US President Donald Trump published a post on Truth Social yesterday announcing that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington DC, would close on 4 July for approximately two years of renovation.
The post states that the aim of the renovations is to transform ‘a tired, broken, and dilapidated center’ into ‘the finest performing arts facility of its kinds, anywhere in the world’. The renovations will go forward ‘totally subject to board approval’.
Trump was made chairman of the board last year after appointing his foreign policy adviser Richard Grenell as interim director and removing members of the board that had been appointed by the previous administration. The board is now composed of his close allies including chief of staff Susie Wiles, attorney general Pam Bondi and Usha Vance, the wife of vice president JD Vance.
Since these changes in leadership, many performers cancelled their appearances at the Center including soprano Renée Fleming, Jazz drummer Chuck Redd, banjoist Béla Fleck, the cast of Hamilton and the composer Philip Glass.
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