BIG PICTURE’S BIG GREEN FUTURE
A Community Fund Raiser To Make
Big Picture Theater Sustainable

The Big Picture Theater & Café in Waitsfield VT celebrates its Fifth anniversary this June and is reaching out to the community for support in helping make it more sustainable in the years to come.

It’s been an exciting ride for Big Picture since its founding in 2006.  What was once a faltering movie house has become a vibrant café, first run and art-house theater, concert and live event venue, and, above all, community gathering space.  After incorporating the Very Small Donut Company and lending support to Small Step Farm, Big Picture has been able in so many ways to fulfill its wildest dreams.  Thanks to its dedicated staff and the people of this remarkable valley, Big Picture has become more than just a theater/café but the Mad River Valley’s primary hub for cultural, social, and community events and programming.

But Big Picture’s biggest dream, says co-founder and manager Claudia Becker, is to make sure that this positive investment in the community is a lasting one.  “We see too many vital community institutions close across the country and in Vermont,” says Becker.  “Community centers being lost to big business.  We want Big Picture to be here for generations.” 

What is needed, says Becker, is a sustainability overhaul.  Big Picture, she says, “is a big dream, that, because of its size, long opening hours, and the 1980s construction of the building, is terribly energy-inefficient in its current form.” Becker hopes to use Big Picture’s Fifth Anniversary as a milestone moment to ensure a sustainable future.  To do this, she says, Big Picture needs community support.  Outside of its movies and café, all of Big Picture’s cultural and community programming is made possible by The Bigger Picture Community Fund, a non-profit 501c3 that rents theater space from Big Picture just as other groups do around the valley.  The problem is that to operate those large spaces and heat them for much of the year is expensive.  At the time of its construction, the building was not insulated responsibly and is therefore tremendously inefficient.  This waste, says Becker, “obviously is outrageous environmentally and also just not affordable going forward.” 

Big Picture has for several months been working with Efficiency Vermont, Middlebury College and several local energy specialists to develop the best strategy to make the building more efficient and to involve renewable energy resources.  This will require funds beyond Big Picture’s capabilities, so the Bigger Picture Community Fund hopes to mobilize the community to participate in a sustainability fundraiser.  The hope is that through collaborative effort, a real and immediate impact can be had on the environment while also continuing to build the vital bond between Big Picture and the community.

The plan is to hold a series of fundraising and community outreach events throughout the month of June with two goals:

1. To raise money to insulate the theater spaces and invest in renewable energy
   
   
2. To utilize the skills, backgrounds and knowledge from members of the community to do volunteer work to improve the facility’s energy efficiency

Events will be happening at the Big Picture Theater and Café every Saturday in June, from a “Community Work Day” to a “People Power Auction,” and a “Family Car and Bike Jam” there will many opportunities for people to help out, contribute, and have fun.

 “Every person comes to the fundraising effort with a different set of knowledge, background, and skills and we can all learn from each other,” says Claudia Becker. “We have already received great advice, pro-bono site visits, and hopefully this kind of support with help us pull this off! This can be a chance for the Valley community to shape its future by helping reduce energy consumption and carbon emission, to advance the quality of life both now and for generations to come, and by doing so to ensure the chance of survival of what has become a crucial community hub.”

Fun and Barn Raiser Events – June 2011

June 4
Community Work Day – the community comes together to help with general improvements to the building and to help with some of the work for insulation.
It is also an opportunity for people with expertise in renewable energy solutions to come forward and help conceive of a viable option for solar and or wind.

June 11
People Power Auction – a live and silent auction of skills and personalities.
100 items will be auctioned off by professional auctioneers during an evening of music, food and entertainment. The items will consist of contributions by the Big Picture team and members of the community that are willing to donate their time and expertise. Live music with Deja Nous and In Cahoots. Potluck buffet.

June 18-19
Membership Drive Weekend – sign up for a membership with your meal and receive 25% off that day!

June 25
Family Car and Bike Jam & Picnic with special Fundraiser
screening of “Cars”
Bring your sweet ride, join the tailgate party and donate to the cause by buying a pledge ticket to Disney’s blockbuster film Cars 2

To contribute or help, contact Claudia Becker at cbecker007@yahoo.com or call 802.496.8994

For more information go to www.bigpicturetheater.info