White House Festival of the Arts

This photograph is of coloratura soprano Roberta Peters talking with guests in the Cross Hall during the White House Festival of the Arts on June 14, 1965. Peters accompanied the Louisville Orchestra for an afternoon program of vocal and symphony music in the State Dining Room, introduced by African American contralto Marian Anderson. During the 40-minute program conducted by Robert Whitney, Peters sang "Glitter and Be Gay" from Leonard Bernstein's "Candide" and "Summertime" from George Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess." Over 300 guests attended the White House Festival of the Arts to honor contemporary American artistic achievement. 65 works of art borrowed from 39 museums across the country were displayed in the East Wing and Jacqueline Kennedy Garden. The 14-hour event also featured a photography exhibition in the Vermeil Room, a film screening in the State Dining Room, and a variety of performances in the East Room, State Dining Room, and the South Lawn including Duke Ellington, the Robert Joffrey Ballet, and the Louisville Orchestra.

Photographer: Joseph J. Scherschel
Date of Work: June 14, 1965
Type: Photograph
Credit: White House Historical Association

View in the Digital Library

Scholarship
A Duke at the White House

President Richard Nixon appreciated the cultural significance of music and how its composition encouraged creativity and self-reflection. In his memoirs Nixon noted that “playing the piano is a way of expressing oneself that is perhaps even more fulfilling than writing or speaking. . . I think that to create great music is one of the highest aspirations man can set for himself.”1 On A
Scholarship
Vietnam War Protests at the White House

On November 1, 1963, a group of military officials overthrew the South Vietnamese government and assassinated President Ngo Dinh Diem after he refused to resign—all with the tacit approval of the John F. Kennedy administration.1 While U.S. involvement in Vietnam dated back to the Dwight Eisenhower administration, the escalation of the war during the 1960s and 1970s dominated national politics, ta
Scholarship
"The Touch of Velvet and the Stamina of Steel"

On November 22, 1963, tragedy brought Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson to the White House and thrust her into the national spotlight. Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, her husband Lyndon B. Johnson took the Oath of Office aboard Air Force One at Love Field. In the blink of an eye, Lady Bird Johnson became the first lady—a titl
Gallery
The Johnson White House: 1963-1969

On November 22, 1963, about two hours after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Vice President Lyndon Banes Johnson took the Oath of Office, becoming the thirty-sixth president of the United States. As president, LBJ immediately set out to heal a mourning nation while advancing legislation to bolster Kennedy’s legacy. On July 2, 1964, Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in th
Gallery
Music in the White House

Music is often called the universal language. It has been known to break down barriers and shape historic events in a way no other form of art can. The White House has played host to a diverse selection of historic performances since it became the home of the president and first family in 1800. From performances by the "President's Own" United