File:Stanley Theater, Utica, New York - 20210917.jpg

English: The Stanley Theater, 261 Genesee Street, Utica, New York, as seen in September 2021. Built in 1928, this is one of the most exquisite designs of Scottish-born theater architect Thomas W. Lamb, and a fine representation (albeit with a decided Spanish Colonial flair) of the ornate neo-Baroque style popularly used for cinemas and vaudeville theaters in the era of its construction. The façade - constructed of a diverse composite of materials including granite, brick, terra cotta, polychrome tile, and metal - is centered on a grand entrance fronted by a large lighted marquee above which, consecutively, loom a pair of blind arches flanked by twisting Solomonic columns with Corinthian capitals and behind which are colorful mosaics in a pattern that smacks of Art Nouveau, followed by a large blind oculus. The much less ornate right side of the façade consists of storefronts on the ground floor and offices above, the windows surrounded with decorated metal framing. The Stanley Theatre served primarily as a movie house for the majority of its existence, but after a thorough 1978 restoration gradually switched over to presenting theatrical performances and live music. It's the home stage of the Utica Symphony Orchestra, the Mohawk Valley Ballet, and the Munson-Willis-Proctor Arts Institute's Great Artists Series.