Aftermath of Trump-Kennedy Center Renaming: Arts Community Divided Over 'Performance Cancellations vs. Going Ahead'

Center: "Performance Refusals Are Left-Wing Logic"
Lawsuit Threatened Against Artists Who Canceled Shows

The name of the Kennedy Center, a landmark cultural and arts venue in Washington, DC, was recently changed to include the name of President Donald Trump, sparking conflict within the American arts community.

According to Bloomberg on January 2 (local time), Wayne Tucker, a Grammy-nominated trumpet player, abruptly canceled his performance scheduled for January 22 at the "Trump-Kennedy Center." Prior to this, vibraphonist Chuck Redd and the jazz septet "Cookers" also canceled their Christmas and New Year's Eve performances in succession. The "Cookers" commented, "We are committed to performances that transcend division rather than deepen it," indirectly criticizing the decision to change the center's name.

The recently renamed Washington DC 'Trump-Kennedy Center' at the Kennedy Center. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

On the other hand, other artists have expressed their intention to proceed with their performances, stating, "The show must go on."

Composer Kim Heeyeon plans to go ahead with the performance of her piece "The Call of the Whale" at the center on January 10 as scheduled. In an email to Bloomberg, she said, "I respect the personal and principled decisions of my fellow musicians to cancel their performances," but emphasized, "The Kennedy Center remains an important public platform." Banjo player Randy Barrett also stated, "The politicization of the center is deeply concerning, but this country needs more music and art," expressing his intent to proceed with his performance.

The center has strongly criticized the artists who canceled their performances and announced a hardline response. A spokesperson for the center said, "Every artist who cancels a performance is following a 'left-wing political logic' by refusing to perform for those with different views," adding, "We have a large number of artists who want to perform at the Trump-Kennedy Center." According to NPR, the center also plans to file a lawsuit against Chuck Redd for canceling his performance.

However, the controversy over the center's name change continues. On December 22, Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty filed a lawsuit against President Trump and the center's board, claiming that the name change was illegal because it was done without congressional approval. Some members of the Kennedy family have also expressed criticism of the renaming.

Comedian Secures 'TrumpKennedyCenter' Domain, Satirizes Trump

Meanwhile, a comedian quickly secured the web address "TrumpKennedyCenter.org," which reflects the center's new name, and created a parody site mocking the institution, drawing attention.

According to The New York Times, Toby Morton, a television writer and producer known for the animated show "South Park," secured the domain as early as August last year, before the center's renaming. He anticipated that the name change would soon occur after witnessing President Trump oust the Kennedy Center's board members and appoint himself as chairman.

As a result, visitors to "TrumpKennedyCenter.org" are greeted with information about a fictional performance called the "Epstein Dancers," a satirical reference to the late Jeffrey Epstein, a notorious sex offender, and his past close association with President Trump.

The official website address for the "Trump-Kennedy Center" remains "kennedy-center.org," where the phrase "The Trump Kennedy Center" now appears at the top of the homepage in English.