Kennedy Center donors seek return of art amid renovation disputes

Donors to the Kennedy Center are attempting to reclaim gifted artworks due to concerns regarding their safety and preservation. The movement follows a power struggle involving the Trump administration, which has proposed renaming the institution and closing it for renovations. Some donors fear that recent layoffs and leadership changes may compromise the security of the collections.

Internal documents suggest officials have considered various methods for the “disposal” of artworks, including public sale, destruction, or returning items to their country of origin. Tensions increased after the removal of a monumental Joel Shapiro sculpture from the grounds, a work previously sold to the center’s former chairman.

In related legal developments, Justice Department attorneys filed a notice of errata in federal court, withdrawing a key argument used to justify a temporary closure of the center. The government had previously claimed that phased renovations would cost $41 million more than a full temporary closure, but attorneys admitted this comparison was based on a version of a consultant's report that the Kennedy Center's board had not received prior to their vote.