About the Nonprofit
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Hamilton Arts Foundation is committed to renovating the Hamilton Theater, making it a live performing arts theater for and around the Hamilton Field community. In addition, we hope to rebuild the second building at this location and make it the Hamilton Music Museum with experiential kiosks for music learning and education, and to recognize our rich Marin Music roots.
The Back Story
Built in 1938, the Hamilton Theater is a charming, 320-seat, Spanish-styled Theater that served the armed forces that were stationed at Hamilton Field. It is an original structure, erected at the beginning of Hamilton Field’s pre-World War II development. The theater’s inclusion in the original Hamilton plan shows the importance of film and performance in our culture and its ability to entertain, inform, educate, and above all, bring people together. The theater was in operation as late as 1994 and has a newer cinema screen, but it has been neglected since, for almost 30 years. We, The Hamilton Arts Foundation, want to make the building itself a symbol of the old tradition it held for the Hamilton Air Force Base and the new Hamilton Field community, part of Novato, California, about 25 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Help Us Preserve Hamilton Theater
California towns are committed to the Surplus Land Act (the "Act") to increase the availability of real property in California for affordable housing development by requiring the prioritization of affordable housing when selling or leasing public lands no longer necessary for agency use. This puts historic properties like the Hamilton Theater at risk. We support low-income and senior housing - but not at this historic location in the middle of the Hamilton Town Center. Help us to make the theater what it should be – a historic place to celebrate music and performing arts, forever. (FYI: Once approved by the City Council of Novato, we will be raising $30 million to complete this project – and we have a great fundraising plan. Stay Tuned!) Pledge your further support.
