Alabama Theatre At Night – Birmingham Art

Description

I’m always thrilled when I come across a classic Movie Palace that has survived the wrecking ball or simply neglect. The Alabama Theatre is certainly a survivor. When this piece of Historic Birmingham was built in the 1920s, movie theaters were still new enough that the builders hedged their bets. The Alabama Theatre had both a vaudeville stage as well as a movie screen. This was just in case those new-fangled movies were a passing fad. The Birmingham Theatre District once included other classic movie theaters, vaudeville stages and more attractions. But the old Alabama Theatre is the lone survivor of that golden age of entertainment. It’s no joke that they don’t build them like this anymore. Lots of modern theaters attempt to capture the charm of the golden age of cinema but it nearly always has a plastic feel to it. There’s just a charm to these old movie palaces that can’t be replicated. Once they’re gone, they’re gone!

For me, personally, it’s at night when these movie palaces truly shine, that’s why I wanted this piece of Birmingham art to capture the Alabama Theatre with its signature marquee aglow. I love the feeling of a night out with the passing lights of cars, street lights and the starry night sky beyond. There’s a sense of the magical – that same sense that movies  even today still capture, the wonder of it all. I wanted this artwork to have a sense of fantasy to it and believe I’ve succeeded. And there’s a nearly timeless quality to it, something those of us today might appreciate as well as our grandparents who may have gone on a first date there years ago.

I’m always interested to hear what attracts people to a particular piece of art. Have you called Birmingham home? Maybe you still do? Do you simply love old movie palaces like the Alabama Theatre? Or maybe you’re looking for a Birmingham art print as a gift for a friend? I hope you’ll pause for a moment and share what this particular print means to you.