Artisphere, Arlington (must see)

Artisphere was a multidisciplinary cultural center that operated from October 2010 until June 30, 2015. Created by Arlington County inside the former home of the Newseum, the approximately 62,000-square-foot facility combined visual art, theater, music, film, dance, and community programming. It was intended as a flexible venue where residents and visitors could experience different forms of artistic expression. Although it operated for fewer than five years, Artisphere became part of Arlington’s recent cultural history.

The center contained four performance venues, three visual-art galleries, an artist-in-residence studio, a 3,000-square-foot ballroom, meeting spaces, outdoor terraces, and food facilities. Spaces included the 220-seat Dome Theatre, a 125-seat black-box theater, the 4,000-square-foot Terrace Gallery, and the nearby 387-seat Spectrum Theatre. Changing exhibitions presented painting, photography, sculpture, installations, and other media by local, national, and international artists. Programs included concerts, theater, dance, films, lectures, literary events, festivals, workshops, artist talks, and family activities. Despite expanding its programming and attracting many visitors, Artisphere struggled to achieve projected attendance and revenue while requiring substantial public funding. Arlington County eventually decided to end financial support, and the center closed in 2015. The building was subsequently adapted for commercial and shared-workspace uses.

Although Artisphere no longer operates, its history illustrates an ambitious attempt to combine multiple artistic disciplines within one public cultural center and provide flexible spaces for exhibitions, performances, education, community participation, and experimental programming.