By Hélène Vissière in Washington
Donald Trump
Opened in 1971, the Kennedy Center, one of the most prestigious institutions in the country, organizes more than 2,000
events per year. Bonnie Cash/UPI//SIPA
The President of the United States has taken the head of the board of directors of this Washington institution by surprise. A way of signifying his desire to take back control of a culture deemed woke and elitist.
In the monumental hall of the Kennedy Center, a bronze head of JFK sits enthroned . But for how long? wonders all of Washington. Because for the past few weeks, it has been more likely to be the Trump Center. The president announced to everyone’s surprise that he was taking control of the capital’s great cultural institution. In early February, he promoted himself to head of the board of directors and abruptly dismissed a series of its members “who do not share our vision of a golden age of art and culture .” He then posted a photo of himself as a conductor with the caption: “Welcome to the new Kennedy Center!”
The move has shocked the arts community. “It’s like a bomb has dropped on us. The music community is in shock. It’s scary,” says jazz bassist Michael Bowie. “This kind of takeover is not surprising in the rest of the world, where governments, like in France, often play a role in culture. In the United States, it’s unprecedented and therefore shocking ,” says Christopher Denby, founder of the Advisory Board for the Arts, an international arts consultancy.
Donald Trump has decided to put Washington under his thumb. And he has a grudge against the management of this center housed in a marble building that looks like a Stalinist mausoleum. In 2017, during his first term, several artists awarded at the “Kennedy Center Honors”, the big annual gala, had threatened to boycott the reception at the White House. They criticized the president for refusing to condemn the violent neoNazi march in Charlottesville . Donald Trump had canceled the evening and then shunned the center.
Eight years later, Donald Trump is getting his revenge. He has appointed loyal subjects to the board of directors, traditionally composed of members of both parties, including Susie Wiles, his chief of staff, and Usha Vance, the wife of Vice President JD Vance. Deborah Rutter, the president of the Kennedy Center, has been replaced by Richard Grenell, former ambassador to Germany and a loyal Trump supporter. To the great joy of conservatives, who see it as a snub to the elites.
Pro-LGBT musical for children
The Kennedy Center, inaugurated in 1971, is one of the most prestigious institutions in the country, which organizes in its multiple halls more than 2000 events per year, operas, ballets, musicals… In recent years, the center has expanded its range with stand-up and
hip-hop. This is clearly not to the taste of the occupant of the Oval Office. “Some of the performances were terrible,” he said recently, before admitting that he had not seen any. Donald Trump has promised to eliminate woke shows, drag shows and “anti-American propaganda” .
Without detailing his lineup. Speculation has it that he could invite country music singers, the Village People, whom he brought to his inauguration, the J6 Prison Choir, made up of rioters convicted of the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and since pardoned. Already, Richard Grenell has planned “a huge celebration of the birth of Christ” for Christmas. Some events have been canceled, including the Washington Gay Choir and a pro-LGBT children’s musical. According to management, the decision was made before Grenell arrived.
Experts are most concerned about the financial impact. Of the $268 million annual budget, 16 percent comes from the state, the rest from ticket sales and private donations. Will regular donors continue to pour millions into such a politicized organization? At worst, it should be easy for Donald Trump to convince his billionaire friends to write him a check. Unless he lets the center wither away… Then there’s the question of the audience. Washington is a Democratic-majority city, and many regulars seem determined to boycott the shows. According to the Washington Post , the week after the president’s announcement, ticket sales fell 50 percent compared to the previous seven days. Christopher Denby prefers to look on the bright side. “These changes may help reach new audiences who have never set foot in the Kennedy Center . ”
Only a handful of members, including soprano Renée Fleming, an artistic advisor, have resigned. “Everyone is nervous, but right now we’re not doing anything. We’re waiting to see how it goes,” says a symphony musician, who wishes to remain anonymous. A few artists have canceled their appearances. Among them are actress Issa Rae, rock band Low Cut Connie and Canadian crime writer Louise Penny. Others, like cellist Erin Murphy Snedecor, have decided after some thought to go ahead with their shows. “I’m doing a free concert, and I plan to denounce the politicization of culture on stage,” she says.
Relocate filming
The Kennedy Center is not the only one affected. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), a federal agency, has eliminated a program that funded cultural initiatives in disadvantaged neighborhoods. It has also suspended its support for any organization that promotes inclusion and diversity. The NEA is now focusing on funding patriotic
events for next year’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States’ independence. Donald Trump’s top priority.
The president has also revived his idea of a “National Garden of American Heroes,” a collection of 250 statues of athletes and scientists. His plans don’t stop there. He has named his supporters, actors Jon Voight, Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone, “special ambassadors.” Their mission is to bring back to Hollywood filming that has been relocated abroad. As soon as he took office, he signed an executive order entitled “promoting beautiful civic federal architecture” that recommends a neoclassical style for official buildings. A similar order during his first term had drawn much criticism. “The appropriation of an architectural style is the hallmark of authoritarian regimes ,” wrote the Architecture Lobby. In the meantime, his main concern is to replace the lawn of the famous Rose Garden at the White House with a paving stone, modeled on the patio at Mar-a-lago, his residence in Florida.
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