 The Main Art in October 2021 | |
 | |
| Address | 118 N. Main Street Royal Oak, Michigan 48067 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°29′25″N 83°8′38″W / 42.49028°N 83.14389°W |
| Owner | A.F. Jonna Management & Development[1] |
| Operator | Jack Krass (former)[2] Landmark Theatres (former) |
| Type | Movie theater |
| Capacity | 800 (1941) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | August 7, 1941[3] |
| Renovated | 1983, 1993 |
| Closed | June 12, 2021[4] |
| Demolished | July 25, 2022[5] |
| Architect | Bennett & Straight Dearborn, Michigan[6] |
The Main Art Theater was a movie theater located at 118 North Main Street in downtown Royal Oak, Michigan, at the corner of Main Street and 11 Mile Road. Opened on August 7, 1941 by Robert Anthony, it was originally a single-screen theater with 800 seats designed by Dearborn-based architect Bennett & Straight. In 1983, the original 800-seat theater was split into two theaters during renovations, and a third theater was added to the building in 1993.[7]
The Main Art specialized in art films and independent movies, and regularly held midnight showings of classic films on Friday and Saturday nights. The theater showed mainstream films prior to its arthouse renovation in 1983.
Landmark Theatres operated the Main Art from 1997 until its closure in 2021. In May 2022, A.F. Jonna Management & Development gained approval from the Royal Oak City Council to demolish the theater for a mixed-use building.[8] The Main Art was officially demolished on the afternoon of July 25, 2022.
- ^ McConnell, Mike (May 27, 2022). "Royal Oak OKs development for Main Art Theatre Site". The Oakland Press. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
- ^ "Main Theater to Be Built on Erb Property" (PDF). Royal Oak Tribune. February 12, 1941. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ Kiska, Eric (February 18, 2015). "Main Art Theatre remains hub for indie films, cult classics in megaplex era". Motor City Muckraker. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
- ^ Graham, Adam (June 12, 2021). "Royal Oak's Main Art Theatre has gone dark; Birmingham 8 looks to 'pick up the slack'". The Detroit News. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
- ^ Baetens, Melody (July 25, 2022). "Main Art theater demolished Monday afternoon in downtown Royal Oak". The Detroit News. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
- ^ "Movie Theaters Designed by Bennett & Straight". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
- ^ "Historic Movie Theatres of Michigan". Michigan Explorer. February 24, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
- ^ McConnell, Mike (May 26, 2022). "Development planned to replace Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak". Royal Oak Tribune. Retrieved July 10, 2022.