AT&T Performing Arts Center

The completed Center viewed from the South. Construction on additional facilities is nearing completion.

The AT&T Performing Arts Center, preliminarily referred to as the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts is a $354 million ^[1] multi-venue center in the Dallas Arts District for performances of opera, musical theater, classic and experimental theater, ballet and other forms of dance. It opened with a dedication by city leaders on October 12, 2009.

Three major architectural firms Foster and Partners (based in London), Office for Metropolitan Architecture (based in Rotterdam and New York, and REX (based in New York) have designed different parts of the Center.

Performance Venues

The Winspear Opera House seen at night.

The AT&T Performing Arts Center includes four venues and an urban park:

• Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, named for Margot and Bill Winspear, who donated $42 million to the Center, is a 2,200 seat opera house (with capacity up to 2,300) and the new venue for the Dallas Opera and Texas Ballet Theater.
• Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre, named for Dee and Charles Wyly, who donated $20 million to the Center, is a twelve story building containing 80,300 sq ft (7,460 m²) of space. The theatre holds about 600 people, depending upon the stage configuration and is the new home for the Dallas Theater Center, Dallas Black Dance Theatre and Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico.
• City Performance Hall will provide performance spaces for many smaller performing arts organizations, and it will include a "black box" theater and a chamber music hall designed with flexible seating of about 750, plus another two, 200 seat theatres.
• The redesigned Annette Strauss Square is an outdoor performance space with lawn seating for 2,500.
• The Elaine D. and Charles A. Sammons Park, named for Sammons Enterprises, Inc., who donated $15 million to the Center, is an 10-acre (40,000 m²) urban park unifying the venues. Designed by Michel Desvign of Paris with JJR, Sammons Park is the most significant public park in downtown Dallas.

Programming and Resident Companies

The AT&T Performing Arts Center provides homes for five resident companies: The Dallas Opera, Dallas Theater Center, Texas Ballet Theater, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, and Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico. In addition, the Center will also produce original programming and partner with local and national organizations to present a wide range of cultural performances, including music, dance, Broadway shows, concerts and lectures.

The inaugural 2009-2010 season at the Center had more than 500 performances, including 4 world premieres and featuring actors Billy Crystal, Frank Langella and Hilary Swank, tenors José Carreras and Ben Heppner, and jazz greats Ramsey Lewis and Al Jarreau, among many others.

History

Fundraising

The initial campaign began in 2000 with a goal of raising $275 million including forty gifts of $1 million. Only $18 million of the total budget for the project was publicly funded (more than 93% of funding coming from private sources).

In 2002, funding surpassed $100 million. By groundbreaking in 2005 campaign totals exceeded $200 million, including 80 gifts of $1 million or more. In August 2007 The Center raised its 100th gift of $1 million or more, the first campaign for cultural facilities in the history of the United States to do so.^{[citation needed]}

In January 2008, total campaign funding passed the $275 million goal, and the Board of Directors voted to increase the goal to $338 million, adding a second parking garage and other improvements to the Center’s venues.

By August 2008, campaign funding surpassed $326 million—the largest capital campaign for cultural facilities in the history of Dallas and the most successful project of its kind in American history.^{[citation needed]} The board increased the goal to $354 million, and as of May 2009 had raised $335 million.

The two largest gifts came earlier in the campaign: $42 million from Margot and Bill Winspear in 2002 and $20 million from Dee and Charles Wyly and Cheryl and Sam Wyly in 2004. The third largest gift was given in September 2008: a $15 million gift from Sammons Enterprises, Inc. in honor of Elaine D. and Charles A. Sammons.

Construction & Dedication

Groundbreaking was November 2005 and dedication was on October 12, 2009 followed by a Grand Opening week with various performances, concerts, and architecture forums. A community open house was held Sunday, October 18, 2009 and featured free outdoor concerts, performance art, family activities and fireworks.

Naming-Rights

On September 15, 2009, AT&T announced the naming-rights agreement for the performance facility.^[2] As part of the deal, The Center will be one of the most technologically advanced performing arts venues in the country, equipped with AT&T Wi-Fi service and complimentary Internet access to patrons. AT&T will also offer unique mobile applications to AT&T wireless subscribers.^[3]

References

1. ^ Michael Granberry (October 16, 2009). "Spotlight Sunday offers a free first look at Dallas' AT&T Performing Arts Center". The Dallas Morning News (Dallasnews.com). http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/dcpa/stories/DN-apac_1016gui.State.Edition1.29f3f31.html. Retrieved october 16, 2009. 
2. ^ Michael Granberry (September 15, 2009). "Downtown Dallas arts complex to be called AT&T Performing Arts Center". The Dallas Morning News (Dallasnews.com). http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/091509dnentcenter.42c5c73.html. Retrieved September 15, 2009. 
3. ^ "Dallas Center for Performing Arts to Open as AT&T Performing Arts Center" (Press release). September 15, 2009. http://www.attpac.org/site/at_t_performing_arts_center/assets/pdf/9.15.09_ATT_release.pdf. Retrieved December 20, 2010. 

External links

Dallas-Fort Worth portal

• AT&T Performing Arts Center website
• Dallas Arts District website

Coordinates: 32°47′26″N 96°47′50″W / 32.790479°N 96.797127°W / 32.790479; -96.797127

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