Lafayette’s Cité des Arts Holding Fundraiser to Save Venue

A downtown Lafayette theater is in need of your help to keep its doors open.

Cité des Arts has started a campaign fundraiser in hopes of raising enough money to pay for its rent and other expenses at the venue located on Vine St.

"Save Cité des Arts" has a goal to raise $40,000 for the non-profit. Of course, just like many other organizations, they have been hit hard by the pandemic.

The organization says that many performances, classes, and workshops at their venue have had to be canceled over the last year. The group says their revenue has been $0 since the pandemic began, thus, they need help to keep the doors open.

"The doors opened on this facility in June 2002. Since that time, many artists have entertained our audiences and graduated to larger and more far-flung venues," a press release states. "We have seen local artists and their work spread out across the country. But these artists do not forget us! They frequently remind us that they could not have done it without the facility and support of Cité des Arts."

Cité des Arts officials say their reopening will help other businesses in the downtown area.

"People come to our theater when we're open, and if we have a full house, they might go across the street to one of the establishments on Jefferson around the corner," said Program Director Daniel Ladmirault. "They'll eat at one of the restaurants downtown. They'll have a drink after the show at one of the bars downtown. So we bring people downtown."

If you'd like to donate to the fund, you can do so at the Cité des Arts website. You can make a one-time donation or set up a monthly donation plan.