What’s happening at the Kennedy Center? The latest changes, explained

What's happening at the Kennedy Center? The latest changes, explained.

Key points

• Crews began removing "Blue, " a towering blue sculpture by artist Joel Shapiro, from the Kennedy Center's campus Wednesday.
• Mike Stunson is a Washington, DC-based reporter writing all things trending, breaking and city-related for USA TODAY's Washington DC Metro Connect Team.
• Last month, the Kennedy Center's board voted to again put Trump's name on the building and rename its grounds the President Donald J.
• The Kennedy Center's board voted again last month to close the facility for two years as part of renovations that are projected to exceed $250 million.
• The removal has drawn criticism from artists and activists who view it as another example of the Trump administration reshaping the Kennedy Center's artistic identity.

What's happening at the Kennedy Center? The latest changes, explained. Mike Stunson USA TODAY NETWORK.

Meanwhile, the John F. As President Donald Trump continues efforts to reshape the iconic Washington, DC, institution, kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is once again at the center of a political and cultural fight.

Last month, the Kennedy Center's board voted to again put Trump's name on the building and rename its grounds the "President Donald J. Trump Plaza." But the move remains tied up in court and has not taken effect.

Meanwhile, the board's decision came despite a federal judge previously ruling that the center's official name cannot be changed without Congress. Administration lawyers argue the new signage would recognize Trump's role in renovating the building rather than formally renaming it.

Notably, the renovation intends have additionally taken a more dramatic turn. In a court filing last month, the Trump administration cautioned that the Kennedy Center could eventually face demolition if critical repairs aren't completed. Though administration authorities have downplayed the idea as a present plan, the filing suggested replacing it with an outdoor amphitheater.

Meanwhile, the Kennedy Center's board voted again last month to close the facility for two years as part of renovations that are projected to exceed $250 million.

Meanwhile, crews began removing "Blue, " a towering blue sculpture by artist Joel Shapiro, from the Kennedy Center's campus Wednesday. The sculpture was installed in 2019 and had become a recognizable part of the Kennedy Center grounds.

Meanwhile, the removal has drawn criticism from artists and activists who view it as another example of the Trump administration reshaping the Kennedy Center's artistic identity. Hands Off the Arts, a group of artists, former employees and patrons resisted to Trump's changes to the Kennedy Center, condemned the removal and accused the administration of trying to erase art it dislikes.

And then there are the weeping willows. Photos of the trees being gone have lately circulated online, but that isn't a new development: the Kennedy Center removed the trees in October 2025 after determining that numerous had decayed and posed a safety hazard.

Mike Stunson is a Washington, DC-based reporter writing all things trending, breaking and city-related for USA TODAY's Washington DC Metro Connect Team. Share your feedback to support improve our site!

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