Kennedy Center Crisis
There Is a Path to Recovery After the COVID Collapse and Trump Turbulence …
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, long hailed as the nation’s cultural crown jewel, has faced two profound disruptions in recent years.
The first was the COVID-19 pandemic, which shuttered performances, furloughed staff, and slashed ticket revenues. Despite receiving $25 million in emergency federal relief, the Center paused payroll for the National Symphony Orchestra in March 2020 and laid off hundreds of employees.
Critics accused the institution of prioritizing capital projects over people, while defenders cited the unprecedented scale of the crisis.
The second disruption occurred in early 2025, when Donald Trump, newly returned to power, assumed the chairmanship of the Kennedy Center board. He removed longtime philanthropist David Rubenstein and a bipartisan slate of trustees, installed loyalists including Richard Grenell as acting director, and ordered changes to the Center’s programming and governance in the name of battling “wokeism.”
The result has been nothing short of cultural upheaval.
Exit and Endurance: Voices from Inside the Storm
Those who drifted away from the Kennedy Center after President Trump’s assumption of the board chair role and takeover have been notable, including:
Ben Folds, singer-songwriter and former artistic advisor to the Center, publicly resigned after Trump’s appointment. “You cannot lead the arts like you’re chairing a campaign rally,” he said. “We build bridges through music, not walls. This takeover breaks faith with the very soul of the Kennedy Center.”
Yasmin Williams, a virtuoso guitarist invited to perform at a Trump-era event, declined and shared disturbing email correspondence with Grenell. “He mocked my refusal, questioned my patriotism, and belittled my art,” she told Pitchfork. “That’s not leadership - it’s intimidation.”
A Kennedy Center staff member, speaking anonymously, shared: “We lost about a third of our subscribers in just a few months. Donors are pulling back. Everyone's watching their email like it’s a landmine.”
The departures weren’t just symbolic. Hamilton pulled out. A queer youth-focused musical was canceled. Several orchestral guest artists declined future engagements. Subscription revenue fell 36%, resulting in over $1.6 million in losses within the first six months.
Those who stayed, however, were equally notable:
Renée Fleming, the celebrated soprano, initially expressed concern but chose to remain engaged, hoping to preserve institutional continuity. “The Kennedy Center is bigger than any one person,” she said. “We owe it to our audiences and our art to hold the line.”
Kennedy Center Education Director Carla Mills has remained focused on the institution’s mission: “Our free youth programming, our teacher outreach - those things still reach thousands. If we abandon ship, we lose that lifeline.”
NSO Principal Cellist Gabriel Ruiz said, “We are tired. But we believe in the music, in our ensemble, and in the people who still show up. The audience may be smaller right now, but their applause is louder than ever.”
These voices offer a complex truth: while Trump’s political style reshaped the boardroom, many inside the halls of the Kennedy Center continue their work with quiet dignity.
The Big Beautiful Bill: A Lifeline or Leash?
Federal help is still flowing. Section 60025 of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), MAGA world’s sprawling federal spending package, allocates $257 million over four years for Kennedy Center capital repairs, maintenance, and security.
Yet critics note that this aid comes amid broader cuts to healthcare, climate programs, and safety nets. It also fails to address the programming crisis or artist walkouts and may even embolden even more partisan control of what was once a nonpartisan institution.
A Theoretical Recovery Plan, If Trump Allowed It
So, what might the Kennedy Center do to recover its stature, assuming Trump would consent and cooperate?
Artistic Credibility Could Be Rebuilt by:
Inviting back key artists, even as guest curators, to signal restored openness.
Launching bipartisan or thematically neutral seasons pairing classics (Moulin Rouge, West Side Story) with emerging composers.
Reaffirm a Nonpartisan Mission
Publicly commit to free expression and cultural diversity with a campaign like “Art for All, Politics for None.”
Host a national summit on the role of the arts in democracy, co-chaired by former presidents from both parties.
Use Federal Funds Transparently
Detail precisely how OBBB funds will be used: energy-efficient retrofits, access upgrades, educational programming.
Offer an independent audit and publish an annual arts accountability report.
Expand Hybrid Access
Build out live streaming and digital subscriptions to offset physical ticket drop-offs.
Partner with public libraries, schools, and military bases for free virtual arts education.
The Conclusion?
The Center must prevail. The Kennedy Center’s mission - “to present and produce the best of the performing arts” - has weathered Vietnam, Watergate, recessions, and now pandemics and political theater.
If its leaders, artists, and donors can restore its cultural balance and its moral clarity, it will survive this moment, too. But it cannot do so by doubling down on division. It must reach again toward unity, not uniformity, but shared purpose in the arts.
As one young audience member said after a recent Millennium Stage concert: “I came because I thought it was over. But the music kept playing.”
That, perhaps, is the true legacy of the Kennedy Center worth defending.
In the meantime, Generosity will continue to monitor developing events at the Kennedy Center, specifically:
Tracking OBBB’s Use: In 2026, by evaluating how funds were deployed (repairs, programming, outreach).
Surveying Subscriber Sentiment: Baselining the trust gap and plotting movement.
Scoring the De‑politicization Success: Regularly assessing whether the programming balance is returning, and if financial metrics follow.
Stay tuned. The doors to the Kennedy Center are still open, for now at least.
To learn more:
Visit The Kennedy Center at | https://www.kennedy-center.org/
Review their finances at | ProPublica