CACrown ArchivesThe cinema collection
Menu
Research dossier · General Reference

Artisphere

defunct arts center in Arlington, Virginia

Cross-disciplinary reference desk with index cards, atlas, dictionary and catalogue
General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionJul 11, 2026
Entity authorityQ4801209
Source-derived summary

Artisphere was an arts center located in the Rosslyn section of Arlington County, Virginia. The center encompassed four performance venues, three visual art galleries, an artist in residence studio, a 4,000 square foot ballroom, studio space, social gathering spots, food service facilities, a bar and lounge area as well as outdoor terraces. Programming includes visual art, theatre, live music, film, new media, family programs, dance, conferences and private events.

The Artisphere campus included the main building at 1101 Wilson Boulevard and the nearby Spectrum Theatre at 1611 N. Kent Street. The main building is recognizable for a large dome shaped architectural feature. The Spectrum Theatre is situated on the ground floor of the mixed use Rosslyn Plaza complex.

History

The Cultural Affairs Division of Arlington County, Virginia originated the institution, which opened in October 2010. Previously, the main building housed the Newseum. The Spectrum was originally built as a cinema.

The Newseum opened in 1997 and attracted 2.25 million visitors before closing in 2002 to move to a larger venue in Washington, D.C. After the Newseum vacated the Rosslyn space in 2003, multiple groups considered using the space as a museum.

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Artisphere” as defunct arts center in Arlington, Virginia. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA concise reference frame for defining the subject, testing terminology and identifying the institution closest to the evidence. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1101, 1611, 2010, 1997—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. The account is most persuasive where Artisphere, defunct and arts can be independently traced.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as defunct arts center in Arlington, Virginia. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

Evidence profile

The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 11, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q4801209. Authority coordinates are 38.895, -77.070. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1101, 1611, 2010 and 1997.

Critical limits

A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

Best used for
  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
Verify next

The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Artisphere”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Artisphere primary sources, Artisphere archive and Artisphere research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Artisphere”?
  2. Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
  3. Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Subject index

Search terms from this dossier

Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Artisphere” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.