Amplifying the Living Memorial
“To further the appreciation of culture among all the people. To increase respect for the creative individual, to widen participation by all the processes and fulfillments of art—this is one of the fascinating challenges of these days.”
—John F. Kennedy
ART AND IDEALS: PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY
NEW PERMANENT EXHIBIT COMING SEPTEMBER 2022
Join us this fall to experience an immersive new permanent exhibit on President John F. Kennedy, his connection to the arts, and the national cultural center that would bear his name.
Our expansive roof-level Atrium will reopen as the JFK Gallery, a new destination for patrons and visitors to the memorial. The exhibit will explore Kennedy’s appreciation and promotion of the arts and why the Kennedy Center came to be the living memorial to him and his ideals.
Public Opening and Ribbon Cutting
Saturday, September 17 at 2 p.m.
FREE ADMISSION! OPEN DAILY
ART AND IDEALS: PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY
NEW PERMANENT EXHIBIT COMING SEPTEMBER 2022
Join us this fall to experience an immersive new permanent exhibit on President John F. Kennedy, his connection to the arts, and the national cultural center that would bear his name.
Our expansive roof-level Atrium will reopen as the JFK Gallery, a new destination for patrons and visitors to the memorial. The exhibit will explore Kennedy’s appreciation and promotion of the arts and why the Kennedy Center came to be the living memorial to him and his ideals.
Public Opening and Ribbon Cutting
Saturday, September 17 at 2 p.m.
FREE ADMISSION! OPEN DAILY
If These Halls Could Talk: Celebrating the Kennedy Center at 50
This year-long free exhibit celebrates the Center’s history through the people who have brought it to life. Engaging video interviews, powerful visuals, and novel archival content tell the story of the Kennedy Center’s history in the voices and memories of the leaders, staff, artists, donors, audiences, and larger community that make it a “living” memorial. Curated by International Programming and presented in collaboration with the Kennedy Center Archives, this exhibit publicly launches the Archives as a resource for preserving and providing access to the Kennedy Center’s legacy—in person and online.
PRESENTING SPONSOR
If These Halls Could Talk: My KC Stories
Watch video interviews with the staff, artists, and artistic community that have made the Center a living memorial sharing stories from our history.
We also invite the community to submit a memory of their experience at the Kennedy Center over the past 50 years on social media using #KenCen50th and #KenCenStories.
If These Halls Could Talk: My KC Stories
Watch video interviews with the staff, artists, and artistic community that have made the Center a living memorial sharing stories from our history.
We also invite the community to submit a memory of their experience at the Kennedy Center over the past 50 years on social media using #KenCen50th and #KenCenStories.
If These Halls Could Talk: In the Spotlight
The lobbies of the Eisenhower Theater, Opera House, and Concert Hall form a giant scrapbook of nearly 100 images of significant performances that have graced our stages over five decades. The theater entrance ramps display performance highlights from the Millennium Stage, Terrace Theater, Grand Foyer, and more.
If These Halls Could Talk: JFK Creative Portraits
To reflect on the legacy of John F. Kennedy, young artists (ages 14–26) from across the United States were invited to submit an all-original, creative portrait of the Center’s namesake. This creative art competition asked the artists to use one of President Kennedy’s ideals of Service, Justice, Freedom, Courage, and Gratitude as inspiration for their portrait of JFK.
The entries were judged by a panel of art experts on level of skill, expression of creativity, and reflection of President Kennedy’s legacy and ideals. The two winning portraits, by Mary McClure and Jinglin Jingan, were chosen by a team of Kennedy Center representatives and awarded a $500 prize. They are displayed, along with eight Honorable Mentions, in the Hall of States and the REACH.
If These Halls Could Talk: JFK Creative Portraits
To reflect on the legacy of John F. Kennedy, young artists (ages 14–26) from across the United States were invited to submit an all-original, creative portrait of the Center’s namesake. This creative art competition asked the artists to use one of President Kennedy’s ideals of Service, Justice, Freedom, Courage, and Gratitude as inspiration for their portrait of JFK.
The entries were judged by a panel of art experts on level of skill, expression of creativity, and reflection of President Kennedy’s legacy and ideals. The two winning portraits, by Mary McClure and Jinglin Jingan, were chosen by a team of Kennedy Center representatives and awarded a $500 prize. They are displayed, along with eight Honorable Mentions, in the Hall of States and the REACH.
If These Halls Could Talk: Archives on the Potomac
Explore decades of images that outline the relationship between the Kennedy Center, the land, and the river. From the brewery that once stood on the site to circus tents and fireworks, you'll see the grounds in a whole new way!
If These Halls Could Talk: 50…It’s in the Air
Suspended from the ceiling in the Hall of States and Hall of Nations in the form of a giant 50 are five decades of posters for performances at the Center…from MASS to Wicked. Explore the stories behind some of these impactful images.
If These Halls Could Talk: 50…It’s in the Air
Suspended from the ceiling in the Hall of States and Hall of Nations in the form of a giant 50 are five decades of posters for performances at the Center…from MASS to Wicked. Explore the stories behind some of these impactful images.
Promise Quote
A building opened with a historic charge and living promise still reaching beyond its walls to represent the fullest spectrum of the arts in America.
John F. Kennedy Memorial Sculpture Unveiling Ceremony at The REACH
John F. Kennedy Statue on the REACH Campus
In a further expression of admiration for its namesake, the Kennedy Center unveiled a new artwork featuring the likeness of President John F. Kennedy on December 4, 2021. This life-size sculpture designed by StudioEIS, a Brooklyn-based 3D design and fabrication studio known for creating strikingly realistic bronze works, is located within the lower gardens of the REACH and complements the campus’s sculptural pieces by Joel Shapiro, Deborah Butterfield, and Roy Lichtenstein located nearby.
Explore Our History
See an interactive visual timeline of the Kennedy Center—from its conception in the late 1950s through the opening in 1971 and great moments leading up to our 50th anniversary.
Explore Our History
See an interactive visual timeline of the Kennedy Center—from its conception in the late 1950s through the opening in 1971 and great moments leading up to our 50th anniversary.
²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp Archives
Established in 2019, the Archives at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts actively collects, preserves, and provides access to organizational records of enduring historic value. Collection highlights include programs, photographs, administrative records, and ephemera dating back to the creation of the Center. Online guides to the Kennedy Center’s historical collections will be published as they are processed and open for research use, but in the meantime we are able to offer limited references services (fact-checking, performance history, and general research) via our online .
Sponsors
Thank you to the following Sponsors
Boeing
The Irene Pollin Audience Development and Community Engagement Initiatives
The Roger and Victoria Sant Trust
Fred Eychaner Fund
The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation
The Ford Foundation
David C. Frederick and Sophia Lynn
The Orlebeke Foundation
Mellon Foundation
Microsoft Corporation
The Buffy and William Cafritz Foundation
The Honorable Stuart Bernstein and Wilma E. Bernstein
The Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation
The National Committee for the Performing Arts
Discover India Initiatives
The Travelers Company, Inc
David M. Rubenstein
Cornerstone of the Reach
Thank you to our sponsors for their generous support of programming in our 50th anniversary season.