I like art house movies as well. Those are the only places where you can find the hidden gem of a movie, like "Maudie" or "The Exception" or "Last Flag Flying" or "Big Sonya", that don't make it into the big cineplexes. The closest art house to me used to be in Independence, but that closed so now we have to go all the way to south Johnson County, Kansas to see this kind of film.
I am very lucky-——I have three within 1/2 hour of my home-——and they all do VERY well.
.
Growing up in KC we had a few smaller theaters. The Waldo was a few blocks from our house and was basically day-care for me and my brother. There was one in Westport, a small two screen theatre at Country Club Plaza -saw Harold and Maude there. The Brookside -in Brookside. Then another that showed ‘art’ movies. Never got to go there.