Today Marks 10 Years Since Adrienne Arsht's $30 Million Landmark Contribution to Enhance Miami's Cultural Life

MIAMI, Jan. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Miami-Dade County's performing arts center opened its doors in 2006, but it was not until January 10, 2008, when national business leader and philanthropist Adrienne Arsht made her historic $30 million gift, that the young Center's future was secured. In recognition of her foresight and commitment, the Center was named the Adrienne Arsht Center of the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County.

"The sheer impact of Adrienne's gift on the Miami community over the past 10 years is extraordinary," said John Richard, president and CEO of the Arsht Center. "Her landmark contribution helped secure the Arsht Center's future and paved the way for advancing our cultural and diverse programming as well as our award-winning arts education programs, and catapulted the Arsht Center into one of the most renowned performing arts centers in the country."

Ms. Arsht first became involved with the Center through its Foundation and pledged her initial gift in 1998 in the sum of $250,000, which went toward funding Water Scores, the fountains created for the outdoor Parker and Vann Thomson Plaza for the Arts. Subsequently, Ms. Arsht made additional gifts funding many milestone occasions, including the Center's groundbreaking event.

In the years since her $30 million contribution, Ms. Arsht has continued to invest in the Arsht Center, Miami's cultural crown jewel. She has provided $5 million which has raised an additional $10 million from community philanthropists. As honorary chair of the 10^th anniversary Gala in 2016, she once again challenged the philanthropic community to support the Center by matching every $100,000 gift. The challenge raised more than $2.5 million, making it the Center's most successful gala.

"Following Ms. Arsht's landmark gift, we've welcomed millions through our doors for enlightening performing arts experiences," said Ira Hall, chair of the Performing Arts Center Trust Board of Directors. "Today, the Arsht Center is woven into the fabric of our Miami community, serving as a cultural hub that educates, invests and produces programming with emerging talent."

During the decade that has passed since Ms. Arsht's contribution, the Arsht Center has more than fulfilled the promise to offer diverse and high-value programming that appeals to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. The Arsht Center has also served as a performance home for its three resident companies, provided educational arts experiences for 300,000 children, hosted 17 world premieres and commissioned 17 new works from high-caliber artists such as Alvin Ailey's Robert Battle and composer Avner Dorman. In the past 10 years, the Arsht Center has welcomed more than four million guests and generated more than $2 billion in economic impact.

In 2016, during the Center's 10^th anniversary, it reached three big milestones: first, it launched a series of 10 commissions called "10@10" to commemorate its first decade, which became one of the largest number of commissions to be completed all in the same year by a performing arts center less than 10 years old. Then, the Center's AileyCamp Miami program received the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, which is the nation's highest honor for creative youth development programs. Finally, in 2017, the Center launched its first ever STEAM-focused musical for seventh graders called Kitty Hawk, which serves as part of the Learning Through the Arts program.

"There is no greater gift to bestow upon a community than complete access to the arts," said Tony Argiz, chairman of the Adrienne Arsht Center Foundation. "Adrienne's gift will forever positively impact future Miamians while continuing to inspire homegrown, new talent."

Over the years, Ms. Arsht's philanthropic contributions have extended well beyond the Center; she has generously donated to multiple organizations that have allowed her to promote access to the arts, emphasizing the importance of civic engagement. As with the Arsht Center, she has left an indelible mark on both the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. In 2012, her contribution of $11 million in support of the transformation of Lincoln Center's facilities and public spaces was recognized with the dedication of the Adrienne Arsht Stage in Alice Tully Hall. Furthermore, she donated $10 million to establish the Adrienne Arsht Theater Fund at the Kennedy Center. Recently, she was awarded the 2017 Carnegie Hall Medal of Excellence, recognizing her visionary and outstanding contributions to cultural and nonprofit institutions in the United States.

Among her civic engagements, Ms. Arsht is a trustee of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and she serves as a vice chairman of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. She is also executive vice chairman of the Atlantic Council. In Miami, she is trustee emerita of the University of Miami and an honorary board member of Amigos For Kids.

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is made possible by the public support of the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council and the City of Miami Omni Community Redevelopment Agency, as well as the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. The Adrienne Arsht Center also receives generous support from individuals, corporations and local, state and national foundations.

About the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County
Set in the heart of downtown Miami and designed by world-renowned architect Cesar Pelli, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is one of the world's leading performing arts organizations and venues. Since opening in 2006, the Arsht Center, a 501C3 non-profit organization, has emerged as a leader in presenting innovative programming that mirrors South Florida's diversity as well as a catalyst for billions of dollars in new development in the downtown area. Spotlighting legends and serving as a launch pad for local artists to make their mark on the international stage, the Center presents nearly 400 events each year across its flexible, state-of-the-art performance spaces. The Center programs several Signature Series, including the largest jazz series in South Florida, a major annual Flamenco Festival, and a robust program of new theatrical works as well as free programming for the community and an arts education program that serves nearly 60,000 children each year. As Miami's new Town Square, the Arsht Center also houses BRAVA by Brad Kilgore, a fine dining restaurant; the Café at Books & Books in the historic Carnival Tower and a weekly Farmers Market.

SOURCE Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County