It’s time for The Grand Cinema to expand. That’s good news for local movie buffs, who will have an extra screen and some other amenities to enjoy if all goes as planned. But it also means that The Grand Impromptu Gallery, which occupies adjacent space at the Grand’s home, the Merlino Arts Building, will have to find a new place to reside. Officials at the Grand Impromptu received word last week that their month-to-month lease will be terminated to make room for the theater expansion.

The Grand Cinema received a gift in the form of an extended lease from Merlino Building owners P.M. Investments, which gives the theater rights to operate there until 2025. The lease extension helps expansion plans make financial sense for the theater, which had been struggling with the prospect of having to find a new home if the theater’s managers couldn’t cinch an extended lease. With a new lease and a proactive board, The Grand Cinema has a chance to do something it has wanted to do for a long time, says Executive Director Phillip Cowan.

“We’ve got a board that is willing to move forward,” he says. ”It’s a huge investment, and it’s been tough to pull the trigger. We didn’t want to move, but we needed to exist somewhere. One of the things that helps speed this along is that we got a lease extension. That was one of the key things that started to make this more feasible, because we’re here long enough to pay for it.”

Plans for the expansion will include a new, 104-seat theater. As of right now that’s all that’s concrete as partners Belay Architects draw up plans. Grand officials would like to get a little more elaborate with concessions and make more lobby room for theater goers, as well as improving some of the human traffic flow.

“If you were here during Academy Awards season, it’s packed,” says Cowan.

But until designs are finalized, and all the numbers come in, no promises can be made as to what exactly will be changed or added. 

In the mean time, the artist members of Impromptu are looking for a new home. The gallery has been in the Merlino Building for nearly two years, showing a rotating slate of work from members, including painter Shirley Benton, master printmaker Bill Colby, ceramics and glass artist Heather Cornelius, mixed-media artist Becky Frehse, digital artist and photographer Bea Geller, mixed-media artist Mirka Hokkanen, mixed-media artist Dorothy McCuistion, sculptor LeeAnn Seaburg-Perry, photographer Peter Serto and fiber artist Faith Hagenhofer.  The collective’s final show, Rear View Forward, runs through mid-August, and will feature a sort of retrospective display of several Grand Impromptu members. A message to fans of the gallery reads: “We are moving at the end of August, come see us in our final show at our Fawcett Street location.  Rear View Forward is a mix of old and new, with member artists showing new work and some favorite work from past shows in a ‘salon’ format.  Lots of fun and exciting things to see. No definite plans for where we are moving to but we will post an update here on the Web site when we know ... stay tuned!”

Officials at The Grand Cinema, meanwhile, are gearing up for some fall fundraising activity, with hopes that the community will come out and support its expansion.

[The Grand Impromptu Gallery, Rear View Forward, runs through Aug. 15, 4-8 pm. Thurs, noon to 8 pm. Fri-Sat, 2-6 pm. Sun, 608 S. Fawcett, 253.564. 5775]