About The Project
“Sitar offers children and young people invaluable opportunities for their future.”
— Sitar Parent, 2021
In 2021, it was time for Sitar Arts Center to design our strategic road map for the next 5 years. We began where we always do and invited our community to join us in envisioning Sitar Arts Center's future impact. We heard loud and clear the call to expand the life-changing opportunities, learning, and belonging that so many find at Sitar. At the same time, the latest data from our city reinforced that there are many more families with limited access to affordable and enriching afterschool and summer programs for their children—especially in Wards 1, 4, and 5.
Sitar now has the extraordinary opportunity to meet this call and to grow in place. Our Building the Next Stage capital campaign enables us to purchase Sitar Next Door. The 6,346-square-foot facility anchors the ground floor of a new Jubilee Housing development that creates deeply affordable housing for families. The expansion is directly adjacent to Sitar’s current home at 1700 Kalorama Road NW and ensures that Sitar will grow sustainably.
Sitar Next Door makes it possible to enroll hundreds more school-aged students in our affordable afterschool and summer arts education programs each year. Outfitted with a recording and sound engineering studio, a S.T.E.A.M. lab, flexible performance space, and new arts learning studios, Sitar Next Door prepares us to respond to the call from students ages 16-24 through alternative workforce training programs and meaningful support on their pathways to careers in the creative industries.
Campaign Goals
Campaign Budget
To reach the Next Stage, Sitar will invest in:
Facilities | $3.6M
Purchase and Renovation of Sitar Next Door at 1724 Kalorama
Critical Upgrades to our theater, dance studio and classrooms at Sitar Arts Center at 1700 Kalorama Road NW (COMPLETED)
Programs & Resources | $1.9M
Programming Expansion Funds
Cash Reserves
Other | $200K
Campaign Costs
Special thanks to our Building the Next Stage supporters.
Naming Opportunities at Sitar Next Door
Additional naming opportunities are available at Sitar Arts Center at 1700 Kalorama Rd NW and for restricted programming funds. For more information on naming opportunities, please contact Essence Newhoff at essence@sitarartscenter.org.
Naming Opportunities at $1,000,000
The Flex: Flexible Theater and Community Space (RESERVED)
Centerpiece space at Sitar Next Door. Serves as flexible theater for a variety of performances, with portable seating and modular stage options, as well as a community space for student assemblies, workshops and rehearsals, camp lunch, and community events.
Naming Opportunities at $500,000
-
Cornerstone space at Sitar Next Door. Studios include a music room for ensemble instruction in percussion, keyboard, and more and for advanced band rehearsals, storefront views into recording and engineering studio, and music storage space.
-
Visual arts studio at Sitar Next Door. Storefront views and learning space for drawing, painting, 3D art, and mixed media.
-
11-station media arts accelerator lab at Sitar Next Door, complete with a green screen and focused for students to learn in areas of video production, graphic design, game design, and other media arts exploration.
Naming Opportunities at $250,000
-
24-seat A/V equipped conference room that can serve as rental opportunities for local groups, for Sitar Arts Center's Board of Directors meetings, and as flexible space for other leadership and community gatherings.
-
Located within the Advanced Music Studios and with storefront views, a full scale recording engineering studio for student learning and production that also can be rented to local musicians and other professional collaborations.
-
Located within the Media Arts Lab, a studio for video production with green screen, lighting, cameras, and other specialized equipment for student learning and workforce development.
-
Gathering space for young adult and teen students at Sitar Next Door. Prominently placed adjacent to the welcome lobby with storefront views.
-
Entryway and gathering space connecting the Student Lounge, Art Walk Gallery, and Program Offices, designed to welcome the Sitar community from the moment they walk in under the marquee Sitar Arts Center sign.
Naming Opportunities at $100,000
-
Two multi-purpose workshop and instruction areas will increase our year-round offerings.
-
An art walk and exhibition space will display student and professional works.
-
Situated within the Advanced Music Studios, a 260SF band and ensemble room for music instruction and rehearsals.
-
Rear kitchen to support nutritional breakfast, snack, and lunch for Camp Sitar participants, as well as catering for community events and meetings.
-
Corridor leading to the Art Studio and Advanced Music Studios, used daily by students.
-
The back-of-house space of The Flex will include backstage dressing and makeup areas, restroom, and storage for performances and events.
Naming Opportunities at $50,000
-
Soundproofed entry way to the Advanced Music Studios to inspire students as they walk into classes and rehearsals.
-
Accessed from the Board Conference Room, a meeting room for breakout discussions and meetings for up to 6 people.
-
Office suite including an open floorplan workspace and private office for Sitar Programs staff.
-
A set of restrooms with choices: female, male, gender-inclusive.
The space will remain named for 25 years or the useful life of the space, whichever comes first, unless otherwise specified in the naming agreement. Signage to indicate the named space will be mounted after the campaign concludes. These spaces are also being considered by other Capital Campaign donors. Availability is current as of 6/1/2025.
Campaign Guidelines for Counting Gifts and Recognizing Donors