The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing arts Announces UNITY | PEACE | FORWARD Outdoor Exhibit

Following a year when differences and divisions have dominated headlines, the Kennedy Center's REACH campus will be home to a free outdoor art installation, UNITY | PEACE | FORWARD, from January 15 through February 28, 2021. The campus's 130,000 square feet of green space will be a place where visitors can reflect on our common humanity and be inspired by expressions of unity, harmony, and peace.

The exhibit is a space for contemplation and a glimpse into the minds of performers, artists, writers, and cultural leaders about their hopes, fears, dreams, and aspirations in a time of uncertainty and isolation. As visitors explore the campus, they will encounter three installations created for the exhibit on public view daily. A complimentary video featuring quotes from artists and writers the world over will be projected on the REACH Video Wall each Friday and Saturday evening from 4:30-8:30 p.m. during the exhibit and can be viewed online anytime.

Developed by the Kennedy Center as a collaboration between International Programing and the office of Accessibility and VSA, UNITY | PEACE | FORWARD elevates the voices of artists with disabilities and also forwards the Center's commitment to accessibility with a companion online component (available beginning January 15).

All are welcome to participate in the conversation virtually through social media with #UnityPeaceForward.

The Exhibit

UNITY

The UNITY installation at the Reflecting Pool by the River Pavilion features art from five VSA Emerging Young Artists: Naima Cerulean Kazemi, Yasmine Iskander, Oaklee Thiele, Malcolm Corley, and AJ Kiel. The VSA Emerging Young Artists Program, a Jean Kennedy Smith Arts and Disability Program, amplifies and empowers the voices and perspectives of artists with disabilities on the cusp of their professional careers. For 20 years, this program has identified excellent work from emerging artists with disabilities, ages 16-25, residing in the United States.

PEACE

The PEACE flag displayed on the hillside of the REACH Gardens is a collage of 270 smaller flags of all the U.S. states and territories, as well as flags from all the world countries with which the U.S. maintains diplomatic relations. These flags also hang in the Kennedy Center's Hall of States and Hall of Nations. In a time of great separation, these flags remind us that the Kennedy Center embraces all cultures, reaching and connecting with artists, inspiring and educating communities. We welcome all to create, experience, learn about, and engage with the arts.