WS Chronicle

The Board of Directors of a/perture cinema has announced it has named Leigh Dyer as its new executive director. Dyer, who brings over a decade of experience in nonprofit management roles, will take over operational, financial, and strategic planning to ensure the cinema’s growth and community impact. 

“I’m thrilled to lead this celebrated nonprofit into a critical new phase of growth and support for the art and craft of independent filmmaking,” said Dyer, who began work last week. 

Dyer’s prior nonprofit roles have included extensive experience with visual arts and education. She has led teams at both The Mint Museum in Charlotte and most recently at GreenHill Center for N.C. Art in Greensboro, where she was executive director for nearly two years. Dyer, a graduate of Duke University, also worked as a journalist, including several years at The Winston-Salem Journal. She has also traveled widely to film festivals to write about film for publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Charlotte Observer, and People magazine. 

The public is invited to a FREE special screening of Dyer’s favorite movie, “Casablanca,” including a meet-and-greet to discuss Dyer’s vision for the cinema, on Wednesday, Dec. 18, at 6:15 p.m. Details are available at aperturecinema.com.   

a/perture cinema has long served as a pillar of the revitalized Winston-Salem downtown community, offering a wide range of informative, educational, thought-provoking, and inspiring films that reflect diverse cultures, voices, and stories. To sustain its commitment to film programming and serve as a catalyst for community engagement through the arts, a/perture is actively seeking public, foundation, corporate, and art-specific operational and capacity-building funding. 

Dyer succeeds founding director Lawren Desai, who recently ended her tenure with the cinema. In the fall, the organization announced a campaign to raise at least $100,000 by year end. The campaign lasts through December 31, and it will be Dyer’s responsibility to announce the results in the New Year, said Janice Tsoules, chair of a/perture’s Board of Directors. 

 “Response to our campaign has been enormously positive, and has shown us how much goodwill our community has for a/perture and its mission,” said Tsoules. “However, we still have work to do to ensure our role as a sustainable nonprofit for years to come, so we encourage further support of a/perture via donations, memberships, or just simply visiting us at the movies.” 

For more information on how to donate, become a member, or learn about upcoming events, visit the a/perture cinema website or contact ED@aperturecinema.com.