When it comes to support of the arts in Arlington, one candidate is thinking big. To his competitors in next month’s Democratic primary, however, it is too big.
Democratic County Board contender James DeVita has been touting support for a major arts center during recent candidate forums and on campaign signage.
“Arlington should be THE leader when it comes to arts in Virginia,” he responded by email to ARLnow questions about the proposal.
DeVita’s proposal “stems from my disgust at the way Donald Trump has essentially destroyed the Kennedy Center,” he said.
“Prior to his takeover of the facility, I frequently attended opera, theater and symphony performances at the Kennedy Center. Due to his machinations, I have not been able to do so, nor will I do so again as long as he is in control of the building,” DeVita said.
In response to the Trump Administration’s actions, “I’d like to see Arlington develop its own opera, theater and symphony-arts center to ensure that the arts cannot be hijacked for political reasons ever again,” DeVita said.
Where would it be located? What would it cost? Who would pay for it? DeVita offered some specifics on all three questions:
- “I estimate the cost of such a facility at $60 million to $80 million, similar to the Strathmore Music Center in Maryland”
- “I’d like to see the facility located on undeveloped land adjacent to the Potomac River, to provide river views”
- “I’d like to see if we can finance it with private funds rather than public money in exchange for naming rights — my idea is to throw the project open to the billionaires of the world to see if they are interested”
The concept may not make it to the finish line, but it is one of the biggest out-of-the-box proposals being floated in this year’s Aug. 4 Democratic County Board primary. DeVita is facing off against Julie Farnam and incumbent Matt de Ferranti.
While DeVita’s opponents in the primary may have appreciated his creativity, they didn’t exactly rush to embrace the proposal.
“While I like the idea, I’m not sure given our current fiscal situation if the county has the money to do that — unless, of course, the money came from the private sector,” Farnam told ARLnow.
“Promising a regional arts center is not fiscally responsible or well-thought-through in this moment,” de Ferranti said.
De Ferranti, who in 2026 is serving as Board chair, noted the estimated cost of $19.5 million to renovate the Lee Arts Center. And that project has been pushed back about five years, as have several other spending proposals.
“We are, wisely, pausing on a number of projects in terms of libraries, schools and parks, until we know better the fiscal risks this Administration presents over the coming two and a half years,” de Ferranti told ARLnow.
He suggested rather than rushing headlong toward a new facility, DeVita could work with the arts community on “how to align vision for the Lee Arts Center and various performance needs.”
“Further, and more importantly, we need to have a public process for consideration of what the community as a whole wants at the Lee Center, for example, that is balanced with other competing needs,” de Ferranti said.
Farnam said more could and should be done in support of the arts locally, but on a targeted basis:
“I would like to see Arlington incorporate more arts into the fabric of the community. I’d love to see more murals throughout the community, like D.C. has, or sculptures throughout the community, like what you’d see in Reykjavik. I also would like to see more music venues. We have spaces that could be utilized for this, like the old Synetic Theater space or the Theater on the Run space. I would love to see Arlington become a breeding ground for new music and bands. I believe these suggestions both promote the arts and are also more practical and feasible than a singular arts center.”
In recent decades, a number of organizations, from Embracing Arlington Arts to Opera Nova, have tried to gain traction for a broader arts center. To date, efforts have been unsuccessful.
No funding for constructing, or even planning, such a facility is contemplated in County Manager Mark Schwartz’s proposed $4.3 billion 10-year capital improvement plan, set for County Board action later this month.
There is, however, an arts center just beyond Arlington’s King Street southern border.
The Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center, located on the Alexandria campus of Northern Virginia Community College, is home to the 981-seat Mary Collier Baker Theater, as well as the Margaret W. and Joseph L. Fisher Art Gallery.
DeVita, an attorney, is making his third consecutive bid for the Democratic nomination for County Board. He lost to Takis Karantonis in 2025 and J.D. Spain, Sr., in 2024.
In 2023, DeVita began his quest for political office with an unsuccessful challenge to Sen. Barbara Favola (D-40).
While not coming out on top to date, DeVita has gained notice for his campaign signage, which includes commentary on issues including taxes, development, public safety, quality of life — and this year, an arts center.
