The board of Washington's John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will vote Tuesday on its future operations, with directors appointed by President Donald Trump arguing that the venue's survival depends on adding his name to the complex. The board's resolutions state that without such recognition, Trump is unlikely to provide oversight for renovations or lead a fiscal rescue.
The potential closure and renaming of a major national performing arts venue highlights the intersection of political influence, cultural legacy, and financial distress, with implications for public funding and the autonomy of cultural institutions.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 (Reuters) - The board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is scheduled to vote on Tuesday on whether the venue will continue to operate. Directors largely installed by President Donald Trump contend that the center's future is contingent on bearing his name.
Earlier this year, Trump's name was added to and subsequently removed from the performing arts venue after federal judges ruled that only Congress could legally alter the name of the "living memorial" to President John F. Kennedy. This initiative is part of Trump's broader ambition to leave a cultural and aesthetic imprint on the U.S. capital.
Instead of renaming the entire Kennedy Center, the board, composed of Trump appointees with Trump himself as president, plans to add his name to the exterior marble "below the name of the center" to acknowledge his role in planned renovations, according to resolutions filed in court on Monday. The draft resolution states that "without such appropriate recognition it is unlikely that President Trump will provide the fundamental oversight of the renovation of the main building and lead the fiscal rescue of the Center."
The draft resolution highlights the center's dire financial situation, warning it may be unable to meet payroll obligations or routine maintenance contracts "within a matter of weeks." Following Trump's increased control over the center last year, artists canceled performances, and the Washington National Opera and National Symphony Orchestra were compelled to find alternative venues, leading to a significant drop in revenue.
A second resolution will address the immediate closure of the center for an estimated two years to renovate the main building, which the board states has crumbling ceilings due to water damage. Tuesday's meeting aims to formalize an August 13 vote where the board approved adding an inscription honoring Trump and renaming the site to President Donald J. Trump Plaza.
Democratic U.S. Representative Joyce Beatty, an ex officio board member, has successfully sued to prevent the center from being renamed. She shared the board's draft resolutions with the court on Monday. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper previously ruled that the center's statute mandates it be named for President Kennedy and cannot bear any other formal name based on the board's unilateral decision. Workers removed Trump's name from the center in June, leaving the exterior covered by scaffolding. The board's draft resolution offers 10 options for the inscription, asserting compliance with Cooper's order. Beatty has requested the judge find these inscription plans in violation of his ruling, with a hearing scheduled hours before the board meeting.