George Mason University is planning a new look and name for its Center for the Arts.
The GMU College of Visual and Performing Arts announced today (Monday) that it has received a $5 million gift to support a “reimagining” of the performing arts venue (4373 Mason Pond Drive) at its Fairfax campus. The donor was the Peterson Family Foundation, a regular supporter of the college and recipient of this year’s Jinx Hazel Award from ArtsFairfax.
“The Peterson Family has stood behind so much of our success in building an exceptional community of artists…at George Mason,” GMU President Gregory Washington said in a press release. “This latest expression of visionary generosity makes possible a much-needed reimagination of our beloved Concert Hall, magnifying George Mason University’s standing as the artistic and cultural hub of Northern Virginia.”
The new gift will specifically be used to modernize and rename Center for the Arts’ 1,935-seat Concert Hall auditorium. Constructed in 1990, the building hosts music, theater and dance shows by both professional and student artists.
At the beginning of May, the Center for the Arts unveiled a performance lineup for its 2024-2025 season that includes Tony Award-winning singer and actor Lea Salonga, jazz saxophonist and composer Branford Marsalis, three new artists in residence, and more.
Details of the overall renovation project, including the cost and timeline, “will be announced at a later date,” the College of Visual and Performing Arts said in the release.
The Peterson Family Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Peterson Companies, a local real estate developer whose projects have included Fair Lakes, Fairfax Corner and the Fair Oaks Business Park.
CEO Jon Peterson and Carolyn Peterson, who started the foundation with her husband Milt in 1997, announced their $5 million gift at her home in support of the college’s upcoming annual ARTS by George! benefit, which raises funds for student scholarships.
“Our family’s commitment to this project is a testament to our steadfast support of Mason Arts programs from the earliest days of the Center for the Arts right up to the present,” Carolyn Peterson said. “This gift is significant because we know it will provide our excellent students, world-class visiting artists, and the community of art lovers with a stellar Center for the Arts auditorium in which to share and experience the arts. We are honored to help move this initiative forward.”
The Center for the Arts renovation is also getting financial support from a $10 million contribution by philanthropists Barry Dewberry and Arlene Evans. That gift was announced during GMU’s 50th Anniversary Celebration in April 2022 and will go toward renaming the venue once it’s renovated.
A capital campaign is in the works to raise more funds for the renovation, which will “improve and enhance the venue’s ability to support the needs of artists, audiences, and the students and faculty of the College of Visual and Performing Arts,” the press release says.
