Posted on November 18, 2021
| 4:00 p.m.
The Lobero is California’s oldest, continuously operating theatre. Originally founded in 1873 and rebuilt in 1924, it is recognized as one of Santa Barbara’s architectural jewels and a State and City landmark.
The Lobero Theatre. (Patrick Price photo)
The holiday season is upon us, and the spirit of giving is alive! What better way to give back to our community than participating in this years #GivingTuesday by donating to the local organizations in Santa Barbara. Join Noozhawk this #GivingTuesday and make a donation to a local nonprofit.
Noozhawk is teaming up with local nonprofits to encourage you to take part in the international day of giving, which takes place on November 30th, 2021.
It is no secret that this past year and a half has been full of challenges. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, local nonprofits need your support now more than ever.
Our Good for Santa Barbara Nonprofit Section provides all the resources you need to donate this holiday season, including a full Giving Guide with a list of local nonprofits who need your help this Giving Tuesday.
In this interview, Noozhawk spoke with Marianne Clark, Administrative Director at Lobero Theatre, to learn more about how the nonprofit is dedicated to maintaining and operating the historic Lobero Theatre as a performing arts center and cultural asset to the community of Santa Barbara.
Lobero Theatre
Question: What is the name & mission of your nonprofit?
Answer: The mission of the Lobero Theatre Foundation is to maintain and operate the historic Lobero Theatre as a performing arts center and cultural asset to the community, and to present the highest quality performances in music, dance, and theatre.
Q: How long has your nonprofit been in service?
A: The Lobero Theatre Foundation was founded in 1938 to act as stewards of the historic Lobero Theatre. Founding members included Irving Wills, Elma C. Levy and Reginald Faletti.
Q: What was the inspiration behind your nonprofit?
A: When Jose Lobero opened his opera house in 1873, he believe that even a town as small as Santa Barbara deserved a world-class venue for the arts. That vision helped establish Santa Barbara as an arts destination, and that legacy continues to this day.
Q: How is your nonprofit primarily funded and what are your greatest needs?
A: Our organizational income is typically made up of 60% earned revenue and 40% contributed revenue from our incredibly generous community of donors and foundations. While operating and program support are the main focus of our annual fundraising efforts, we are keenly aware of the need to build a strong endowment, particularly after the challenges of the past two years. It is critical that a community institution like the Lobero Theatre be prepared to sustain itself through difficult times, and support the local arts organizations which call the stage home. We are committed to this goal and welcome the support of those who share our vision.
Q: How has COVID-19 impacted your nonprofit?
A: Like most venues, the Lobero Theatre was shuttered from March 12, 2020 through June 15, 2021. Half of our staff was furloughed to cut costs, and the remaining staff got creative in finding ways to fulfill our mission without live performances. We continued to serve our audiences through a Live from the Lobero virtual concert series, and our local arts partners by providing the stage free of charge for other organizations to livestream events of their own. Our open-air courtyard became a rehearsal space for Opera Santa Barbara, and our highly visible back wall transformed into a blank screen for VADA to project their end-of-year art projects. We were thrilled to find unique and meaningful ways to serve our community.
Auditorium (Patrick Price photo)
The return to full-capacity performances has been slow and steady, and people are so happy to be back in the theatre, enjoying the live performances they’ve missed so much.
Q: What types of fundraisers and/or programs does your nonprofit run?
A: The Lobero Theatre is, first and foremost, a community resource for local arts organizations. Each year we host Opera Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Revels, State Street Ballet, and the CAMA Masterseries to name a few. We also present a series (Lobero Live) of world-class touring artists to complement these local arts offerings.
What people may not know is how we serve Santa Barbara’s youth. We work to ensure that young artists have a home on the Lobero stage, by supporting performances by the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony, Gustafson Dance, the Journey through Jazz program and AHA! Santa Barbara. We also send artists into the schools to provide residency activities including Santa Barbara Vocal Jazz Foundation, and the New Orleans-based Derek Douget Band. Finally, we ensure that students have the opportunity to experience performance as audience members by distributing hundreds of tickets to performances like It’s Magic and Nebula Dance Lab. The Lobero Youth and Community Outreach program is committed to providing innovative, engaging, high-quality performing arts education to students of all cultural heritages, ages, abilities and levels of interest.
Q: How do people get involved/volunteer for your nonprofit?
A: The Lobero Theatre Foundation has a volunteer Board of Directors, a women’s auxiliary fundraising group (the Lobero Theatre Associates) and a wonderful team of volunteer ushers who assist our ticket buyers at every event. We are always happy to welcome new volunteers to be an active part of the Lobero Family.
Q: What is one best kept secret or fun fact about your nonprofit that not everyone knows?
A: After extensive research, we recently ascertained that the Lobero Theatre is the fourth oldest continuously operating theatre in the United States!
Click here to support The Lobero Theatre’s mission to present the highest quality performances in music, dance, and theatre in Santa Barbara.
