Downtown Durham is about to add as much imagination as architecture. At 118 West Parrish Street—a storied three-story commercial block between the Unscripted Hotel and Mechanic & Farmers Bank—artists and filmmakers Alex Maness and Jim Haverkamp plan to open Skin and Bones Theater, a 50–60 seat arthouse cinema and flexible event space. Part movie house, part incubator for creative programming, it’s poised to stripe a fresh cultural thread into the city’s evolving landscape.
The plan, announced by INDY Week earlier this week and confirmed by local sources, charts a course toward a 2026 opening for the new venue.
A Place With a Past—and a Creative Future
Over its century-plus life, 118 West Parrish has housed everything from bicycle shops to furniture warehouses to home-goods stunners. Its new incarnation, Skin and Bones Theater, promises something different: an arts-forward, human-scale space for film, readings, lectures, and community dialogue.
Owned by local revitalization group Eno Ventures, the building is currently under renovation. Eno’s mission centers on adaptive reuses for underutilized downtown properties—a perfect match for the theater’s mission.
Voices Behind the Vision
Maness and Haverkamp, co-founders of the experimental arts venue Shadowbox Studio, bring personal and professional experience to the project. Maness works as a freelance photographer; Haverkamp is a film instructor at Duke University. Their creative partnership began amidst Durham’s grassroots arts scene and continues on the frontlines of its shifting borders.
“There’s not a lack of performance spaces in town, but there could be more,” Maness says, recalling warm and eager public response to Shadowbox’s programming off Club Boulevard.
Haverkamp remembers deeper roots: “We miss the Durham of 25 years ago… the loss of Man Bites Dog Theater still echoes.” The new theater, he said, is intended “to try to contribute to that community space and creative hub.”
Downtown’s Changing Rhythm
The building’s site sits at a crossroads: recently vacated by gift shop Chet Miller and Horse & Buggy Press’s gallery, now silent as the building transforms.
Meanwhile, downtown Durham’s residential core is booming. According to Downtown Durham Inc., nearly 9,900 people live downtown or in adjacent neighborhoods—and that doesn’t count the 1,243 market-rate units currently under construction.
These trends hold promise—and risk. Revitalization and rising rents drove out many legacy businesses, and remote work has dented daytime activity. But Maness and Haverkamp see a chance for creative resurgence: “Small, weird spaces are slowly coming back,” says Haverkamp, citing Mettlesome, NorthStar Church of the Arts, Perfect Lovers, Night School Bar, and Queen Street Magic Boat.
Program, Purpose, and Practicalities
The theater, true to its name, will be “very simple… very bare bones,” Maness explains. That minimalism extends to concessions: due to plumbing constraints, the venue won’t serve fountain drinks—only cans and bottles.
But vision extends beyond functionality. The pair imagine evenings that meld cinema with conversation, music, and curated interaction—“more than just going to movies.” They hope Skin and Bones will invite audiences, storytellers, and strangers to linger, spark dialogue, and strike new creative paths.
Their programming launch begins this fall at Shadowbox with a preview screening of the documentary Kim’s Video, an ode to a beloved New York video store and the preservation of film culture.
A fundraising campaign is slated to begin in spring 2026, setting the stage for a maiden season next summer.
Why Bull City Should Watch
At the Bull City Citizen, we’re tracking how culture, community, and commerce intersect in Durham. Skin and Bones Theater isn’t just about movies—it’s about building space for shared narratives, creative rebellion, and civic belonging. If you’d like deeper coverage—on programming, neighborhood impact, or just the next show—drop us a note.
