UNITED PALACE OF CULTURAL ARTS INC
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Mission Statement
UPCA's mission is to uplift, educate, and unite our Northern Manhattan community and beyond through cultural arts at the majestic United Palace, Manhattan’s fourth largest theatre. We provide: cultural events that present local, national, and international artists; arts education and mentoring for young people; space as a community resource.
About This Cause
HISTORY The United Palace originally opened in 1930 as the Loew’s 175th Street Theater, a vaudeville house and deluxe movie theatre, with a spectacular interior design that has been described as “Cambodian neo-Classical.” In 1969, when many of the city’s grand movie theatres had been demolished or turned into multiplexes, the Palace was purchased, and preserved, by Reverend Ike for his church. The Palace still houses the legacy of his congregation and also serves as a performance hall that books concerts, film and television productions, and other events. With 3,400 seats, the United Palace is Manhattan’s fourth largest theatre. In 1969 the building was purchased and preserved by Frederick J. Eikerenkoetter II, who is considered the first black televangelist. Rev. Ike, as he was known, moved his church into the theatre and soon after renamed it the United Palace. The legacy of his congregation has maintained the building ever since and continues to hold services every Sunday as United Palace House of Inspiration under the leadership of his son Xavier. In the early 2000’s the theatre also became a performance hall, booking concerts by the likes of Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Adele, and countless top Latin acts. With 3,400 seats, it is Manhattan’s fourth largest theatre. The Palace has also been used for dozens of film, TV, and commercial shoots, including, most recently, Woody Allen’s “Cafe Society,” the upcoming Marvel/Netflix series “Luke Cage,” and the remake of “Annie.” In 2012 Xavier fulfilled his dream of creating an arts and cultural center by launching the nonprofit United Palace of Cultural Arts (UPCA). It has revived movies at the Palace, usually with pre-show entertainment, hosted performances by dozens of local artists, and co-created the touring holiday show “The Hip Hop Nutcracker.” UPCA is one of the few arts and cultural centers north of 125th Street, providing vital creative experiences for a community lacking arts resources. PROGRAMMING In 2015, our second full year of programming, UPCA presented 28 events, attracting 12,500 guests. Our success is fostered by strong programming (much of it low-cost, including 16 free events last year), robust partnerships with like-minded organizations and notable individuals (e.g., Broadway star Lin-Manuel Miranda, New York Post Chief Film Critic Lou Lumenick, and the legendary “King of Rap” Kurtis Blow), and varied arts education opportunities. To honor the theatre’s movie palace tradition and attract wider audiences, we pair classic films with live entertainment. For one program, Oscar winner Rita Moreno introduced “West Side Story”; for another, cast members from the Broadway show “Phantom of the Opera” performed after the screening. Most movies are shown with Spanish subtitles. We purposefully curate programming that crosses boundaries (ethnic, socio-economic), creating opportunities for members of our diverse community to share space and culture, such as our series providing classical music with a twist. For instance we created “The Hip Hop Nutcracker,” combining Tchaikovsky’s score with hip hop dance to produce a new annual holiday show. In 2015 our show went on a 10-city tour, culminating in five performances in Moscow, Russia. For many guests, these events become an early introduction to orchestral music. A cornerstone of both our programming and our commitment to the community is joining youth with arts. Classes taught by UPCA instructors or partner organizations include: two El Sistema-inspired orchestras, hip hop dance, West African drumming, musical theatre, and visual art. Most classes are free, making them accessible for a population with a median income substantially below the rest of Manhattan. Our goal is that young people master artistic technique and gain life skills, such as teamwork, discipline, perseverance. The student shows on the Palace stage attract families and friends, community members who may have few other inroads to experiencing live performances. UPCA also operates afterschool and summer camp programs, providing homework help, a project-based curriculum, and arts instruction to 100 students in grades K-5. Between the education programs provided by UPCA and those offered in the space by our partner organizations, we served close to 700 young people from ages 5 to 17 in 2015. CONSTITUENCY According to the 2010 Census, Washington Heights/Inwood has the most Hispanic residents (135,000; 71% of the population) of any community in New York City. However there are still concentrations of immigrant groups from earlier generations: Eastern Europeans, Jews, Irish, and Greeks. According to a New York University study, the 2009 median household income in Washington Heights/Inwood was $37,092, 46% below the rest of Manhattan. The composition of our community art programs matches the local demographics as 75% of our students are Latino. Audiences for our self-produced events vary depending on the production but always include a mix of locals and visitors from other places. At every event we ask audience members to raise their hand if they are visiting for the first time: every time at least half of them indicate it is. REAWAKEN WONDER AT AT TIMELESS MOVIE PALACE The Palace's Eastern-themed architecture, which was all the rage in 1930 when it opened as one of the New York metro area’s five “Wonder Theatres,” still enraptures, having been preserved since 1969 when the renown prosperity preacher Reverend Ike purchased the building and moved his congregation here. That was the year the movies faded to black at the theatre. Then in 2013 the nonprofit United Palace of Cultural Arts (UPCA) began a series of fundraisers to purchase used projectors and a new screen to return movies to the Palace. Our screenings of classic, independent, and foreign films attract thousands of guests annually. Many of them dress up in period costume or the style of the picture being shown. To honor the theatre’s vaudeville roots, most screenings begin with a stage show - live music, dancing, or a Q&A. The mix of live entertainment and a movie prompted AMny newspaper to call the Palace, “The best place to see movies the way they used to be” in New York City. Most movies are subtitled in Spanish to attract the largely Latino local community. Encouraged by this success, and the closure of the Ziegfeld in January 2016, UPCA launched a campaign to upgrade its projection and audio equipment to Hollywood standards. Broadway superstar and friend of United Palace, Lin-Manuel Miranda, helped kick-off the effort by donating $100,000 to purchase a new projector, which was installed in time for him to host a screening of “Mary Poppins” in October, which nearly filled the 3,400-seat theatre. The following night PBS showed "Hamilton's America" in a premiere-like atmosphere to another near sell out. Now to complete the theatre’s revival, UPCA is kicking off “Reawaken Wonder at a Timeless Movie Palace,” a campaign to raise $300,000 to upgrade to cinema-quality audio. When completed, the Palace will offer an unbeatable movie-going experience, perfect for blockbusters and premieres, as well as quirky independent pictures and beloved classics. We will celebrate with an epic screening of 2001: A Space Odyssey, the last film shown at the United Palace in 1969. The goal is to officially unveil the theatre upgrade in early 2017.