A portion of the ceiling collapsed inside the grand foyer of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Friday evening, creating a significant hole above the red carpet in the hallway connecting the three main performance auditoriums. No injuries were reported. The failure occurred during stormy weather in Washington.
The center's board is now using the incident to renew demands for a two-year closure to undertake $250 million in renovations. Roma Daravi, the center's vice president for public relations, called the collapse "another example of the urgent need to close for renovation and revitalization, as our Chairman President Trump has championed," and blamed it on "decades of neglect and deferred maintenance by the previous leadership."
The push collides with a federal court order. In May, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the previous addition of Trump's name to the Kennedy Center's facade was illegal and ordered its removal. He also blocked the administration from closing the venue for renovations.
Undeterred, the Kennedy Center's board voted in August to re-introduce Trump's name to the building. The proposed wording reads: "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump." Justice Department lawyers have argued that donations crucial for the renovations would not materialize without Trump's name displayed on the building.
The renovation effort is part of a broader second-term agenda by President Trump to reshape Washington's physical landscape, including the demolition of the White House East Wing for a ballroom, a triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, and a renovated golf course along the Potomac River.
Other recent changes at the center signal a shift in priorities. Last week, the Kennedy Center removed a large stick figure sculpture titled "Blue," which had been displayed outside the venue since 2019. The center did not explain the removal, saying only that "we are honored to have been stewards" of late sculptor Joel Shapiro's work.
The community group Keep the KC, which opposes the center's closure, views the timing with suspicion. Grace Terpstra, representing the group, said the board will likely use what appears to be limited ceiling damage to justify shutting down the entire facility.
