By Shannon Lukens. (Photos courtesy Jennifer Grathwohl.)

 

The historic Chief Theater in downtown Steamboat Springs has been vandalized. Windows are smashed, paint has been thrown on the carpets and graffiti has been drawn on the historical murals. It has happened over the last few months.

 

An architect discovered it and caught some kids in the building but they ran out and got away. That’s according to Dagny McKinley, the Executive Director of Undiscovered Earth, who sent a press release Saturday. McKinley also says there are reports of someone living in the building over the summer.

 

The Chief Theater was built in 1926. It has been a movie theater and a stage for many performances. The current owners, Kori McClurg and Barry Sherman plan to renovate the building into a 350-seat theater with a balcony and a restaurant. Security cameras are now set up in the building.

 

If you know who may have done the vandalism, please reach out to Steamboat Springs Police at 970-879-1144.

 

Press release from Undiscovered Earth; Dec. 30, 2023.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Vandalism at Chief Theater Demonstrates Need for Revitalization

Steamboat Springs, CO. December 29, 2023. Smashed windows, paint strewn across the carpets and graffiti over historical murals are just some of the damage that has been done to the Chief Theater over the past couple of months. “It is heart-wrenching to see the harm done to The Chief, a cherished centerpiece of our downtown. The vandalism inside its walls is deeply troubling, but it also galvanizes our nonprofit, Undiscovered Earth, to take action,” said Jennifer Grathwohl, board president of Undiscovered Earth. “It’s imperative that we embark on a revitalization project of significant scale to restore and safeguard the cultural and historical essence of this building within our community, which contributes to a sense of place for many – and local pride for all.”

 

The historical Chief Theater was built in 1926 by Mark Schafermeyer, who owned the property and deeded it to local visionary “Chief” Harry Gordon for $25,000, according to Paul Van Horn, whose father managed the Village and Time Square Cinemas. Harry was a descendant of the Miami tribe. Harry Gordon hired Arthur E. Gumprecht, a well-known local builder to oversee the theater’s construction. The original single-story building had a seating capacity of 625 with a restaurant for people to dine in. The theater was acclaimed to be the largest theater in Northwest Colorado and as good as any theater that could be found in a major city.

Opening in early 1927, the Chief Theater was Steamboat Springs’ second motion picture house and the first to feature “talkies.” The first color film, “On With the Show,” debuted in 1929. Said to be a cultural center from the beginning, the Chief Theater stands as a tribute to the town’s cultural legacy.

W.F. Mayberry of Craig and W.J. Monroe of Wyoming were responsible for doing the interior decorating of the original Chief Theater for Harry Gordon. The ceilings were tinted in the cloudy sky-blue effect. The walls were done in French blue and tan mats, with 12 large panels painted in colored pictures of local scenes. Running wreaths of red roses formed the border, with a Tiffany dado or base. The panels and walls were highlighted with gold and silver. Five curtains were also painted, one in beautiful colors of the great falls at Yellowstone park, one town scene, a parlor scene, a kitchen scene and a woods scene, the settings most in use for dramatic performances (Steamboat pilot, September 1926).

 

American Indian art, created by local artist, Bob Smith, replaced the original murals and was unearthed during exploratory demolition of the building in 2022. The murals that graced the walls were four scenes, including a Native American woman doing beadwork, two Native Americans engaged in a snake ritual, Native Americans hunting on the plains and two masked Native Americans engaged in a tribal dance and were based on images in a National Geographic magazine. Some of those historic images now have graffiti painted on them.

The current owners of the Chief Theater, Kori McClurg and Barry Sherman, planned to renovate the building, as a for-profit venture, turning it into a 350-seat theater with a restaurant, similar to the original use of the building. They created plans to serve the performing arts community by increasing seating capacity and installing collapsible seating so the space could be a home for local events and meetings as well as entertainment. When they decided a non-profit model would better fulfill community needs, they reached out to Undiscovered Earth, a new non-profit organization formed to support creativity through the built environment. This project was right up their alley.

“The problem with unoccupied buildings is that someone will find a way to use them and most often, that use is for kids looking for a place to hang out and do some damage,” said Executive Director of Undiscovered Earth, Dagny McKinley. “The best way we can protect our historic buildings is to use them. When we show pride in our assets, that pride spreads, which is why we are exploring how to make the Chief the community asset that it deserves to be and has been for almost 100 years now.”

There have also been reports of someone living inside the building over the summer. There is an urgency in having the building reopened for the public before any more damage is done. Having a shuttered building on main street takes away from the vibrancy of our town. Security cameras have been installed and Undiscovered Earth has set up offices in the old All That Jazz space to let the community know that the Chief is cared for. For anyone who wants to find out more or support this effort, please stop by Undiscovered Earth’s offices from 12-4 p.m., Tuesday – Saturday or email dagny@undiscoveredearth.com.

Contact: Dagny McKinley

Organization: Undiscovered Earth

Email Address: dagny@undiscoveredearth.com

Website: UndiscoveredEarth.org