The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will close for roughly two years to allow for extensive renovations, President Donald Trump said Sunday, a move that comes as the nation’s preeminent arts institution contends with a flood of cancellations.
Trump has made reshaping the Washington institution a priority in his second term, and in December his handpicked board of trustees added his name to the building, leading to a wave of artists pulling out of performances.
Trump said on social media that he determined the closure, slated for July 4, “will produce a much faster and higher quality result” as he seeks to rebuild the complex.
Trump said the move is pending approval by the center’s board, which last year elected him chair.
“This important decision, based on input from many Highly Respected Experts, will take a tired, broken, and dilapidated Center, one that has been in bad condition, both financially and structurally for many years, and turn it into a World Class Bastion of Arts, Music, and Entertainment, far better than it has ever been before,” he said, adding that financing is “fully in place.”
Trump did not elaborate on how the project will be financed or how much it will cost. CNN has reached out to the Kennedy Center and the White House for additional details.
The growing artist boycott was becoming untenable, a source familiar with the matter said. Kevin Couch, who served briefly as the center’s vice president of programming, was frustrated because he was struggling to attract well-known artists, that source said. Couch departed just days after his appointment was announced.
Staff at the Kennedy Center found out about the two-year renovation plan via the president’s social media post, a source familiar with the matter told CNN on Sunday.
There had been talk within the organization of a temporary closure at the end of the fiscal year — nominally for “renovations” but also to stem the financial bleed affecting the institution amid the backlash from artists.
Since Trump’s name was added to the complex, award-winning composer Philip Glass withdrew the June world premiere of his symphony based on Abraham Lincoln and the Washington National Opera cut ties with the center.
Even before the center was rebranded in December, Trump’s aggressive push to reshape the institution had prompted some artists to pull out of performances.
After Trump’s board elected him chair in February, artists including Issa Rae, Renée Fleming, Shonda Rhimes and Ben Folds resigned from their leadership roles or canceled events at the space. And Jeffrey Seller, producer of the hit musical “Hamilton,” canceled the show’s planned run.
Trump has claimed the complex, which hosts major events such as the Kennedy Center Honors, is in “tremendous disrepair” and “not going to be woke” as he seeks to extend his changes to what’s onstage too.
CNN previously reported that the president’s changes haven’t sat well with former employees, who have described political pressure and a fundamental shift in values — all of which they claim are also hurting its finances.
Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill” included $257 million for “necessary expenses for capital repair, restoration, maintenance backlog, and security structures.” Trump has since touted restoration of the exterior marble, the interior chairs and “fully” renovated stages, which he said last summer would be complete within a year.
Even amid early renovations, the venue has served as a vehicle for Trump to elevate work that aligns with his artistic preferences. He hosted the Kennedy Center Honors in December, doling out awards to Sylvester Stallone, the rock band KISS and Gloria Gaynor. And last week, the center hosted the premiere of first lady Melania Trump’s documentary.
The Kennedy Center, which opened in 1971 in Washington, DC, was designated as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy following his assassination in 1964. It typically puts on more than 2,000 performances in a typical year, according to its website.
Trump’s efforts to leave his aesthetic stamp on Washington have extended beyond the Kennedy Center.
He paved over the White House Rose Garden to create a Mar-a-Lago-esque patio, demolished the East Wing to make way for a massive ballroom, and sought to paint an ornate office building housing his staff a bright white, even as preservationists warned it could permanently damage the structure. He’s also announced plans for a giant triumphal arch to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Donald Judd, Betsy Klein and Kaanita Iyer contributed to this report.
