Carnival Center for the Performing Arts

CARNIVAL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING
ARTS
Carnival Center for
the Performing Arts
In Romeo and Juliet, which is arguably Shakespeare's most famous play, Juliet
questioned, 'VVhat:S in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word
would smell as sweet." According to those involved with Carnival Center for
Performing Arts, however, there is a lot in a name. Among the names so far
assigned through major gifts, the Carnival Corporation, Sanford and Dolores
Ziff, and theJohn S. and James L. Knight Foundation have been solidified as
permanent fixtures in the life of Carnival Center for Performing Arts. /
Founded by the late Ted Arison, the Carnival Corporation has
been one of the most significant contributors to the project
since its inception. After donating a large sum of money to
help fuel the development process, Arison made sure the
company remained involved, if only to serve as inspiration for
additional community support.
"Many years ago when they were looking to get the process
started for private [donations] to make the center go as a
project for Dade County, Arison was one of the first to step
up with a major gift for the center to help set the goal for
private philanthropy to get this [project] supported," explains
Howard Frank, Carnival Corporation & plc's Vice Chairman
and COO. "As you know, as the [Carnival Center] was getting
built, all the press was quite negative due to the cost overruns,
and it made it much more difficult in the context of all the
negative publicity for the people who were in charge of getting
the fundraising done to get the funds needed."
Despite the initial gift, however, Carnival Corporation & pIc
decided that the project needed more help, and just months
before its set inauguration, surprised the city with yet another
generous donation of $10 million, making their aggregate
contribution total $20 million.
"It's Carnival's and my personal view, however, that cultural
institutions have helped to form a great city; to be a great city
- a top tier city - you have to have strong cultural institutions
because they help attract the businesses and the people to come
to these cities for places to live and to educate their families,"
Frank continues.
A constant source of support in the community, Carnival
Corporation felt it was important to help the performing arts
center steady itself on solid financial footing.
"'Ale felt sort of an obligation to do it, since we are one
of the largest companies in South Florida," Frank explains.
"Proportionally, we have the ability to do it. We have been
great supporters of all philanthropic cultural performing arts
organizations in the past, and we will continue to do that,
whether it be for the symphony, the opera, the ballet or the
art museum. Those are all institutions that we feel strongly
should be supported by large corporations in Miami because
in the final analysis, they help to grow Miami, so it's in our best
interest to support them."
Carnival Center for the Performing Arts includes three
state-of-the-art theaters, an education center, an expansive
outdoor plaza, and a restored Art Deco tower, which was
originally built in 1929.
The 2,400-seat Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera
House and the 2,200-seat Knight Concert Hall will house
many of the performances from the Concert Association of
Florida, Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, and New
World Symphony, as well as a wide array of local, national, and
in ternational performances.
The Studio Theater, a flexible black box space designed for
up to 200 seats, will host intimate performances of contemporary
theatre, dance, music, cabaret and other entertainment.
CARNIVAL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING
ARTS
The Sanford and
Dolores Ziff Ballet
"1don't have to be solicited for money if the project is something
I'm interested in and something that will be fabulous for the
community," explains Dolores Ziff, regarding the generous
donation she and her husband Sanford made to Carnival
Center for the Performing Arts in 1999. The $10 million gift was
more than just a charitable act; it was a source of inspiration,
encouraging others in the community to get involved and help
bring to fruition an idea that had been in the works for 11
years. Dolores, Sanford's biggest fan, is quick to point out her
husband's entrepreneurial spirit.
"Sanford gave [the project] a jumpstart; it was just sitting
there in need of funds, and he came through," she gushes.
"Vision is my business," smiles Sanford, who is an award
winning optometrist and the founder and CEO of the
internationally
known chain Sunglass Hut. "I envisioned
a performing arts center in Miami having a tremendous
economic impact, [as well as an impact on] arts and culture
in this city, and it's finally happening! At completion time, the
whole area of Biscayne Boulevard is completely different, and
this center will be a destination point for the world."
Adds Dolores, "Every time I go [to Biscayne Boulevard],
there is a new building going up!"
The Ziffs are very active in the Miami philanthropic com-
munity, and have
long been fans ofthe
arts. The University
of Miami boasts
the Sanford Ziff
Family art gallery,
and the Miami Art
Museum inherited the Dream Collection, for which they donated
work by renowned artist Jean DuBuffet. In addition, Sanford is
an Honorary Chairman for the Concert Association of Florida,
while Dolores sits on the advisory board for the Museum of
Contemporary Art. Careful not to discount the talent and effort
of the individual organizations, Dolores explains that Carnival
Center will enhance to diverse cultural venues in Miami.
As a result of their generosity, the couple has secured
an important
role in the future of Carnival Center for
Performing Arts: The Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera
House, which seats 2,400 and boasts a lush interior of green
velour-covered cherry wood seats, a golden acoustical dome,
a beautiful terrazzo floor mural and etched glass hand rails
for the balcony lobbies, created by Jose Bedia, as well as the
stunning focal point of the Ziff Ballet Opera House, the
"Hibiscus Curtain" designed by Robert Zakanitch.
Illustrations Courtesy of Architectural Illustrator F.M. Costantino, ASAI
CARNIVAL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING
ARTS
The Knight Concert Hall
"Originally, the hall was going to be called the Carnival
Concert Hall," explains Alberto Ibarguen, President of
Knight Foundation. After a conversation with Carnival Center
Foundation Chairman Woody Weiser, that quickly changed, as
Knight Foundation had a plan: they donate $10 million, and the
hall will be re-named the Knight Concert Hall. To supplement,
Carnival Corporation vowed to donate an additional $10
million, bringing their aggregate donation to a total of $20
million. As a result, the entire center would be named Carnival
Center for the Performing Arts.
Knight Foundation, which has been a long-time supporter of
the arts and names the Miami City Ballet, Florida Grand Opera,
Concert Association of Florida, and the New World Symphony
as benefactors of its donations and support, felt it was important
to do more than just get the physical structure built; equally as
important was maintaining the use of the structure.
"The reason we're doing all of this is because we really
believe that if you build a first class concert hall, you have to help
ensure that the performances there are also going to be world
class. Beyond, and stepping back from all of this, the reason the
Knight Foundation decided to heavily support this is because
the underlying story of Miami is about diversity, and in some
ways the arts, particularly music, allows people from diverse back
grounds to find
common ground.
Everybody
can
participate
and
appreciate."
In
addition,
Ibarguen
echoes
the
optimistic
opinion of others
who support the
community effort:
"Anyone who
has been to the part of town where the performing arts
center is going up, and anybody who has been engaged in
anything having to do with downtown development knows
the catalytic, absolute importance of this set of buildings
- of this anchor of cultural activity-and its importance to
the development and transformation
of downtown Miami,"
he summarizes.
The Knight Concert Hall has 2,200-seats, a spiraling ceiling
canopy that serves as a state-of-the-art acoustical feature,
and the same terrazzo floor mural and etched glass balcony
handrails as the Ziff Ballet Opera House. ff~