Yina Moore And The Adams Theater: Pioneering A Collaborative Model Of Revitalizing Arts And Culture In Rural Communities

The US population has become more and more urban across the 20th and 21st centuries, with 83% of Americans now living in urban areas, compared to 64% in 1950. By 2050, this figure is expected to grow to 89%. This flight toward the cities has left many rural towns with shrinking populations, and many of these towns' infrastructure has been falling into disrepair. Many culturally relevant heritage structures, which serve as a testament to history, are now run-down shells of their former glory.

One such heritage building is the Adams Theater in the town of Adams in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Built in 1937, the theater served as a cultural hub for the town, connecting generations of local residents until it was closed down in 1967.

The 12,443-square-foot theater complex lay dormant since then, except for a brief period from 2004 to 2010, before it was purchased in 2021 by Adams Theater LLC, a company founded by artist, architect, and former finance executive Yina Luo Moore. Its goal is to restore the theater to a year-round arts and performance venue, serving its original purpose as downtown Adams' center for cultural activities. In 2023, the theater held its first season since reopening its doors, and work is still ongoing in the complex to serve the community better.

Born in Shanghai, China, Moore moved to the US when she was 18 years old. Like many young immigrants, she pursued the "safer" choice of finance as a career rather than art, working for 12 years at various investment banks in New York. However, in her 30s, she decided to pursue her original passion and obtained a master's degree in architecture at Harvard University.

Moore was attracted to Berkshire County, which is recognized as one of the premier arts and culture hotspots of the US East Coast, and wanted to develop a performing arts space in the area. She initially targeted a different venue, but her proposal was rejected. However, she learned about the Adams Theater, which was renamed by its previous owners as the Topia Arts Center, and she established Adams Theater LLC to purchase the complex, which was restored to its original name and redeveloped as an accessible performance and cultural venue for both residents and visitors.

According to Moore, the work her organization is doing with the Adams Theater is an example of a collaborative model of rural revitalization that brings together complementary development projects and incorporates the opinions and wishes of the community and various stakeholders. One complementary development is The Trail in Adams, a nine-room boutique inn just a stone's throw away from the theater.

Moore says that one of the challenges of developing a performance venue is the need for space to host artists, especially those from outside the area. Several theater companies in the Berkshire Country were also experiencing the same issue of housing artists. One day, Kate Chen, one of Moore's friends from Shanghai came to visit her as she was renovating the Adams Theater, and she was inspired by Moore's vision for the project and wanted to invest in the local creative community. The friends, who used to dream of co-owning a bed-and-breakfast, found the perfect opportunity when the nearby Topia Inn went up for sale. Moore and Chen purchased the inn, renaming and renovating it to serve as a place to stay for artists performing at the Adams Theater.

Another of the project's partners is Reginald Carter, a stagehand at Broadway for more than 30 years. One of Carter's dreams is to become an owner of a performing arts venue and, when he heard about the ongoing redevelopment in Adams, he contacted Moore. After eight months of getting to know each other and ensuring their interests were aligned, Carter invested in and became part-owner of Adams Theater, LLC.

Moore says that the Adams Theater project serves as an alternative to the profit-oriented and corporate-led development projects often seen today. Many of these development projects do not take into account the cultural context of the communities around them and are inaccessible to most residents. On the other hand, the Adams Theater project was initially funded by a mix of Moore's own money, donations from generous individuals, grants from Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and Mass Cultural Council, and an $800,000 grant from a state program administered by MassDevelopment, as part of its Underutilized Property Program.

Moore and her team consult the community before making any major changes to the theater complex. Moore says that at the start of the project, a large majority of community stakeholders were supportive, but there were also some who were suspicious and hesitant that the project could end up gentrifying the area. Moore and her team worked closely with the community to ensure all their concerns were heard before work commenced.

"Our ongoing work at the Adams Theater is the embodiment of my passion to contribute to the development of arts and culture, as well as revitalizing rural communities, such as the town of Adams. It is also the culmination of my education in economics, architecture, and art," Moore says. "We hope to bring on more partners and collaborators that share our vision of turning the Adams Theater and the surrounding communities into a vibrant cultural hub that engages the community, celebrates creative partnerships, and promotes cultural dialogues."

The Adams Theater Presents, Inc. was formed in October 2023 as a non-profit organization. It is the sole presenting organization for arts and community programs at 27 Park Street in Adams.