Katzen Arts Center

Infobox_University
name = Katzen Arts Center


established =2005
type =Private
city =Washington
state =District of Columbia
country = USA
website =http://www.american.edu/cas/katzen/The Katzen Arts Center is home to all of the visual and performing arts programs at American University and the American University Museum. Located at Ward Circle, the intersection of Nebraska Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue, the Center sits atop Embassy Row in Washington, DC, one of the highest points in the nation's capitol. [ [http://www.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek05/tw0805/tw0805pw_katzen.htm "Einhorn Yaffee Prescott’s Katzen Arts Center Really Performs"] American Institute of Architects. Retrieved December 13, 2006] This convert|130000|sqft|m2|-3|sing=on space, designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration in the arts, provides state-of-the-art instructional, exhibition, and performance space for all the arts disciplines. Its convert|30000|sqft|m2|-3|sing=on art museum exhibits contemporary art from the nation's capital region and the world. The museum gallery is the Washington region’s largest university facility for art exhibition. [ [http://www.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek05/tw0805/tw0805pw_katzen.htm "Einhorn Yaffee Prescott’s Katzen Arts Center Really Performs"] American Institute of Architects. Retrieved December 13, 2006]

The Center houses many academic departments for the university, including Art History, Graphic Design, Studio Art, Multimedia, Arts Management, Dance, Music, and Theatre. The center also features a convert|30000|sqft|m2|-3|sing=on museum, a convert|6000|sqft|m2|-2|sing=on sculpture garden, a convert|211000|sqft|m2|-2|sing=on parking garage, convert|33000|sqft|m2|-2 of performing arts space, and convert|37000|sqft|m2|-2 of studio space, including theatre studios, a music ensemble room, art studios, dance studios, and the Abramson Family Recital Hall. [ [http://www.american.edu/cas/katzen/about.cfm "About the Katzen Arts Center"] Katzen Arts Center. Retrieved December 13, 2006]

The construction of the Center was made possible by Dr. Cyrus and Mrs. Myrtle Katzen, who house much of their modern art collection within the building, which includes pieces by artists such as Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Willem De Kooning, and Roy Lichtenstein. [ [http://www.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek05/tw0805/tw0805pw_katzen.htm "Einhorn Yaffee Prescott’s Katzen Arts Center Really Performs"] American Institute of Architects. Retrieved December 13, 2006] The museum also includes art by Jean Dubuffet, Red Grooms, Amedeo Modigliani, Larry Rivers, Frank Stella and Andy Warhol. [ [http://dc.about.com/od/artmuseums/a/Katzen.htm "American University Opens New Cyrus and Myrtle Katzen Arts Center"] About.com. Retrieved December 13, 2006]

American University Museum

The American University Museum is a three-story, convert|30000|sqft|m2|-3|sing=on museum and sculpture garden locatedwithin the university’s Katzen Arts Center. The region’slargest university facility for exhibiting art, the museum’spermanent collection highlights the holdings of theKatzen and Watkins collection. Rotating exhibitionsemphasize regional, national, and internationalcontemporary art. Open Tuesday - Sunday 11pm - 4pm The museum is also open one hour prior to performing arts events in the Katzen and for Open Arts Night, from 6 - 9pm the last Wednesday of each month the university is in session. Museum admission is free. Director and Curator
Jack Rasmussen, PhD Blog: [http://art_at_thekatzen.typepad.com/art_thekatzen/ Art @ the Katzen]

Architecture

Upon completion, the Katzen Arts Center was immediately received as an architectural gem at American University, not only for its design but also for its purpose to encourage student innovation in media, concept, and approach by uniting facilities for creating, displaying, and performing art under one roof. [ [http://www.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek05/tw0805/tw0805pw_katzen.htm "Einhorn Yaffee Prescott’s Katzen Arts Center Really Performs"] American Institute of Architects. Retrieved December 13, 2006] Designed by Einhorn Yaffee Prescott, the Center is situated on a very long, narrow site abutting Ward Circle. Its form acts as a cultural bridge between the university and the surrounding neighborhood. Other architectural highlights include the piazza with a skylighted rotunda at the center of the facility, which refers and responds to the campus across the street as an informal gathering place for talks, critiques, poetry readings, and impromptu discussions and performances.

External links

* [http://www.american.edu/cas/katzen/museum/ American University Museum]
* [http://www.american.edu/academic.depts/cas/katzen/rentals_photos.cfm Photo Tour of the Katzen Arts Center]
* [http://art_at_thekatzen.typepad.com/art_thekatzen/ Art @ the Katzen]

Notes