The board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted Thursday to proceed with a two-year closure of most of the Washington arts complex for renovations estimated at $250 million. The decision marks the second time the board has approved the shutdown plan, which now awaits approval from a federal judge.
Under the current proposal, the main building would remain closed while The REACH, a 2019 addition to the complex, would stay open for limited programming and serve as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy. The target reopening date is summer 2028.
The board is simultaneously pursuing a revised naming plan that would add signage stating the center was "restored and renovated by President Donald J. Trump," rather than the earlier proposal to rename the entire complex the "Trump Kennedy Center." That initial renaming attempt, which occurred in December, prompted a federal judge to order the removal of Trump's name from the building.
"Today's sham meeting makes clear the Trump-appointed Board of the Kennedy Center believes it is above the law. What happened today was nothing more than a rubber stamp on a decision the President made months ago that the Board already tried to effectuate without doing proper due diligence," Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat and ex officio member of the Kennedy Center board, said in a statement following the vote, according to NPR.
The renovation plans include structural repairs, new marble floors, and nearly $12 million designated for acoustical improvements. The proposal also calls for temporarily relocating the eight-foot bronze bust of Kennedy that currently sits in the center's main foyer.
Questions have emerged about the expertise guiding the project. None of the current board members possess known expertise in acoustics or in performing or presenting classical music, dance, or jazz—programming that has formed the backbone of Kennedy Center offerings for decades. The sole artist on the board is country music singer Lee Greenwood, a close Trump ally.
The construction management firm named in the plans, JLL, has not clarified whether it has experience with arts venues featuring unamplified performances such as orchestras, chamber music, opera, and dance. Details about the bidding process and contractor selection remain unclear, as the Kennedy Center has not responded to multiple requests for comment from NPR.
The closure poses significant challenges for both audiences and performers. Arts administrators speaking anonymously to NPR due to fears of retaliation noted that performing arts venues typically face difficult recoveries after shutdowns, even brief ones. Audiences often lose the habit of attending, making it challenging to rebuild patronage.
The timing creates additional complications for booking world-class talent. Top-level international performers and orchestras typically schedule touring engagements years in advance. If renovations experience delays—a common occurrence in construction projects—the venue might not be ready to book major artists until 2029 or 2030, creating a prolonged gap that could permanently redirect audience attention elsewhere.
Attendance has already declined sharply. After the December attempt to add Trump's name to the complex, ticket sales plummeted as audiences expressed reluctance to attend performances at a venue they viewed as politicized. Major artists canceled appearances, including composer Philip Glass and the Martha Graham Dance Company.
The Washington National Opera, one of the center's resident companies, departed entirely in January. The other resident organization, the National Symphony Orchestra, now faces a severe financial crisis, according to multiple internal sources not authorized to speak publicly. The Washington Post first reported the orchestra's financial troubles.
Programming has contracted dramatically from previous levels. The Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, which presented free public performances every day of the year for decades, now offers only a small fraction of that schedule. The board has been winding down programming in anticipation of renovations that Trump has been promoting for months.
Staffing has also been affected, with dozens of employees ranging from artistic curators to development personnel either terminated or departed in recent months. Multiple prominent figures in the performing arts community, including former Kennedy Center staff members, have told NPR they believe the renovation push serves as cover for recent programming and financial failures. These individuals requested anonymity due to fears of retaliation.
Major cultural institutions like the Kennedy Center typically rely on a combination of earned revenue from ticket sales, philanthropic donations, and government grants to maintain financial stability. With both ticket revenue and donations declining, sources say the current financial picture cannot support sustainable operations.
The entrance to the complex on Wednesday remained draped with a tarp that has been in place for months, a visible symbol of the uncertainty surrounding one of the nation's premier performing arts venues.
