My largest portfolio of photographic work is the documentation of American movie theaters built before 1965, entitled Please Remain Standing. Since 1982, I have photographed over 1,100 movie theaters in small towns and cities across the United States and a few in Europe. I first began this work in 1982 as a school assignment. After photographing my hometown theater, the Carib, the theater was demolished, becoming a downtown parking lot. I mulled over what the closing meant to me personally—the loss of a gathering space, a magical place that instantly transported me to another dimension. Aware of other movie theaters that were quickly disappearing, over 40 years later I am more passionate than ever to bring attention to the dramatic and embellished architecture the movie theaters embody, and celebrate the places that bring communities together.
BIO: Benita VanWinkle is a professional photographer and is currently an Associate Professor of Art at High Point University in High Point, North Carolina, teaching both analog and digital photography. An international speaker regarding her ongoing personal photography and research project, “Please Remain Standing,” a documentary project of vintage movie theaters in all 50 states and Europe, with a book launch of the American work in 2026 (America’s Hometown Movie Theaters: Please Remain Standing, Bauer and Dean Publishers). You are welcome to check out her website at: www.busybstudio.com.
