The Kennedy Center began dismantling a signature 24-foot aluminum sculpture from its outdoor plaza on Wednesday, the latest shift at the Washington, D.C., performing arts complex as President Trump's second-term overhaul moves forward.
The artwork, titled Blue, was installed in 2019 as a gift to the center. Created by American post-minimalist sculptor Joel Shapiro, the piece depicts a human stick figure 'poised in mid-kick,' according to the center's own description. Its removal was confirmed by a center spokesperson, who said the sculpture's next destination will be decided by a foundation representing the artist.
The National Park Service issued a temporary road closure early Wednesday to accommodate the work, signaling the logistical scale of the operation. The sculpture sat along the Video Wall at the REACH, a $250 million expansion that opened the same year Blue arrived. The REACH—an acronym for Renew, Experience, Activate, Create, and Honor—was designed to embody President Kennedy's 'vision for a new frontier for the arts,' according to the center's website.
In a statement, the spokesperson expressed gratitude for Shapiro's contribution: 'We are deeply grateful to Joel Shapiro for the years ‘Blue’ has spent animating our campus and connecting visitors to his vision. We are honored to have been stewards of his vibrant work and a part of his enduring legacy.' The spokesperson also noted that art institutions routinely remove gifted or loaned pieces, framing the decision as standard practice.
The removal comes as the Trump administration pursues a sweeping renovation of the Kennedy Center, including plans to emblazon the president's name on the building's facade. That effort has sparked a legal challenge from Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), an ex officio board member, who has sued to block the changes. In federal court on Thursday, the Justice Department defended the administration's actions, arguing that the arts center is in 'structural and financial disarray' and that the renaming is part of necessary repairs.
Beatty's attorney, Nathaniel Zelinsky, countered that the current board members are engaging in 'outright defiance' of the court and that the institution is in 'crisis' because of the renaming push. The dispute is the latest flashpoint in a broader battle over the future of the Kennedy Center under Trump's leadership, which has also included efforts to overhaul programming and staffing.
The sculpture's removal adds a symbolic layer to the conflict, as critics see it as part of a pattern of erasing the center's prior identity. Supporters of the administration, however, argue that such changes are long overdue to modernize the venue and restore its financial health. The court clash over the inscriptions is expected to continue as both sides dig in.
For now, the plaza where Blue once stood is empty, a visual reminder of the transformation underway at one of the nation's most prominent cultural institutions. The center has not announced a timeline for further removals, but insiders suggest more changes could follow as the renovation project proceeds.
