Lincoln Center: Celebrating 50 Years

October 15, 2009–January 16, 2010

The Donald and Mary Oenslager Gallery
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts

Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
40 Lincoln Center Plaza

Hours: Monday and Thursday from 12:00 p.m. to 8 p.m.;
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and
Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; closed Sundays

Admission is free

Lincoln Center: Celebrating 50 Years is the first exhibition to focus exclusively on the evolution and influence of America’s first performing arts center. Curated by Thomas Mellins, co-author of the book New York 1960, the exhibition features an extensive collection of some 400 historic and contemporary objects including photographs, ephemera, correspondence, costumes, set pieces, props and video recordings. Among the range of objects on display some highlights include Leonard Bernstein’s concert tuxedo, a signed copy of John Adams’ score On the Transmigration of Souls, the feathered and sequined gown Beverly Sills wore at her farewell gala performance, a poster designed by Andy Warhol for the fifth New York Film Festival in 1967, and the iconic yellow dress from Lincoln Center Theater’s Tony award-winning production, Contact.

The individuals who brought Lincoln Center to fruition had multiple goals beyond their central intention of setting and achieving the highest standards of excellence in the arts. They sought to use culture as a tool for urban renewal. They sought to create a memorable place within New York City. They sought to engage support at the local, state, and federal levels in an effort to demonstrate a national commitment to the arts. The ensuing history of Lincoln Center reflects the sweep of a 50-year period during which broadly held ideas about urban vitality, community identity, the accessibility of the arts and their role in society, and the potential for creative synergy across artistic disciplines, have been vigorously considered. Amidst this evolving context, ongoing discourse about Lincoln Center reveals something essential to the enterprise: the enduring importance of the performing arts. Lincoln Center continues to be discussed because it matters.