Laurie Richards has been appointed the program manager at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center, effective immediately. She has been serving in that role in an interim capacity since June 1, 2023.
“I am thrilled to be named program manager for the Ross,” Richards said. “It’s such a treasure for the community and an honor to help build upon the legacy of our programming. Everything came together to make the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center a world-class film exhibition program, a guiding light for all that have come since our beginning. See you at the movies.”
As program manager, Richards will continue the work of overseeing general operations, programming and community connections for the Ross.
“Laurie has been doing outstanding work advancing the mission of the Ross, building meaningful connections with both campus and community partners and ensuring that the Ross remains the premier destination for independent film in Nebraska,” said Hank Stratton, director of the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film. “Her leadership, creativity and deep commitment to the arts make her an invaluable part of our community.”
Richards brings her knowledge of the industry to this position as the former state film officer through the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. In that role, she worked with a variety of film projects filmed on location in Nebraska, including Beeban Kidron’s “To Wong Foo” (1994), Alexander Payne’s “Citizen Ruth” (1995), the Coen Brother’s “Ballad of Buster Scruggs” (2018) and Academy Award-winning best picture “Nomadland” (2020) from Chloe Zhao.
Richards has also interacted with the Sundance Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival and, most recently, the Santa Fe International Film Festival, participating in panel discussions with industry professionals, film commissioners and filmmakers and inspiring them to be guests with their films at the Ross through the Geske Cinema Showcase.
“Laurie has proven to be a talented program manager who brings an historical perspective of the Ross and its mission, as well as an expansive film background with her previous experiences and industry connections,” said Andy Belser, dean of the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. “I look forward to working with her as we continue to expand the reach of The Ross as a valuable resource for the campus and the wider community.”
The Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center, located at 13th and R streets, is a comprehensive exhibition program that acknowledges the moving image as the principal art form of this century and is committed to screening a wide variety of high-quality cinema.
Created more than 50 years ago by the original vision of Norman Geske, Sheldon director emeritus, to showcase independent film, the program received a $3.5 million irrevocable trust in 1990 by Mary Riepma Ross, one of the theater’s most ardent supporters and a resident of New York City, to build and to endow the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center. The new building opened in 2003. After her passing in 2013, it was announced that Ross had left $9.5 million in her estate to the University of Nebraska Foundation to support the Ross for generations to come.
The Ross includes two theaters, the Joseph H. Cooper Theater that seats 197 and a smaller theater that seats 82. Also in the facility is an archival quality film/video storage room that houses a collection of around 2,000 film and video titles, including the UNL Film Studies collection, the Jerry Jensen Cinema 16 Collection and the Foster/Dixon Collection. The center also includes offices, a research library and concession stand. Classroom laboratories, equipment storage space and editing suites are located on the second floor.
The Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center is housed under the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts in the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film.
