Curtains Rising on the Lompoc Theatre Project

Infusion of Matching Grant from Chumash Foundation Gives Beloved Venue a Big Lift

The marquee outside the Lompoc Theatre | Credit: Courtesy

The restoration of the Lompoc Theatre got a nice shot in the arm this week when the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation announced a $150,000 matching-grant commitment to the project, which will restore the city’s nearly 100-year-old venue.

With an aim to reopen the theater to bring movies, concerts, and other live performances back to the venue, Executive Director Mark Herrier and his 13-member board of directors have been working hard since 2012 to raise the $10 million needed to bring the project back to life. It has been dormant since 1991, but the nonprofit group behind the restoration project has a fundraising campaign going and a plan to reopen around the theater’s 100th birthday in 2027. The infusion of a dollar-for-dollar matchup from the Chumash should help considerably.

“This theater was the pride and joy of this town. I get emotional,” said Herrier in a statement about the donation. “People were so proud of it. Slowly but surely, it has come to represent a Lompoc that has fallen on hard times. The hard-working people who live here do much of the heavy lifting that benefits the entire county, but they don’t have a single entertainment center of their own. This empty theater has been a symbol of the decline — now it will become the engine for its renaissance.”

“We are proud to support efforts that foster community enrichment through the arts and have the potential to bring together people from diverse backgrounds,” said Kenneth Kahn, Tribal Chair for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.

The theater project is now in the second of three phases, with a goal of finishing phase two in June 2025 when it reaches a $3 million fundraising milestone, which will allow the group to host a 99-person audience.

“Our first year of fundraising, we made $4,000,” Herrier said. “Where we are now with this grant from the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians is game-changing.”

To learn more about this project and make a donation, email info@lompoctheatre.org or visit lompoctheatre.org.