Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana Places

Arts United Center

303 E Main Street, Street View photo from Google maps

Website: https://artsunited.org, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtsUnitedGFW. In 1961, the architect Louis I. Kahn was commissioned by the Fine Arts Foundation to design and develop a large arts complex. ... By the summer of 1970, Kahn’s office had completed the working drawings for the theatre, and construction proceeded shortly after. In the end, only the Theatre of Performing Arts was completed out of the nine proposed buildings for the Fine Arts Center of Fort Wayne. The theatre was officially inaugurated in 1973, a year before Kahn’s death in 1974. See Fort Wayne AD Classics: Arts United Center / Louis Kahn by Evan Pavka published April 16, 2018 on ArchDaily.com. The path of Kahn Famed architect's imprint on Arts United Center unmistakable with several photos by Miriam Morgan published December 09, 2018 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.

Fort Wayne hasn’t shown any great love for architectural accomplishment. There is only one small Frank Lloyd Wright building in town, and other famous architects seem to have generally taken the bypass around our city. However, shortly before his death, Albert I. Kahn designed the exquisite Arts United Center, first known as our Performing Arts Center. Some of the most remarkable buildings on the planet bear Kahn’s signature, and we are fortunate to have one of them. But the “Kahn” name also shows up in at least one other Fort Wayne building of note – the former International Truck Engineering Center at 2911 Meyer Road [Street View photo], proposed site of the new Allen County Jail. A plaque on the building proclaims that the structure was designed and built by Albert Kahn Associates, a firm noted around the world, particularly among vehicle manufacturers. Copied from Proposed, current jail sites spur thoughts on aesthetics by Richard B. Hatch posted December 9, 2022 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.

The National Park Service formally listed the Arts United Center on the National Register of Historic Places with...

Posted by Arts United on Thursday, December 5, 2024

Thursday, December 5, 2024 post by Arts United on Facebook:

The National Park Service formally listed the Arts United Center on the National Register of Historic Places with National Significance. See the full release: Arts United Center added to National Register of Historic Places.

  1. Fort Wayne Performing Arts Theatre 64-page NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018, United States Department of the Interior National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form at IN.gov.
  2. Weekly List 2024 11 29 at the National Park Service.
  3. Arts United Center listed on historic register December 5, 2024, The Journal Gazette newspaper.
  4. Fort Wayne’s Arts United Center earns historic status December 6, 2024, Inside Indiana Business.

For "Throwback Thursday" we take this from the Hofer and Davis, Inc. Scrapbook. This story and photo ran on March 15,...

Posted by Hofer and Davis,Inc. LAND SURVEYORS on Thursday, August 14, 2014

Thursday, August 14, 2014 post by Hofer and Davis,Inc. LAND SURVEYORS on Facebook:

For "Throwback Thursday" we take this from the Hofer and Davis, Inc. Scrapbook. This story and photo ran on March 15, 1967 for Phase I of the Fine Arts Center. In the article, A.K. Hofer was supervising a detailed survey requested by Architect Louis A. Kahn. In the picture, Mike's father, William S. Davis is talking to Edward F. Menerth, executive director of the Fort Wayne Fine Arts Foundation. Also pictured from the H and D team is Al Weisman as "rodman" and Ed Price as "instrument man".

For "Throwback Thursday" we share these pictures from THE FORT WAYNE NEWS - SENTINEL from February 24, 1968. The top...

Posted by Hofer and Davis,Inc. LAND SURVEYORS on Thursday, February 15, 2018

February 15, 2018 post by Hofer and Davis,Inc. LAND SURVEYORS on Facebook:

For "Throwback Thursday" we share these pictures from THE FORT WAYNE NEWS - SENTINEL from February 24, 1968. The top picture is looking West on Columbia from Lafayette. Does anyone remember when Columbia was a street going West to The Landing? We haven't figured out the bottom picture yet, although we think it is from Main Street looking North up Barr Street (we can see the elevated railroad tracks in the background pictured) BTW...Hofer and Davis, Inc. did the topographic survey for the Fine Arts Building in 1966.

