Act Now!

Our legislators need to hear from YOU

We recently hosted tours of the Victory Theatre for our federal legislature. US congressional staff toured the theater to hear about our progress and the next steps in the shovel-ready construction.

Now we need your support. Legislators need to hear from constituents on why the Victory Theatre and the arts are vital for the region now, as they advocate for funding for Western MA.

Contact our legislators here:

Please click on the links below to email or use the addresses provided to send your letters of support

Congressman Richard Neal

Washington DC Office

372 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Senator Elizabeth Warren

Washington DC Office

311 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

(Share Your Opinion/Message Topic: Arts & Humanities)

Senator Edward Markey

Washington DC Office

255 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

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Victory Theatre Performing Arts Center

The Victory, a 1,600-seat Broadway-style theater opened in 1920 and closed in 1979. Following many efforts by community organizations to save the theater since its closing, in 2009 in response to an appeal, the city of Holyoke awarded the responsibility of restoring and reopening the theater to MIFA as developers. Now shovel-ready, a new phase of construction starts this spring.

MIFA envisions the transformation of the Victory Theatre as a performing arts center for the region. The classic theater has a proscenium stage conﬁguration with unobstructed views from a fan-shaped auditorium that brings seats closer to the stage and ampliﬁes acoustics. Sweeping stairways lead up to an immense double-tiered balcony, also with unobstructed views, and a magniﬁcent rare-wood-lined oval room with Tiffany glass windows. Silk paneling covers the walls, likely made at the William Skinner Silk Mill in Holyoke. Glass mosaic tiles and gold highlights accentuate an Art Deco and classically mixed style along with eighty-ﬁve etched glass sconces lighting the whole interior.

On either side of the stage hang 23 ft. tall murals by Work Progress Administration (WPA) muralist Vincent Maragliotti. In April 2024, restoration of the murals was completed by expert restorationists EverGreene Architectural Arts of New York.

The Victory Theatre Project: The Future Looks Bright

Located in the center of downtown Holyoke, Massachusetts.

The only Broadway theater-sized venue in the region.

The Victory, a 1,600-seat historic theater, will be restored & updated into a state-of-the-art performing arts center, transforming downtown Holyoke into an Arts and Cultural District for the region.

A year-round arts and education space and a vital community gathering place.

Year-round seasons, featuring an outstanding mix of Broadway touring productions, international specialty companies, and regional events.

An anchor for workshops, masterclasses, performances, and one-on-one interactions with major national and international artists and companies, Artists-in-Residence programs, with a professional career training program.

Area economic impact $10+ million annually (Broadway Theatre League), becoming a major tourist attraction enhancing the region as a destination.

Easily accessible by car, bus, and train (from the Mass Pike and I-91, the North-South rail corridor, and the proposed East-West rail development. Springfield’s Union Station and Holyoke’s Amtrak stop

Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts (MIFA)

Over the past 31 years, MIFA has presented the finest examples of contemporary practice performing, visual, and literary arts, bringing esteemed artists and world-class events to the Pioneer Valley. Since 1994, MIFA has presented such artists as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Vanessa Redgrave, Eddie Palmieri, and William Kentridge, along with Massachusetts artists and companies, and has sponsored community organizations and events.

Help MIFA create an everlasting legacy of arts, culture, and economic vitality through the Victory Theatre Project in downtown Holyoke.