Date: June 9, 2008

Contact:  Carole Curtin, Santa Monica Civic Auditorium Manager, 310-458-8556 or carole.curtin@smgov.net

 

Santa Monica Civic Auditorium Celebrates 50 Golden Years

Santa Monica-- June 15, 2008, marks 50 golden years for the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. To honor this occasion, a short presentation will be made at the June 10^th City Council meeting, followed by a community celebration in August.

Located at 1855 Main Street, the Civic Auditorium was funded by a citizen-led bond act in 1956. The facility, a designated City landmark, was designed by renowned architect Welton Becket, the mind behind the design of other L.A. icons like the Capitol Records Building, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and the Cineramadome. When it opened in 1958, the Civic Auditorium featured technology that was ahead of its time. A unique hydraulic floor made the facility suitable for a wide variety of uses, allowing for it to be quickly converted from a 3,000 seat theatre into a 27,000 sq ft exhibition space.

Outstanding performances at the Civic helped to put Santa Monica on the cultural map. The Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra played the inaugural concert in 1958, and for the next 50 years, the Civic demonstrated its versatility with a wide range of concerts, award shows, sporting events, film festivals, musicals and theatrical performances, banquets, exhibits and trade shows. Several Academy Awards were held at the Civic in the 1960s, including the historic 1964 event when Sidney Poitier stepped up on stage to accept the first Oscar ever given to an African American.

Concerts rocked the Civic Auditorium and dominated its booking schedule up through the 1980s. Top acts and legends brought thousands to the Civic, including the Rolling Stones, Elton John, the Clash, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Prince and many, many more.

The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium has also provided the stage for our community with events like the School District’s Stairway of the Stars and the Santa Monica Symphony. College fairs, the annual Thanksgiving Dinner staffed by volunteers, and other various community-based events round out the Civic’s annual schedule.

Again highlighting the facility’s flexibility, exhibits and trade shows at the Civic have always been popular, starting with the Parade of Progress show in 1958. Today, the Civic draws visitors to Santa Monica with events such as the Gem & Jewelry Show, the AltBuild Expo and ArtsLA.

The Civic Auditorium is an important element in both the City’s Civic Center Specific Plan and its long-range cultural master plan, Creative Capital. The entire community can look forward to the next 50 years as the Civic Auditorium continues to provide a creative home in the heart of the City where residents will be entertained, inspired, engaged in exploring their own creativity, and continue to build community through celebrations and festivals.

Please visit the Civic Auditorium online at www.santamonicacivic.org or view its history, including the commemorative video, online at civicmemories.smgov.net.