Trump-aligned Kennedy Center board again votes to shut down the arts complex : NPR

Key Points:

• The Kennedy Center board voted again to close most of the Washington, D.C. arts complex for a two-year, $250 million renovation, including structural repairs and acoustical improvements, with reopening planned for summer 2028; The REACH addition will remain open for limited programming.
• The board also voted to restore President Trump's name to the center's entry, despite ongoing legal challenges and a federal judge previously blocking the full shutdown due to insufficient information provided to board members.
• Democratic legislators serving as ex-officio trustees criticized the lack of transparency and access to assessments about the closure's impact, while lawsuits continue to challenge both the renovation plans and the name change.
• The center has experienced significant decline since Trump's name was added in December 2025, including the departure of key resident organizations, canceled performances, plummeting ticket sales, and financial crises for groups like the National Symphony Orchestra.
• Legal battles persist, including a recent court order requiring the Kennedy Center to pay a jazz musician's legal fees after he canceled a performance in protest of the Trump name addition; the center plans to appeal this decision.