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#REDIRECT [[John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts]]
{{Infobox venue
| name = John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
| nickname =
| native_name =
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| fullname =
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| logo_image =
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| image = Kennedy Center seen from the Potomac River, June 2010.jpg
| caption = Kennedy Center seen from the [[Potomac River]]
| pushpin_map =
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| latd =
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| address = 2700 F Street, NW
| location = [[Washington, D.C.]]
| coordinates = {{coord|38.8957|-77.0559|region:US_type:landmark|display=it}}
| type = [[Performing arts center]]
| broke_ground =
| built =
| opened = {{Start date|1971|09|08|df=n}}
| renovated =
| expanded =
| closed =
| demolished =
| owner = United States government
| operator = John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts<br />[[David Rubenstein]], Chairman<br />[[Deborah Rutter]], President
| cost =
| architect = [[Edward Durell Stone]]
| project_manager =
| structural engineer =
| services engineer =
| general_contractor = [[John McShain]]
| main_contractors =
| capacity = Concert Hall: 2,454<br>Opera House: 2,294<br>Eisenhower Theater: 1,161<br>Terrace Theater: 475<br>Theater Lab: 398<br>Family Theater: 320<br>Jazz Club: 160
| tenants = [[National Symphony Orchestra]]<br>[[Washington National Opera]]<br>[[Suzanne Farrell Ballet]]
| embedded =
| website = {{URL|http://www.kennedy-center.org}}
| publictransit =
}}{{Distinguish|text=the [[Kennedy Space Center]]}}
The '''Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts''' (commonly called the '''Kennedy Center''') is a [[performing arts]] center in [[Washington, D.C.]] The Center opened on September 8, 1971. It shows [[theater]], [[dance]], [[ballet]], orchestral, chamber, [[jazz]], popular, and [[folk music]] performances.
It is the busiest performing arts center in the United States of America. Each year, it hosts about 2,000 performances, and almost two million people watch one of these performances. The Center presents music, dance, and theater to the public; helps artists make new works and does arts education.
The ''National Cultural Center Act'' of Congress in 1958 requires that its programming must be paid for through private money. The center is a [[public-private partnership]]. It mostly gets its money from ticket sales and gifts from individuals, [[corporation]]s, and [[Foundation (nonprofit)|private foundations]]. It also gets federal funding each year to pay for the maintenance and operation of the building. It is both the nation's public [[memorial]] to [[President of the United States|President]] [[John F. Kennedy]] and the "national center for the [[performing arts]]."
The building was designed by architect [[Edward Durell Stone]], built by Philadelphia contractor [[John McShain]], and is administered by a bureau of the [[Smithsonian Institution]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2025-12-18|title=As Trump Puts His Brand on Washington, the Kennedy Center Gets a New Name|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/us/politics/trump-kennedy-center-name.html|access-date=2025-12-18|website=nytimes.com|language=en}}</ref>
== History ==
In 1933, [[First Lady of the United States|First Lady]] [[Eleanor Roosevelt]] first had the idea for the center. It was during the [[Great Depression]], and she thought the government should provide jobs for [[unemployment|unemployed]] actors.<ref name="meersman-p527">{{cite journal |last=Meersman |first=Roger |title=The Kennedy Center: From Dream to Reality |journal=Records of the Columbia Historical Society |year=1980 |volume=50 |pages=527–528}}</ref> In 1935 and 1938, the [[United States Congress]] talked about making a building for it in [[Washington D.C.]], but the only thing they did was add a small auditorium to the [[Library of Congress]].<ref name="meersman-p527"/>
[[File:KennedyCenterFromAir2.JPG|thumb|left|The Kennedy Center as seen from the air. A portion of [[Watergate Hotel#The Watergate complex|the Watergate complex]] can be seen at the left]]
