The board of trustees of the Kennedy Center voted unanimously on Monday to close the Washington arts institution for two years to accommodate a $257m renovation project initiated by Donald Trump. The closure will begin after the Independence Day celebrations in July, with a grand reopening to follow, according to a statement from the centre.
Trump told the meeting, “You have to close it,” adding that ceasing operations would allow for the fastest and most efficient construction. The outgoing president, Ric Grenell, said the renovation would make the centre a place “every American could be proud of”. Trump has already overhauled the board and renamed the venue “The Donald J Trump and the John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts”.
The plan has provoked controversy, with several artists and performing groups cancelling bookings in protest, including the musical Hamilton. Jean Davidson, executive director of the National Symphony Orchestra, left to head a performing arts centre in Los Angeles. The centre has become an extension of the White House’s cultural agenda under Trump.
Since returning to office, Trump has hosted the Fifa World Cup draw there, the Kennedy Center Honors, and premiered a documentary about the first lady, Melania Trump. The renovation is part of a broader civic improvement programme that includes demolishing the White House’s East Wing for a new ballroom and plans for a “Victory Arch” near the Lincoln Memorial.
Grenell, who led the push to target “woke” culture at the centre, stepped down as president last week. He was succeeded by operations chief Matt Floca, who was confirmed on Monday.
