Renowned opera singer Renée Fleming is one of several prominent artists to resign from advisory positions at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. after U.S. president Donald Trump assumed the role of chairperson at the famed institution.
The move comes after Trump fired longtime members of the center's board including chair David Rubenstein (who had been appointed by George W. Bush) and president Deborah Rutter. In a statement, Fleming celebrated both Rubenstein and Rutter’s contributions to the center in a statement announcing her resignation.
“I’ve treasured the bi-partisan support for this institution as a beacon of America at our best,” Fleming’s statement reads in part. “I hope the Kennedy Center continues to flourish and serve the passionate and diverse audience in our nation’s capital and across the country.”
Fleming is just one of several prominent artists that have severed ties with the storied performing arts institution since the president announced this move. Television producer Shonda Rhimes of Grey’s Anatomy and Bridgerton fame resigned from the board after the changes were announced, while award-winning pianist and songwriter Ben Folds announced that he was stepping down as artistic director of the National Symphony Orchestra, a permanent resident of the Kennedy Center.
In addition to these resignations, performers and groups have been cancelling appearances at the Kennedy Center to protest the president’s move, including celebrated Canadian author Louise Penny and actress and producer Issa Rae, who stated that the new leadership was an “infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds.” The Actors’ Equity Association, the union representing workers in live theatre, called the appointment “beyond appalling” and “disturbing.”
In addition, local media outlets have reported that upcoming productions have been removed from the Kennedy Center’s website, including an NSO production celebrating “the vibrant spirit of the LGBTQ+ community” called A Peacock Among Pigeons and a children’s musical entitled Finn about a queer young shark. (The Kennedy Center said in a statement that Finn’s cancelation was purely made for financial considerations.)
In a post on social media, Trump stated that the board members were terminated because they “do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture”, further citing that “woke” artistic productions such as performances celebrating 2SLGBTQ+ stories would not be a part of that vision. Trump has appointed several longtime associates to the Kennedy Center board in recent days, including naming Ric Grenell, his former ambassador to Germany, as interim executive director. Other allies were named to its board of trustees, including White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, former Secretary of Labour Elaine Chao, and Usha Vance, wife of Vice President J.D. Vance. These new board members officially voted Trump into the role of chairman on February 12.
Trump himself did not participate in any events at the Kennedy Center during his first term as president, including not attending the prestigious annual Kennedy Center Honors.
The Kennedy Center itself said in a statement that “There is nothing in the center’s statute that would prevent a new administration from replacing board members; however, this would be the first time such action has been taken with the Kennedy Center’s board.” Previous presidents have also installed allies on the center’s board of directors, but no president has ever assumed such a direct role in the over seven decades since it was established by the National Cultural Center Act of 1958.