[Vid] Ford’s Theatre Foundation Cuts Ribbon on New Center for Culture & Leadership
Ford’s Theatre Foundation completed its campus with the ceremonial ribbon cutting of its new Frances and Craig Lindner Center for Culture and Leadership at Ford’s Theatre (located at 512 Tenth Street NW, Washington, D.C.). The new Center is a dedicated space for learning, connection, conversation, and civic engagement that will also provide rehearsal and education studios to support its programming and theatrical initiatives.
Frances Lindner, Member of the Board of Trustees at Ford’s Theatre and Craig Lindner, Co-CEO of American Financial Group, Inc. have made a $10 million commitment to the Lincoln’s Legacy, Our Legacy: Ford’s Theatre’s Campaign for The Future, making the largest philanthropic, private donation in the institution’s history.
Lincoln’s Legacy, Our Legacy: Ford’s Theatre’s Campaign for the Future aims to raise $52 million to transform Ford’s Theatre and find new ways to bring Lincoln’s legacy to life for current and future generations.
“With the generous support of Frances and Craig Lindner and our many dedicated partners, we are expanding our mission to cultivate empathy, spark dialogue, and bridge divides in our communities,” said Paul R. Tetreault, Director, Ford’s Theatre Society. “We are deeply honored to open this new chapter in Ford’s Theatre’s history, ensuring that Lincoln’s legacy of leadership and service continues to inspire generations to come.”
Among those on hand to celebrate the opening were Nina Albert, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, and Phil Mendelson, Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia.
“The Frances and Craig Center for Culture and Leadership at Ford’s Theatre not only enriches the cultural landscape of Washington, D.C., but also strengthens our commitment to preserving the legacy of President Lincoln and fostering dialogue that unites our communities. The public and private partnerships that made this possible underscore the power of collaboration and the importance of investing in spaces that promote education, leadership, and civic engagement,” said Mendelson. “I look forward to seeing the impact this Center will have for generations to come.”
In February 2012, the Center for Education and Leadership at Ford’s Theatre opened to the public. The Center features two floors of permanent exhibits addressing the immediate aftermath of Lincoln’s death and the evolution of Lincoln’s legacy and administrative offices. Housed in a building directly across the street from the historic Ford’s Theatre and acquired by the Ford’s Theatre Society in 2007, this building will share a retail space on the ground floor for visitors.
A modern theatre as well as museum space, the Ford’s Theatre Campus welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.
*Additional support for the Frances and Craig Lindner Center for Culture and Leadership at Ford’s Theatre was made possible by the generosity of donors who contributed more than $1 million and include: the Marcia and Frank Carlucci Charitable Foundation, the Centene Charitable Foundation, Chevron, the City of the District of Columbia, General Dynamics, the Marlene A. and Frederic V. Malek Family and Rex and Renda Tillerson. Support for the new building at $1 million include an anonymous donor, the Irani Foundation — Dr. Ray Irani and Ghada Raslan Irani, the Merrill Family Foundation, Noémi and Michael Neidorff, Phebe N. Novakovic and Embassy of The State of Qatar.
See the full event here: