What the Turmoil at the Kennedy Center Means for the Arts

"The Kennedy Center has become a flashpoint of controversy during President Trump's second term as he endeavors to reshape arts and culture to his vision for the country. Trump made himself the chairman and renamed the building after himself, prompting boycotts of the center. A two-year closure for renovations is cause for alarm among preservationists still reeling from the demolition of the East Wing of the White House."

"Shortly after taking office last year, Trump dismissed the Kennedy Center's president of 10 years, Deborah Rutter. A new board of loyalists, led by Richard Grenell, a former ambassador to Germany with no arts experience, promptly elected Trump the center's chairman. Grenell committed to eliminating so-called "woke" programming that he said appealed only to niche audiences, and thus wasn't profitable. (Trump had promised "NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA.")"

"But the Kennedy Center has seen a precipitous drop in ticket sales under the new regime. The Washington Post reported last October that a 93 percent sell-through rate in fall 2024 had dipped to just 57 percent between September 3 and October 19-before the controversial renaming. Artists and performers have boycotted the venue under Trump, including an expected blockbuster production of Hamilton. (More than 100 staff members, out of 370, also departed over the course of 2025, and the Washington National Opera is moving out.)"

President Trump renamed the Kennedy Center and assumed its chairmanship, prompting immediate backlash and artist boycotts. The center will close for a two-year renovation, raising preservationist concerns for the Edward Durell Stone–designed building. Trump dismissed decade-long president Deborah Rutter and a new board led by Richard Grenell moved to eliminate so-called "woke" programming in favor of profitability. Ticket sell-through fell from 93 percent to 57 percent between early September and mid-October 2024. More than 100 of 370 staff left in 2025 and the Washington National Opera is relocating, while major productions were canceled or boycotted.

Read at Artnet News