MISSOULA, Montana (CelebrityAccess) — Knitting Factory Entertainment has signed a five-year agreement to manage the Rick Wishcamper and Justin Metcalf’s Wilma Theatre in Missoula, Montana that will see the venue operating under the Knitting Factory name.
While the agreement is newly minted, the Knitting Factory team is no stranger to the facility or the market and have been collaborating on more than 300 shows at the Wilma Theatre over the past seven years, including performances by artists such as Jane’s Addiction, Primus, Iron & Wine, Fitz & The Tantrums, Skrillex, and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.
“We’re pleased to be entering this new chapter in our relationship with The Wilma Theatre,” said Knitting Factory CEO Morgan Margolis. “This historic, dual purpose venue gives us an opportunity to extend our curatorial reach and enhance The Wilma’s status as a first class arts venue for Missoula.”
In addition to bolstered live entertainment, The Wilma will also be revamping their film offerings, shifting away from the weekly-run independent films to a monthly-programmed film schedule aimed at appealing to a wider audience.
“While our local film festivals have thrived at The Wilma, nightly movie attendance has had a dramatic annual decline since we took ownership of the theatre several years ago,” theatre co-owner Rick Wishcamper said. “A new model for programming films that people really want to see, films that will pull people away from Netflix and bring them to the theatre, is a really energizing proposition.” – Staff Writers
