Tupper Arts reaches $200,000 goal to purchase, re-develop State Theater

by Dan McClelland

The leaders of Tupper Arts are delighted to announce this week that their organization’s Encore Campaign this fall to raise funds to purchase and develop the Adirondack State Theater has reached its goal in an effort of resounding success. The local arts and cultural organization met is ambitious goal in only four months.

The support from the community has been overwhelmingly strong, according to Susan Delehanty, who chairs the Tupper Arts board of directors.

She said an anonymous matching donation of $75,000 announced in September to boost the fundraising effort has been met, even exceeding the goal of $200,000.

“Locals, visitors, and seasonal residents have stepped up to save this important cultural resource in Tupper Lake. Tupper Arts will be closing on the property shortly and looks forward to beginning renovations on this iconic structure.”

On behalf of her board Mrs. Delehanty expressed her gratitude to the community for making this campaign so successful. “ We are so grateful to everyone who has supported this cause. Thanks to their generosity, the Adirondack State Theater will be saved and will continue to serve the community for the next century.”

Several months ago the Tupper Arts leaders announced that “Mr. and Mrs. Anonymous” had stepped forward to make a significant impact on the campaign underway to buy and renovate the State Theater by offering a matching pledge of $75,000. 
The anonymous benefactors’ $75,000 pledge serves as a heartfelt call to action, doubling the impact of every donation made by year’s end. The generosity of these donors has not only multiplied the potential for a successful campaign, but also inspired others to join in, Mrs. Delehanty and her board members announced at that point in their campaign.

“This initiative has sparked a wave of unity, as other compassionate donors have eagerly come forward to contribute to the match.”

When the match of $75,000 was met in the weeks following the news this fall, the campaign was only $50,000 shy of its $200,000 goal. Part of the match was a generous donation of $25,000 from Lee and Nancy Keet who had pledged to donate the "last $25,000" toward the match.

Other donations from generous supporters of the local arts and cultural organization since then filled the $50,000 gap to the goal and more.

Tupper Arts in August announced its mission to save the Adirondack State Theater, which has been a cornerstone of the community for over 100 years. In order to preserve the iconic theater, it launched an ambitious capital campaign it called

“Encore: Saving the Adirondack State Theater.”

As a part of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative awarded to the Village of Tupper Lake in late 2022, Tupper Arts was granted $700,000 to expand its footprint on Park Street by buying the theater and redeveloping it into not only a modern movie house but a community theater with a stage where local and visiting artists could perform. As a prerequisite to access these funds, Tupper Arts had to first own the building. The goal of the Encore campaign was to raise $200,000 to purchase the property in order leverage the $700,000 state grant.

At a presentation in late summer at the start of the campaign , Louise McNally, founding past president of Tupper Arts, spoke of the sense of urgency and why Tupper Arts plays a crucial role in saving the theater from demise.

“I cannot stress enough, the urgency and cultural importance of this campaign. With the success of streaming platforms, rising costs, and the aftermath of COVID-19, the future of small regional commercial theaters is very grim. Without Tupper Arts’ intervention and commitment, the theater may be lost forever. With the support of individuals, local business, and philanthropic organizations, I believe we will breathe new life into this historic space and create a venue that will captivate audiences for generations to come.”