The Cyrus and Myrtle Katzen Arts Center is home to all of the visual and performing arts programs at American University and the American University Museum. It is located at Ward Circle, the intersection of Nebraska Avenue and Massachusetts Avenues in Washington, D.C.
- Venue
- Katzen Arts Center
- Town
- Washington, D.C., US
The Cyrus and Myrtle Katzen Arts Center is home to all of the visual and performing arts programs at American University and the American University Museum. It is located at Ward Circle, the intersection of Nebraska Avenue and Massachusetts Avenues in Washington, D.C. This 130,000-square-foot (12,000 m2) space, designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration in the arts, provides instructional, exhibition, and performance space for all the arts disciplines. Its 30,000-square-foot (3,000 m2) 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. The Center houses many academic departments for the university, including Art History, Graphic Design, Studio Art, Arts Management, Dance, Music, and Theatre. The center also features a 30,000-square-foot (3,000 m2) museum; a 6,000-square-foot (600 m2) sculpture garden; a 211,000-square-foot (19,600 m2) parking garage; 33,000 square feet (3,100 m2) of performing arts space; 37,000 square feet (3,400 m2) of studio space including theatre studios, a music ensemble room, art studios, and dance studios; an admissions welcome center; and the Abramson Family Recital Hall. 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. The American University Museum is a three-story, 30,000-square-foot (3,000 m2) museum and sculpture garden located within the university's Katzen Arts Center. As the region's largest university facility for exhibiting art, the museum's permanent collection highlights the holdings of the Katzen and Watkins collection. Rotating exhibitions emphasize regional, national, and international contemporary art. Much of Dr. Cyrus and Mrs. Myrtle Katzen's modern art collection is showcased in the museum, which includes over 300 pieces by artists such as Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Willem de Kooning,