January 4, 2024 post by PBS Fort Wayne is with Arts United on Facebook:

Check out these images taken during the construction of the Arts United Center!

Learn more about the history of this building, designed by world renowned architect Louis Kahn in: A Home for the Arts!

Tonight (01/04) at 8pm, on PBS Fort Wayne.

#AHomefortheArts #ArtsUnitedCenter #PBSFortWayne #Documentary

Watch the documentary A Home For The Arts on PBS.org Learn about the story of the bold vision that created Fort Wayne's Arts United Center This documentary tells the story of Fort Wayne's Arts United Center, from the shared bold visions of area leaders along with world renowned architect Louis I. Kahn. Follow the creation of this landmark through its construction to now, over 50 years later, as the centerpiece for the Arts Campus in downtown Fort Wayne.

A Home for the Arts Documentary January 5, 2024 PBS Fort Wayne on YouTube.
During the 1950s, the city of Fort Wayne sought to redevelop a struggling section of its downtown into a center for arts and culture. Realizing the magnitude and significance of this project, community leaders hired world renowned architect, Louis Kahn to design the center. Learn the story of Kahn’s bold vision for this midwestern city, and the uniquely designed Performing Arts Center he created.

Louis Kahn_violin inside violin case

See recordings of world-renowned architect, Louis Kahn, in "A Home for the Arts," TONIGHT at 8pm, and Thursday at 3pm, on PBBS Fort Wayne! Extended version includes an additional 6 minutes of content, and interviews with the Director, Jonathon Nuthals, and Dan Ross, CEO and President of Arts United! Watch on TV 📺, the PBS Fort Wayne website 💻, or PBS Fort Wayne app📱 #AHomefortheArts #ArtsUnited #PBSFortWayne #Documentary

Posted by PBS Fort Wayne on Wednesday, March 6, 2024

March 6, 2024 video post by PBS Fort Wayne on Facebook:

See recordings of world-renowned architect, Louis Kahn, in "A Home for the Arts," TONIGHT at 8pm, and Thursday at 3pm, on PBBS Fort Wayne!

Extended version includes an additional 6 minutes of content, and interviews with the Director, Jonathon Nuthals, and Dan Ross, CEO and President of Arts United!

Watch on TV 📺, the PBS Fort Wayne website 💻, or PBS Fort Wayne app📱

#AHomefortheArts #ArtsUnited #PBSFortWayne #Documentary

A Home for the Arts - Extended Version | FULL DOCUMENTARY | PBS Fort Wayne March 6, 2024 PBS Fort Wayne on YouTube.
During the 1950s, the city of Fort Wayne sought to redevelop a struggling section of its downtown into a center for arts and culture. Realizing the magnitude and significance of this project, community leaders hired world renowned architect, Louis Kahn to design the center. Learn the story of Kahn’s bold vision for this midwestern city, and the uniquely designed Performing Arts Center he created.
This documentary tells the story of Fort Wayne's Arts United Center, from the shared bold visions of area leaders along with world renowned architect Louis I. Kahn. Follow the creation of this landmark through its construction to now, over 50 years later, as the centerpiece for the Arts Campus in downtown Fort Wayne.
Brought to you in Part By Novae Corp & Ferguson Advertising

ARCH Fun & Free Lecture: Louis Kahn’s Only Performing Arts Theater: A History and A Future June 4, 2024 College TV Fort Wayne on YouTube
Presented by Miriam Morgan. Miriam Morgan, who cares for and manages the Arts United Center for Fort Wayne’s Arts United, will share her deep understanding of just how special this now 50-year-old building is. Its architect, Louis Kahn, is world renowned, and its design delights and surprises its many visitors and users to this day. It is a familiar home to onstage and backstage theatrical people and a night-out special treat to their audiences. Come learn the inside story and get the latest news on Arts United’s work to prepare this world-famous building for its next 50 years of service to our community.

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