A section of the ceiling at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts partially collapsed during a rainstorm, prompting officials to reiterate the urgency of a planned renovation. Photos shared by the Kennedy Center show the damage in the building's main hallway.
Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations for the Kennedy Center, stated that the structural failure underscores the necessity of closing the facility for renovations, a measure championed by the center's chairman, Donald Trump. "This structural failure stems from decades of neglect and deferred maintenance by the previous leadership, and there’s no justification for further delays in restoring America’s cultural center," Daravi said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
The center's board, chaired by Trump, voted in August to close the building for two years for renovations. This proposal follows a May court ruling that mandated the removal of Trump's name from the building, which the board had voted to rename "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts."
Trump had previously expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation on Truth Social, stating, "Unless I am free to do what I do better than anyone else, bring this Institution back, physically, financially, and artistically, I have no interest in continuing what could only be a hopeless journey into 'NEVER NEVER LAND.'" He suggested working with Congress to transfer the institution if his board could not proceed as planned.
Last month, the board approved a plan to rename the grounds "President Donald J. Trump Plaza" and to add lettering to the building stating, "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump." The board is currently engaged in legal proceedings to move forward with these name changes, as well as the proposed closure and $250 million renovation project.
Grace Terpstra, founder of the community group Keep the KC, which opposes the closure, suggested that the board might use the ceiling collapse to bolster its argument for shutting down the center. "I think they’ll try to make it into a bigger thing and show that they’ve found a lot of other things," Terpstra commented.
Tarp and scaffolding have been in place at the building's entrance since June, following the removal of the bronze letters that constituted Trump's name. The center also recently removed a modern artwork titled "Blue," which had been displayed outside since 2019, stating it had been honored to serve as stewards of the sculptor Joel Shapiro's work.