Home of Athena's Gem
The Athena Gem Theatre is located in Athena, Oregon, in the heart of eastern Oregon wheat country, overlooking the Umatilla Indian Reservation about 20 minutes North of Pendleton, Oregon.
After seventeen years of perseverance, Athena’s gem is wrapping up the renovation of this sacred space for the arts in rural Northeast Oregon. “In-kind” donated labor valued at $750K, over half of that work being provided by students age 12-18 has been leveraged to garner nearly 1.8M in grant funding. Drywall installation, finish, and paint is 80% complete with only part of the auditorium remaining. With interior doors and plumbing fixture installation plus floor finishing remaining in Star Saloon, we intend to finish that side of the building in time for Hodaka Days next June. Funds garnered from small grants, paver, and Hodaka commemorative coin sales will be directed towards the multitude of odds and ends involved in completing this winter/spring campaign.
Gem has one more major financial hurdle to cross, that being the purchase and installation of the theatre sound, projection, fly winch, and most stage lighting. This is expensive equipment. We expect that cost of completion will be $205K. The lighting will be LED and projection digital, all better grade equipment that will serve the facility well for many years. Please consider making a contribution, towards this cause, we really do need your help.
We also still have a number of engraved sidewalk pavers available for $125 each and up to 55 characters. This is a great way to support the project and leave a legacy for others to see in front of the facility for many years.
Athena was home to the Pacific Basin Trading Company (PABATCO) in the 1970's which was the manufacturer of Hodaka Motorcycles. Athena is home to both Hodaka Days as well as the Athena Caledonian Games.
It is anticipated that the completed Gem/Star project will contain the much awaited Hodaka Museum filled with amazing bits of motorcycling history!
The GemTheatre.org is the non-profit organization that is overseeing the restoration of the building and the installation of the Hodaka museum.Browse around our site and learn more about us and our project. Consider a donation to this most excellent cause!
