- Confederation Centre of the Arts
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Confederation Centre of the Arts General information Architectural style Brutalist Opening 1964 Design and construction Architect Hazen Sise Dimitri Dimakopoulos National Historic Site of CanadaOfficial name: Confederation Centre of the Arts National Historic Site of Canada Designated: 2003 The Confederation Centre of the Arts (French: Le Centre des arts de la Confédération) is a cultural centre dedicated to the visual and performing arts located in the city of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Contents
History
Construction of the Confederation Centre, as it is commonly referred to, started in 1960 and Queen Elizabeth II officially opened it to the public on October 6, 1964.[1] The institution is funded by the ten provincial governments in Canada and the federal government as Canada's National Memorial to the Fathers of Confederation, who met in Charlottetown in September 1864 at what was called the Charlottetown Conference.
..."[The Fathers of Confederation Memorial Building] is a tribute to those famous men who founded our Confederation. But it is also dedicated to the fostering of those things that enrich the mind and delight the heart, those intangible but precious things that give meaning to a society and help create from it a civilization and a culture." — Prime Minister L. B. Pearson, Opening Ceremonies for the Confederation Centre of the Arts, October 6, 1964 [2]
As part of its mandate to showcase the best in Canadian visual and performing arts the centre has played host to the Charlottetown Festival every summer since 1965, with a tribute to its host-province by playing Canada's most popular and longest-running mainstage musical Anne of Green Gables — The Musical. It also inspired the production of the critically acclaimed musical, Anne and Gilbert. Their most successful second mainstage show to date is Canada Rocks.
The centre was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2003.[2]
Facilities
Confederation Centre was built on Queen's Square in the centre of Charlottetown's business district, immediately west of Province House, Prince Edward Island's legislature and the location of the Charlottetown Conference. The centre is one contiguous structure, however at street level it appears as three separate buildings (hosting a theatre, art gallery and public library) clustered around "Memorial Hall" which faces east toward Province House. The Confederation Chambre in Province House, where the conference meetings took place, is located on the western side of that building, thus facing directly at Confederation Centre's Memorial Hall.
Confederation Centre covers a block in the central business district, bounded on three sides by Grafton Street, Queen Street, and Richmond Street.
The Confederation Centre Art Gallery hosts numerous traveling exhibits and its own permanent collection. The public library is administered under the provincial library system and is Charlottetown's principal library. The restaurant, Mavor's Bistro and Bar is located right off the lobby and hosts a wide selection of wines and serves a Starbucks menu.
The Confederation Centre mainstage theatre is the largest theatre mainstage in Canada east of Montreal.
References
- ^ [1]
- ^ Confederation Centre of the Arts. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
External links
Neighbourhoods History and culture Charlottetown Conference · Charlottetown Festival · Confederation Centre of the Arts · Port-la-Joye–Fort AmherstGovernment and politics Transportation Health and safety Education Media Sports and recreation Buildings and structures Province House · Government House · St. Dunstan's Basilica · All Souls' Chapel (Prince Edward Island) · St. Peter's Cathedral (Charlottetown) · Hotel Charlottetown · Jean Canfield BuildingNational Historic Sites of Canada by location
Provinces Territories Northwest Territories · Nunavut · YukonOther countries FranceCoordinates: 46°14′04″N 63°07′38″W / 46.2343072°N 63.1271088°W
Categories:- Culture of Charlottetown
- Buildings and structures in Charlottetown
- Art museums and galleries in Prince Edward Island
- Theatres in Prince Edward Island
- Public libraries in Prince Edward Island
- Arts centres in Canada
- Brutalist buildings in Canada
- National Historic Sites in Prince Edward Island
- Music venues in Prince Edward Island
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