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John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
performing arts center in Washington, D.C., United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The John F. 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.
![]() Kennedy Center seen from the Potomac River | |
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Address | 2700 F Street, NW |
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Location | Washington, D.C. |
Coordinates | 38.8957°N 77.0559°W / 38.8957; -77.0559 |
Owner | United States government |
Operator | John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts David Rubenstein, Chairman Deborah Rutter, President |
Type | Performing arts center |
Capacity | Concert Hall: 2,454 Opera House: 2,294 Eisenhower Theater: 1,161 Terrace Theater: 475 Theater Lab: 398 Family Theater: 320 Jazz Club: 160 |
Construction | |
Opened | 8 September 1971 (1971-09-08) |
Architect | Edward Durell Stone |
General contractor | John McShain |
Tenants | |
National Symphony Orchestra Washington National Opera Suzanne Farrell Ballet | |
Website | |
www |
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, corporations, and 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 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.