A face-lift of a historic Sewickley theater is complete.
Fresh coats of paint and new signage adorn the front of The Lindsay Theater & Cultural Center at 418 Walnut St.
Work was completed earlier this month in yet another milestone in the transition of the independent, film-driven arts nonprofit.
“We are extremely pleased and excited that, for the first time, the Theater has lit signage,” said Carolina Pais-Barreto Thor, the theater’s chief executive officer. “This creative design — combining painting of the building’s large facade with a central, lit structural sign — was our most cost-sensitive option, allowing the Theater to maintain the funds needed for programming.”
The venue was known as The Tull Family Theater from its opening in February 2017 to the start of this year, when its new name was christened as part of a 10-year sponsorship by The Corry Family Foundation.
The Corry Family’s multi-year gift is a tribute to their late, much-adored daughter and sister, Lindsay Nicole Corry.
Corry graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with honors, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and had a successful business career in private equity in New York City.
She lived with Type 1 diabetes since infancy and, in January 2020, was diagnosed with cancer. She died in August 2021 at the age of 30.
The new branding was designed by Lauren Allik, a close friend of Corry.
“Lauren is a graphic designer based in San Francisco, and developed the color palette inspired by one of Lindsay’s original artworks and in consultation with Lex Corry Kappel, Lindsay’s sister,” Thor said.
“The logo, itself, is not only a lettermark for the name, but an ode to the geometry and architecture of the building. Tri-State Signs and Reprographics, based in the Strip District, used the branding components to design a facade that was both cost efficient and attractive.”
Project manager Katelyn Marshall of Tri-State said this was the first project her company has done with the theater. The sign was 8-feet wide and 9-feet tall. It was installed April 13.
Jeff DeCarlo, of DeCarlo Development in Allison Park, was the painter. His part of the project took about three weeks and 15 gallons of paint.
“I did everything myself, by hand, with a brush (and) never spraying,” DeCarlo said. “My biggest challenges were the weather, and getting those lines straight for the 25 feet from the top of the door to the top of the building.”
DeCarlo’s company has been around for about 10 years. It helped fill an unexpected gap.
“I knew the theater is very important to this region, so I was happy to step in when their first contractor backed out for a bigger job,” DeCarlo said. “It’s pretty clear how much everyone cares and how excited they are for this improvement.”
Theater officials declined to disclose project costs.
More information about theater and its programs is available at thelindsaytheater.org.
