Geoff Kershner, executive director of the Academy, who started with the nonprofit in 2015, recalled the early days filled with doubt and challenges, stating the fundraising efforts faced stops and starts, but the team pushed beyond skepticism to make the historic theater a reality.

“A lot of the story of that early period was kind of pushing beyond that doubt and getting it open,” he said. “I think we had a lot of things going for us and I do think it’s both the lesson of knowing what is possible, but also the importance of doing your homework and preparing as much as possible.”

With a strategic plan and a clear operating model, they secured support, including a $9 million historic tax credit deal.

“These historic theater renovations that happen in smaller communities very often have ended up belly up and it happens quickly. And so, we had to really create a viable plan that everybody believed in,” he said.

Kershner said one of the most important decisions the Academy made early on was owning the fact that it would be a nonprofit organization.

“We really embraced what that meant, not just in regards to sort of the financial structure of the organization, but what that meant culturally,” he said. “A nonprofit exists because it’s there for public good. So, we really, really grabbed onto that and this is a smaller city, so we’d be an anchor institution if it’s going to be viable, it has to have clear value.”

One key strategy was establishing resident organizations and nonprofit rental structures, making the Academy a hub for various groups, including cultural organizations, social service nonprofits and educational organizations.

Reflecting on the vision, Kershner said there is a commitment to community health.

“We have an obligation to serve as many citizens as possible,” he said. “I think that there are challenges with that. I think sometimes it stretches our ability to market certain events because we’re trying to reach a really wide demographic, but I think at the same time, I think it does help us in communicating value in the organization more city wide.”

The Academy aims to be intentional in the programming it presents so it makes decisions through a committee.

“There are voices in the room that are speaking to what is important for us to program if we’re going to be true to that goal of reaching as many people as we can,” Kershner said. “And we have had successes and failures and I think there’s certainly communities that we have successfully pulled under the umbrella and there’s some that we’re still working on.”

There is an uptick in programming for the Latino and Hispanic community, he added, which is an effort that is going to have successes and failures along the way.

“But we see that it’s a really important effort that we need to make as we move forward,” he said.

Kershner said there are challenges in balancing ticket sales and accessibility, citing successful events that combine high-quality national artists, accessible price points and culturally specific programming.

Prior to the theater opening, the organization was reaching about 40,000 people per year and it’s probably going to push up over 130,000 at the end of this year because it’s reaching a wider community, he said.

Marjette Upshur, director of economic development & tourism, said the restoration of the Academy’s historic theater stands as a game-changing investment in downtown Lynchburg’s revitalization and arts and culture district.

“Not only does the Academy stand as the premier destination for renowned arts and cultural performances, but the Academy also supports community events, and creates enriching programming for residents, businesses and visitors. Beyond its artistic impact, the Academy contributes significantly to the economic pulse of our community, bolstering the arts and culture sector through job creation and supporting substantial spending in entertainment, retail, food and beverage, and lodging,” Upshur said.

Beyond ticketed events, the Academy has made significant strides in arts education. The Academy in Motion program, a mobile classroom unit, delivers arts instruction to various community centers, schools and senior living facilities, reaching audiences who face obstacles in accessing on-site facilities.

The Academy’s legacy from the merger of the Fine Arts Center and the Academy of Music includes a continued focus on arts education, Kershner said. The Academy in Motion program, along with initiatives such as Plates and Paints, which uses color theory to teach nutrition education, and Opening Minds through Arts, which uses art instruction to help those suffering from dementia, showcases the organization’s commitment to addressing community needs through the arts.

“I think a lot [of] people will look to the theater and think ticket selling and obviously that’s a big part of the revenue driver and how we operate the visibility of it, but I think these are evidence of the culture that exists internally for us it’s going to make us a lot more open in thinking about what’s programming in the theater, and then also how we open our doors to the needs of the community,” he said.

Looking ahead, Kershner said there is a need for a balanced approach, ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of the Academy’s facilities. The challenge lies in maintaining the historic buildings while continuing to expand programming and community impact.

“I think that the future for us is going to be an interesting balance act,” he said. “We have to take care of buildings and that’s really tricky as a private nonprofit organization that’s not a part of local city government. So, there are advantages and disadvantages to being your own entity. And we certainly are happy about some of the advantages that we have in terms of autonomy and our ability to program and be nimble, but we also have these very expensive facilities that we have to keep up.”

The next stage of Kershner’s leadership is having a conversation about the long-term financial structures that exist to support the facility’s depreciation that’s inevitably going to occur with buildings.

“The good news is we’re having that conversation now as opposed to when it’s suddenly an emergency,” he said.

Despite the hurdles, Kershner expresses pride in the Academy’s achievements and its role in bringing the community together, especially after the challenges posed by the pandemic.

“I think it particularly hit us when the pandemic happened because it was like, ‘Oh my God, we’re in the middle of a historic moment,’” he said. “It became really clear that this pandemic was a part of the history of the theater.”

But it bounced back and this year the Academy had a 50% increase in ticket volume.

“It’s still really surreal to me and the pleasure that I think many of us take in standing in that theater on a full sold-out night is amplified by the fact that we went through the pandemic,” he said. “I think we had been operating this for just over a year, and then it was suddenly taken away from us and when you are faced with the prospect of losing something, the value is felt.”

So even on his busiest days, Kershner makes the time to stand in the theater just for a little while when it’s sold out to remind himself of the dream made true by a group of people working toward a common goal.

“Great things can be accomplished, and I think it gives me hope outside of my work. Things can work out,” he said.

The Academy plans a celebration in February to mark its five-year milestone.

“As we mark the fifth anniversary since the Academy’s grand reopening to the public, we offer a standing ovation to the Academy for fostering a vibrant cultural hub in the Lynchburg community and making the arts accessible to everyone,” Upshur said.