In 1950, [[United States House of Representatives|Representative]] [[Arthur George Klein]] proposed a bill to build a cultural center. Congress debated the bill between 1955 and 1958. The bill was passed in summer 1958 and President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] signed it into law on September 4, 1958.<ref name="meersman-p529">{{cite journal |last=Meersman |first=Roger |title=The Kennedy Center: From Dream to Reality |journal=Records of the Columbia Historical Society |year=1980 |volume=50 |page=529}}</ref>
This was the first time that the [[Federal government of the United States|federal government]] provided money for a structure dedicated to the performing arts. It cost a total of $70 million to build it.<ref name="nyt-robertson" /> Congress gave most of the money, but donations from [[Foundation (nonprofit)|foundations]], individuals, and [[business]]es were also given.<ref name="nyt-09061971">{{cite news |title=Kennedy Arts Center Primps for Opening and Hopes to Make Profit |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9807E1DF1F3FEF34BC4E53DFBF66838A669EDE |work=The New York Times |date=September 6, 1971 |last=Lydon |first=Christopher |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name="meersman-p564">{{cite journal |last=Meersman |first=Roger |title=The Kennedy Center: From Dream to Reality |journal=Records of the Columbia Historical Society |year=1980 |volume=50 |page=564}}</ref><ref name="nyt-09031971">{{cite news |title=Clamor Continues for Seats at Kennedy Center Opening |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B05EFDE1338EF34BC4B53DFBF66838A669EDE |url-access=subscription |work=The New York Times |date=September 3, 1971 |last=Curtis |first=Charlotte}}</ref><ref name="nyt-09031971" />
== Construction and Opening ==
[[File:LBJ Groundbreaking Kennedy Center.jpg|thumb|right|215px|[[Roger L. Stevens]] (left) watches as President Johnson breaks ground December 2, 1964. This photograph is autographed by Johnson to Stevens]]
Edward Durell Stone was chosen as the [[architect]].<ref name="meersman-p542">{{cite journal |last=Meersman |first=Roger |title=The Kennedy Center: From Dream to Reality |journal=Records of the Columbia Historical Society |year=1980 |volume=50 |page=542}}</ref><ref name="weeks">{{cite book |title=AIA Guide to the Architecture of Washington, D.C. |url=https://archive.org/details/aiaguidetoarchit00week |edition=Third |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |year=1994 |last=Weeks |first=Christopher|isbn=9780801847134 }}</ref>
Construction of the building began on December 11, 1965.<ref name="meersman-p568">{{cite journal |last=Meersman |first=Roger |title=The Kennedy Center: From Dream to Reality |journal=Records of the Columbia Historical Society |year=1980 |volume=50 |pages=568–569}}</ref>
The first performance was September 5, 1971, with a premiere of [[Leonard Bernstein]]'s ''[[Mass (theatre)|Mass]]'' in the Opera House.<ref name="nyt-robertson" /> The Center officially opened on September 8, 1971, with a formal gala and premiere performance of the Bernstein ''Mass''.<ref name="nyt-09021971">{{cite news |title=Kennedy Hall Gets Acoustics Workout | work=The New York Times |date=September 2, 1971 |authorlink=Harold C. Schonberg| last=Schonberg |first=Harold C. |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F00E6DF1F3FEF34BC4A53DFBF66838A669EDE |url-access=subscription }}</ref> The [[Concert hall|Concert Hall]] was first used on September 9, 1971,<ref name="nyt-09021971" /> and the Eisenhower Theater was first used on October 18, 1971.<ref name="chitrib">{{cite news |title=Eisenhower Theater Opening Performance Seen by Nixons| work=[[Chicago Tribune]]| date=October 19, 1971| last=Hutchinson| first=Louise| url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1971/10/19/page/9/article/eisenhower-theater-opening-performance-seen-by-nixons}}</ref>
It was first called The National Cultural Center, but it was renamed the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1964, to honor John F. Kennedy after his [[Assassination of John F. Kennedy|assassination]].<ref name="nyt-robertson">{{cite news |title=At Last, the Performances Begin |work=The New York Times |last=Robertson |first=Nan |date=September 6, 1971 |authorlink=Nan C. Robertson |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E04E3D61E3FE63ABC4F53DFBF66838A669EDE |url-access=subscription | accessdate=2014-11-04}}</ref>{{clear left}}
== Changes (1990-2005) ==
