COLUMBIANA, Ohio – New LED signboards are being installed on the marquee of Columbiana Arts Theater.

The signs are 16 feet by 3 feet, and there is one on each side of the marquee. The first sign was erected last week, and the second is being installed this week.

They will be used to announce upcoming shows at the theater, city events and even paid advertising messages, according to Katy Mumaw, marketing director for the theater that sits on Columbiana’s central circle.

The goal is to have both signs up and running by Thursday, when the three-day Columbiana Street Fair begins on Main Street, downtown.

The signs are very versatile.

“These signs run on a software that can put up a lot of different things,” Mumaw said. “We can advertise for the street fair or whatever is going on in the community. We want to be a good partner with the community and the chamber and everything that’s going on in Columbiana.”

The software also allows each sign to be split into two messages. For example, 8 feet of it could promote an upcoming show, and the remaining 8 feet could be an advertisement.

The two signs operate separately from each other and do not necessarily have to display the same message at the same time.

“There’s a lot of different things we could do,” Mumaw said. CJ’s Signs and Lighting of Alliance was hired to install the signs.

“It’s also a good opportunity for us to market a show the day of the show, or to just let people know that there is stuff going on at the theater,” she said. “Some people drive around the circle every day and don’t realize how active the theater is.”

The theater was purchased last year by SP Co., parent company of Compco and Roman Bradford Corp., with the purpose of enhancing the city’s cultural landscape.

It was renamed as part of an overall rebranding effort. A permanent sign bearing the theater’s name was installed atop the marquee last November, and a new website was launched to announce upcoming shows and for ticket sales.

The theater is an anchor of downtown Columbiana, which has become a destination for day-trippers who browse its many antique shops and visit places like Birdfish Brewing and McKim’s Honeyvine Winery.

“There are so many antique shops and little boutiques downtown, and with all the different activities going on, and the food trucks, we are seeing a lot more foot traffic,” Mumaw said. “Hopefully, they’ll see our new signs and know what’s going on at the theater.”

The new signs are the second major capital improvement at the theater under its new owners. Late last year, a state of the art sound system was installed, Mumaw said.

Upcoming shows at the theater include:

  • “Last Out: Elegy of a Green Beret,” a national touring show, 7 p.m. Sept. 12.
  • “The Belonging: A Women’s Community Worship Night,” 7 p.m. Sept. 14.
  • TEDx Columbiana: Beyond Boundaries, 9 a.m. Sept. 20.
  • Fleetwood Gold (Fleetwood Mac tribute concert), 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27.
  • Comedian Jonnie W., 7 p.m. Sept. 28.
  • Honey Brother in concert, 7 p.m. Oct. 3 (tickets not on sale yet).
  • “Matilda,” a musical by Squeaky Wheel Theater, Oct. 10-19 (tickets not on sale yet).
  • AC & The Heat in concert, 7 p.m. Nov. 22.

Pictured at top: The first of two LED signs has already been erected on the theater’s marquee, and the second one is going up this week.