It’s been 35 years since the Center for the Arts opened, becoming a cultural hub for Northern Virginia. On October 6, 1990, the Center for the Arts celebrated its opening night with a star-studded event, hosted by composer Marvin Hamlisch featuring flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal, comedian Robert Klein, and opera singer Roberta Peters, among others. We asked staff and Friends of the Center for the Arts for their memories of the occasion and the early days of the Center.
President George Johnson and first lady Joanne Johnson practice the final number with dancers from Hamlisch’s “A Chorus Line” for the Center for the Arts opening night. Photo credit: Steve J. Sherman. From George Mason University Photo Collection, Box 90, Folder 1, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries
Catherine Winkert, Associate Director of Finance & Administration, recalls her long history on campus, during which she helped to open the Patriot Center, the Center for the Arts, and the Hylton Performing Arts Center…
I was hired in October of 1989 a year before the concert hall opened as part of the team to get the building opened. It was a very exciting time. Though I was fresh out of college, the Director of the Center for the Arts, Caroline Werth, always made me feel heard and valued. Being part of the opening was more than just work—it was witnessing the birth of a space that continues to inspire, entertain, and unite our community.
Catherine Winkert (center) with fellow ticket office staffers.
The opening night program
On October 6, 1990, I experienced another landmark moment: the opening night of the Center for the Arts. I remember sitting in the back of the orchestra section in folding chairs as the stage came alive with Marvin Hamlisch and members of Broadway’sA Chorus Lineperforming “One Singular Sensation.” What a sensational event it was!
Catherine Winkert with her date (and now husband of 34 years) on opening night of the Center for the Arts, October 6, 1990.
It’s been quite the adventure over the last 35 (well, really 40) years. I’ve witnessed countless incredible Mason Moments and am deeply grateful to work in a place that’s always evolving. Though I’ve remained in the same unit, it grew into a college, and with every system change, I’ve never had the chance to get bored or feel the need to move on.
Friends of the Center for the Arts were also canvassed for memories of the gala opening of the Concert Hall 35 years ago or any of the initial season performances in 1990–91.
Carolyn Peterson said when Milton and she arrived in Virginia in the 1960s, and that arts as a major presence in the area hardly existed. She became a member of a music scholarship committee for the Department of Music at George Mason University that made $1,500 annual scholarship awards to students. Then Joanne Johnson, wife of the president, decided the University needed an Arts Center, and formed a committee of 30 women who met weekly to raise some money. The women sewed, quilted, held auctions, and even built a car. Along the way, Carolyn said, “We formed valuable and close friendships which even exist today, as we continue to work together and with the college to support the arts at Mason.”
Evelyn Kiley, Board Member of Friends of the Center for the Arts, recalled that the first night was a tremendously exciting occasion and a lavishly gorgeous spectacle. She said it literally set the stage for the many subsequent years of “Great Performances” enjoyed by millions in the northern Virginia community. And she added, “There's so much more to come.... so ‘Start Spreading the News!’”
Janice Sutera Wolfe, Ph.D., President, Friends of the Center for the Arts, recalled that by 1990, she had worked at Mason for 13 years. George Mason University President Johnson and Joanne Johnson were working very hard to raise George Mason’s profile in the local area and the state. Joanne Johnson focused on generating money for the arts and President Johnson talked about transforming the campus, using the Center for the Arts as a focal point. There was lots of buzz on campus about the opening of the concert hall! She and her husband were happy to get tickets. Janice added, “We got all dressed up to attend the opening. I even borrowed a red sequined dress. What a night! Glamour, charm, and talent on our Mason stage. I was especially touched and proud that evening in October 1990. And I am delighted by the continuing impact of the Center for the Arts for the Mason community, the DMV region, the state of Virginia, and for the artists who open our minds and hearts with their performances!” Janice still has the poster from that wonderful evening, seen here.
Celebrating the Past and Planning for the Future
Now 35 years later, the time has come to reimagine the Center for the Arts, to deepen our promise and our purpose. Our community’s dreams are bigger, bolder, and brighter than ever, and we are leading a capital initiative to a $35 million fundraising effort to renovate and modernize the Center for the Arts into a state-of-the-art venue. The Give Voice initiative is part of Mason Now: Power the Possible—the university’s first one-billion-dollar comprehensive fundraising campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and stewardship.
Learn more about how you can help support this initiative, and give voice to future generations of our creative community at cfa.gmu.edu/give/give-voice.
