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# Civic Auditorium celebrates 50 years with new purpose
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/civic-auditorium-celebrates-50-years-with-new-purpose/
- Published: 2008-06-16T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T19:54:45.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Events, Main St, #archive-import

*Civic Auditorium’s 50th birthday begins new direction*

*By ALICE OLLSTEIN Special to the Daily Press*

SANTA MONICA The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, which has hosted everyone from Frank Sinatra to The Grateful Dead, will turn 50 this year. But far from having a mid-life crisis, the auditorium will celebrate its age this August as it looks forward to a new purpose.

Located at 1855 Main St., the Civic was funded by a voter-approved bond act in 1956 and opened in 1958\. Designed by Welton Becket, the architect behind the Capitol Records Building, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and the Cineramadome, the venue has seen countless award shows, rock concerts, sporting events, conventions and banquets.

Several Academy Awards were held at the Civic in the 1960s, including the historic 1964 event when Sidney Poitier accepted the first Oscar ever given to an African American.

Stairway of the Stars, the district-wide student concert that showcases Santa Monica’s young talent, has been a Civic tradition since 1959\. Currently, the Civic management, lead by Auditorium Manager Carole Curtin, is in the process of redefining the building’s place in the community.

According to Curtin, the Civic will factor into City Hall’s cultural master plan, “Creative Capital,” which recommends that the venue be “re-purposed” as a performing and visual arts center this coming fall.

"In the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, concerts were the mainstay of the Civic,” Curtin explained. “But now we mostly do exhibits, such as art, jewelry and antiques, with only a smattering of concerts.”

She explained that the big acts the Civic used to get — including the Beach Boys and Bob Dylan — have moved on to L.A.’s bigger venues, though the Creative Capital team found through surveys that 80 percent of Santa Monica residents find the idea of small venues for music “appealing” or “very appealing.”

This summer will mark the start of a “repurposing” for the Civic, including a master plan that will come out of open community forums. Furthermore, while the façade of the building cannot be altered due to its status as an official historical landmark, the building will receive a minor facelift for its 50th birthday. Outlined goals include “state-of-the-art technical capacity and audience amenities” and “enhanced outdoor spaces surrounding the building.”The plan also mentions the idea of a museum, and suggests envisioning the venue as a “cultural campus that includes but extends beyond the Civic Center to encompass Santa Monica High School and its cultural facilities.”

Sustainability is another part of the vision for the Civic, as enhancing its performance schedule will draw those who usually drive to Disney Hall for their music fix.

Curtin, who has managed the Civic for over 20 years has experienced first-hand what it means to the Santa Monica community.

“People tell me that they played in Stairway and now watch their grandchildren play,” said. “When I tell people I work here, their eyes just light up and they share a personal story.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 16, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/061608.pdf?ref=smdp.com)