The experience of the arts and the nature of arts education needs to be expanded. Beyond the viewing of the performance itself, an engagement with the arts should include an understanding of the alluvial confluence of experiences that brought forth the creative act.
This is the vision of the founders of a newly opened cultural arts center located on the Virginia bank of the Potomac River adjacent to Washington DC. The new facility christened “The Artisphere” is a place for people and the arts to collide. “Think Barn Stormers meet cyber-collaboration while painting and performing” is how one of the founders described the programming of the new facility. Similar to a hub in a digital communication network, the Artisphere is a hub in a network of creative centers throughout the urban region and around the globe. Full of intimate co-located spaces with multiple programs occurring simultaneous, the Artisphere is a new model for the arts education environment and the community cultural center.
Studio Twenty Seven Architecture, along with Design Army, a local graphic design firm, won a national design competition to work as design architects and artists on the design and construction of the “Artisphere”. The Artisphere features four distinct performance venues, three visual art galleries, a 4,000 square foot ballroom, and a free Wi-Fi Town Hall. Retail and Food are available amenities and opportunities for artists to sell their wares or provide refreshments as a component of their performance. Open 85 hours a week, with free admission and continuous arts education classes, Artisphere presents the arts in a fresh and interdisciplinary environment