By 1990, the Kennedy Center facility was in bad condition. In 1991 and 1992, Congress recommended that $27.7 million be spent to restore the center and improve handicapped access.<ref name="gao1993-p4">{{cite web |url=http://archive.gao.gov/d36t11/148480.pdf |author=General Accounting Office |title=Kennedy Center: Information on the Capital Improvement Program |publisher=GAO Report to Congress |date=February 1993 |page=4 |access-date=2015-02-06 |archive-date=2011-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721043338/http://archive.gao.gov/d36t11/148480.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> There were more improvements between 1995 and 2005.<ref name="gao2005-p1">{{cite web |url=http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05334.pdf |author=Government Accountability Office |title=Stronger Oversight of Fire Safety Issues, Construction Projects, and Financial Management Needed |date=April 2005 |page=1 |access-date=2015-02-06 |archive-date=2015-09-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924045442/http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05334.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
== Kennedy Center Honors ==
{{Wikinews|Kennedy Center names 2007 honors recipients}}
{{Main|Kennedy Center Honors}}
Each year since 1978, the Kennedy Center Honors have been awarded by the [[#Management|Center's Board of Trustees]]. Each year, five artists or groups are honored for the contributions that they have made throughout their life to American culture and the performing arts. They are awarded to people in dance, music, [[theater]], [[opera]], film, and television.<ref>{{cite news |title=Kennedy nods to Douglas, Gould |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=September 8, 1994 |author=Boliek, Brooks}}</ref> The Center has awarded the [[Mark Twain Prize for American Humor]] since 1998.
== Department of VSA and Accessibility ==
The Department of VSA (Very Special Arts) and Accessibility (formerly VSA Arts) is an international nonprofit organization. It was started in 1974 by [[Ambasador|Ambassadress]] [[Jean Kennedy Smith]]. It helps people with disabilities learn through, participate in, and enjoy the arts. VSA provides educators, parents, and artists with resources to support arts programming in schools and communities. VSA also shows the works of artists with disabilities. Affiliated with the Kennedy Center since 2005, VSA was official merged into the organization in 2011 to become part of the Center's Department of VSA and Accessibility.
== Management ==
Before 1980, the [[board of directors]] and its chairman were in charge of the day-to-day operations of the center. Other parts of the center's programming and operations were overseen by other people.
Currently, the artistic director is in charge of artistic programming, the center's president is in charge of the center's day-to-day operations, and The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees is in charge of the building.
== Kennedy Center Media ==
<gallery widths='160px' heights='100%' mode='traditional' caption=''>
File:Gala opening of J.F.K. Performing Arts Center (Presidential box - Kennedy family, including Rose Kennedy) (cropped1).jpg|[[Rose Kennedy]] and [[Ted Kennedy]] in the presidential box during the center's opening gala on September 8, 1971
File:Kennedy Center (46399777861).jpg|The Kennedy Center lights up in rainbow colors every year in the weeks preceding the annual [[Kennedy Center Honors]].
File:The Kennedy Center logo horizontal.svg|Logo before December 18, 2025.
File:Trump-Kennedy Center 2025-12-18 logo horizontal.svg|Logo used since December 18, 2025.
File:Trump Kennedy Center sign 02.jpg|Trump's name was added to the Kennedy Center facade on December 19, 2025.
File:John F. Kennedy Center, interior 000 0017.jpg|The Grand Foyer, at {{convert|63|ft|m}} high and {{convert|630|ft|m}} long, is one of the largest rooms in the world.{{cn|date=March 2024}} If laid on its side, the [[Washington Monument]] would fit in this room with {{convert|75|ft|m}} to spare.
File:Kennedy Full Bust Performing Arts.jpg|Bust of John F. Kennedy by [[Robert Berks]] located opposite the entrance to the Opera House in the Kennedy Center
File:Roof of the Kennedy Centre for the Arts (27681518011).jpg|Pedestrians walking on the rooftop terrace that covers the lower walkway
</gallery>
== References ==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
== Other websites ==
{{Commons category|John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
}}
* {{Official website|http://www.kennedy-center.org}}
** {{Official website|http://www.kennedy-center.org/text/}} ''text only''
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Concert halls in the United States]]
[[Category:John F. Kennedy]]