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El Morro Theatre unveils new event center

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On the evening of the June Arts Crawl, despite the dark looming rain clouds above and the wind kicking up now and then, Second Street was seated with anxious people awaiting a ribbon cutting ceremony.

This ceremony, held June 13, debuted the new El Morro Second Street Events Center while giving a nod to the technological upgrades made to the historic El Morro Theatre.

Master of Ceremony and Gallup’s General Services Director Rick Snider welcomed everyone to the event, and local singer and artist Tawnya Gomez sang the national anthem.

Mayor Jackie McKinney gave a short speech and lauded those involved with the project.

“Gallup residents can be proud of how the city is growing and how everyone can enjoy this addition to Second street.” he said.

Councilor Allan Landavazo also praised the new events center.

“A lot of history is here in Gallup and with this new events center, only more can be added to it,” he said. “This has been in the planning for quite some time and we are thrilled that this has finally come to life.”

The event center will offer modern technological amenities and can seat up to120 people. The two rooms of the events center offer a flexible venue for activities.

In addition, the center offers two new dressing rooms for men and women, complete with restrooms and shower facilities to support entertainers that perform at the historic theater.

Upgrades were also done to the inside of the El Morro Theatre, which includes a state-of-the-art Christie Digital projector and an all-new Dolby Surround 7.1 audio system capable of showing the latest major studio feature films with brilliant images and crystal clear sound.

Also, a new loading dock offers improved access for load-in of performance equipment. A kitchenette is also on hand to easily serve beverages, appetizers and other food options.

“With this new events center, we are capable of having live music, meetings, exhibits, and much more, El Morro Theatre Manager Frank Bosler said. “We invite the public to take advantage of all that this center will offer.”

After all speeches were completed, the ribbon was cut and the El Morro Second Street Event Center was officially open. Exhibits featured the Navajo Nation Museum; Navajo Weavers Marlowe Ketoney, Genevieve Hardy, Tahnibaa Naatanni, Phil Singer and Jay Begay; and Eric Manuelito played traditional Navajo flute.

Michaela Martinez, a resident of Gallup said, “This is really nice, and the workers are so friendly and the whole place is awesome!”

The crowd was also treated to films, including “Men Who Weave,” a documentary that features Navajo men who weave traditional rugs.

The film, “Delivery from Earth,”featured a Q&A with film writer, producer,and director Michael Becker.

Snider said the addition of the event center and interior upgrades to the El Morro Theatre cost nearly $1.7 million.