted. It looks really easy to me but the process began way too early in the day for me. And it was really dusty in there too.

Man with Hose

Oh! I gasped audibly today when I noticed  that the original proscenium arch had disappeared from around where the screen used to go so I called Paul (another butch person who always seem to be there when I go) and expressed my upsetness over this. He said the arch was in such bad shape that it would have eventually broken and fallen and potentially killed a customer. I still think that was a lame excuse for destroying it but who am I? Just Butch.

the last day the proscenium lived

While I was there today I ran into several people who I am told are VIPS related to the project so I introduced myself to them, offered them champagne – only one was a taker – and then posed for a picture with them. I am not really sure who the two guys are but they kept using words I didn’t understand like “elevations,” “amperage” and  “auto sensor flush valves” but then they started talking about “studs” so then I began to feel a little better.

the two VIPs who wouldn't drink

But the one guy (with the champagne). He is a rock star named Jim who is designing and building the BAR… I had a real good time talking to him and understood everything he was talking about.

the BAR rock star guy

Oh…. this girl named Heather (pretty name) dropped by and said that my tastes in champagne were questionable and she would buy me better stuff if I would say on the blog that we still needed to raise more money or the toilet seats might be seatless (I think this was meant to be funny but I am not sure).

She gave me her card which said, “Heather Spires” on it. (she refused to pose for a photo…something about the heat and her hair and the hard hat).  She said to donate to the “campaign,” come to this website, www.movethenick.org or call her at 254-8234 and she would love to talk to you.

So I am going to close for now because happy hour is upon us. What a great day it was at the new Nick.

Until next Thursday. Maybe we’ll get some rain this week.

Dear Nick Supporters,

Today is an exciting day for the future of the Nickelodeon Theatre, as we announce the promotion of Andy Smith to Executive Director of the organization.  Andy joined our team back in 2007 when together we launched our Indie Grits Film Festival.  Since then, Andy and I have worked together closely, growing the Nick in preparation for our move to Main Street.
Knowing that the Nick will be in good hands with Andy, I have decided to focus solely on completing our capital campaign and spearheading all of the special events the Nick puts on throughout the year.  I’ll be assuming the titles Capital Campaign Chair and Director of Special Programming, which means you’ll still get to see a lot of me.

Serving as Executive Director for the last 6 years has been such a fabulous experience and I couldn’t be happier with where things are for the organization.  I have no doubt that under Andy’s leadership, the future is even brighter for the Nick.

If you’d like to see the official press release announcing this transition, follow the link here.

Best wishes,

Larry Hembree

The home of the new Nick is looking great! There is beautiful new paint and gold faces on the facade now, so if you haven’t been downtown to see yet, you should go take a look.

Here are a few photos of them putting up the gold leaf

Hello!

We had the honor of partnering with ETV’s Y.E.S project (Youth Electronic Synching) where students from AC Flora High School produced and edited five spots for non-profit organizations in the Midlands. It was a great opportunity to participate in the project and work with the students as well as watching them enjoy the film making process. Some of them even made a short about us!

You can watch a great clip on it by WACH Fox here: WACH Fox

You should also watch the piece David and Donte made for us:  The Nick

The Nickelodeon Theatre was one of twelve organizations selected nationally to receive a “Space for Change” planning grant from LINC and the Ford Foundation. Grantees were chosen from 700 applicants from 49 states and the District of Columbia. The $50,000 grant will go to our campaign to renovate and restore the New Nick.

For more information, please visit: www.lincnet.net.

Photo by: Gerry Melendez, The State

Did you catch the first story in The State’s series on Growth and Development in the Midlands? It’s a great summary of what’s going on with revitalization efforts on Main Street.

Click here to read: http://www.thestate.com/2010/12/26/1619961/main-street-on-the-move.html.

I’m hoopin’ and hollerin’ with my dog and pony,
the Fox is a mess…that ain’t baloney.
But 2011 is the year for cheer,
and with your help once again our move will be near.
Hope you’ve been good, wishing you well,
Feliz Navidad and Joyeux Noel.

Happy Holidays to you and yours from Larry and the Nick staff!

The Nickelodeon Theatre, South Carolina’s only non-profit art house film theater, will work with Mashburn Construction to begin demolition and renovation of Main Street’s Fox Theatre on Monday, November 1. Once construction is complete, the Nickelodeon will move from its current 75-seat, storefront theater at 937 Main Street, where the Nick has been since the theater opened in 1979, to the Fox Theatre, which will feature two screens, greater education capabilities, and more opportunities for film lovers.

The Nick, run by the non-profit Columbia Film Society, has always cultivated an appreciation of media arts by featuring independent films, encouraging aspiring directors and aligning itself with innovative cultural events. Now the Nick is becoming even more of a cultural ambassador as it leads a new wave of revitalization on Columbia’s historic Main Street through its Move the Nick capital campaign (www.movethenick.org).

“This is about so much more than expanding the Nickelodeon. Columbia has been on the cusp of really becoming an arts destination for a while, and revitalizing this historic theater will help us reach that goal — all while bringing more people back to Main Street,” said Larry Hembree, executive director of the Nickelodeon Theatre. “It’s a great opportunity for our theater because while we’ll be able to attract bigger indie films, we’ll also be able to delve into more experimental films on the second screen. We’re planning on staying true to our roots in independent cinema, but we’re ready to spread that message instead of remaining Columbia’s best-kept secret.”

The Nickelodeon and its board anticipate that construction will be complete in approximately 12 to 18 months. The Nickelodeon has reached approximately half of its $3 million fundraising goal through grants, corporate partnerships and individual donations, but there are still several opportunities for the public to contribute to the Move the Nick campaign, including naming rights for theater seats for a $500 donation.

For more information on the Nickelodeon Theatre or the Move the Nick capital campaign, please visit www.nickelodeon.org or www.movethenick.org.

For more information on construction and to arrange interviews, contact Katie Alice Walker at Riley Communications, kwalker@RileyCommunications.com or (803) 227-0914.