The latest casualty in President Donald Trump’s attempts to completely alter the John F. Kennedy Center is a 24-foot human-like sculpture by Joel Shapiro.
The Kennedy Center removed the sculpture, which had been a fixture at the center, on Sept. 2.
Kennedy Center removes Joel Shapiro’s ‘Blue’ sculpture after it was reportedly targeted in Donald Trump’s overhaul
The removal comes amid Trump’s ongoing overhaul of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. On Sept. 2, the center removed Joel Shapiro’s sculpture “Blue” from its grounds. A former curator who lost their job in March said officials had “targeted” the sculpture early on. The Kennedy Center originally installed the work in 2019.
A Kennedy Center spokesperson told People in an email, “We are deeply grateful to Joel Shapiro for the years Blue has spent animating our campus and connecting visitors to his vision.” They added, “We are honored to have been stewards of his vibrant work and a part of his enduring legacy.”
Meanwhile, the Kennedy Center said the Joel Shapiro and Ellen Phelan Foundation requested the sculpture’s removal. The foundation will now determine its next home.
Trump has also attempted to rename the building “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” However, a federal court later overturned the renaming attempt, finding that only Congress has the authority to change the Kennedy Center’s official name.
In addition, the Trump administration has threatened in court to tear down the entire building if the court blocks Trump’s proposed renovations. The administration said officials could replace it with a large amphitheater overlooking the Potomac River.
“Without those efforts, the Center will deteriorate further into an unsafe, decrepit structure that will be required to be taken down, with a determination to follow on what to build on the site, such as a large outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Potomac River that has been proposed, by some, for many years,” the administration said in a court filing in August.
Beyond the Kennedy Center, Trump has also intervened in the Reflecting Pool design, the Oval Office makeover and the construction of a White House ballroom.
