Last modified: Monday, February 15, 2010
Jon Vickers named first director of IU Cinema
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 15, 2010
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University Provost and Executive Vice President Karen Hanson announced today (Feb. 15) that Jon Vickers has been named the first director of the IU Cinema, pending approval by the IU Board of Trustees. Vickers currently serves as managing director the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center at the University of Notre Dame.
"The wealth of operational experience that Jon Vickers brings to this position will help to ensure that this new enterprise thrives," said Hanson. "He has very successfully managed two cinemas, one of which is the only THX-certified cinema in Indiana. He also possesses a strong knowledge of film history and an eagerness to work with all campus units that are interested in engaging with film. Jon will have the unique opportunity of setting up operations for the IU Cinema, and his background makes him eminently qualified to do so. I am delighted to welcome him to Bloomington."
"I look forward to the honor of becoming the first director of the Indiana University Cinema," said Vickers. "I am remarkably impressed by the commitment to the project and program, from all levels of the university. Restoring the original beauty of the 1930s University Theatre into a state-of-the-art, THX-certified cinema, along with the creation of this position to build a program, demonstrates that dedication. The enthusiasm for the project is also apparent in every student, faculty, and staff member that I have met. I am equally enthused, and can't wait to begin building campus relationships while planning for our inaugural year."
Jon Vickers
Notre Dame's DeBartolo Performing Arts Center comprises five performance venues, including the Leighton Concert Hall, Decio Mainstage Theatre, Philbin Studio Theatre, THX-certified Browning Cinema, and the Reyes Organ and Choral Hall. Vickers oversees day-to-day operations of the center, which includes management of facilities, technical services, patron services and special events for all visiting artist, faculty and student presentations. He is also involved in preparation and management of the center's budget and curates all film screenings, film series, filmmaker visits, festivals and conferences within the cinema.
In 1994, Vickers and his wife, Jennifer, purchased and renovated a building in Three Oaks, Mich., that had operated as a movie theater from 1913 until the early 1980s. Since 1996, they have operated it as the Vickers Theatre, an independent, art house cinema. The theater screens independent, foreign language and classic films and also functions as an art gallery, rotating work from local and regional artists.
Vickers also serves as co-chair of the Downtown Development Authority for the Village of Three Oaks and was a founder of Harbor Arts, an organization that sponsors film and performing arts festivals in the community as well as the foundation for a low-power FM (LPFM) community radio station. His IU appointment begins March 22.
The IU Cinema will be housed in what was formerly the University Theatre, on the northeast end of the IU Auditorium. A groundbreaking ceremony in October 2009 marked the beginning of renovations that will convert the building into a state-of-the-art cinema facility, scheduled to open this fall. The building will also include new rehearsal and performance space for the Department of Theatre and Drama and new classrooms and offices.
The cinema, which will be equipped with the highest standards of 35 mm, 16 mm and digital projection, will provide a venue for the university's substantial holdings in film, including those of the David S. Bradley Film Collection, the Black Film Center/Archive, the archives of the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction, the Lilly Library and the Department of Communication and Culture. Rare prints from museums around the world and new films by national and international directors will also be screened.
As director of the IU Cinema, Vickers will work both independently and in collaboration with campus faculty to schedule film screenings, retrospectives, festivals, traveling exhibits, topical programs, and guest lectures. He will manage the cinema's budget, coordinate fundraising and grant-writing activities, and supervise a staff that will include a full-time technician and part-time student workers and interns.
For more information on the IU Cinema, visit https://www.indiana.edu/~iucinema/index.shtml.
