PBS Fort Wayne, in collaboration with Arts United, premiered our latest documentary, exploring the history of Fort Wayne's Arts United Center — the world’s only Louis I. Kahn - designed performing arts center — on Thursday, January 4, 2024 at 8:00pm on our main channel, 39.1.

A Home for the Arts, explores the conception of downtown Fort Wayne’s cultural district beginning in the 1950s, which included the hiring of world-renowned architect Louis I. Kahn; the innovative conception for a campus of the arts and the Arts United Center’s identity as a true community venue. Started in January 2023, this documentary was produced by PBS Fort Wayne Producer/Director Jonathon Nuthals.

Stream this new production below.

During the 1950s, the city of Fort Wayne recognized the importance of the arts to a community, and together, with the newly founded Fort Wayne Fine Arts Foundation, now Arts United, sought to redevelop a struggling section of its downtown into a center for arts and culture. Bestowing great significance to this project, community leaders hired Kahn to design the center. Arts United celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Arts United Center in October 2023, while preparing to move forward with the process of modernizing and expanding the building beginning during the summer 2024.

“As we look back at the rich history of the Arts United Center, we amplify the importance of Arts United’s plans to preserve this iconic architectural treasure while expanding and modernizing this community theatre to today’s standards of fully functional and accessible to all patrons and participants,” said Dan Ross, president of Arts United.

In addition to its premiere airing on January 4, this documentary also has an encore airing on Sunday, January 7 at 2:00pm -- also on 39.1 -- and is available for streaming at pbs.org and by using the PBS app as well as the PBS Fort Wayne app.