Kennedy Center's downfall blamed on opportunists, not collaborators
In an op-ed for The Art Newspaper, artist Philippa Pham Hughes argues that opportunists, not collaborators, are responsible for the Kennedy Center's decline under Donald Trump's second term. She distinguishes between true believers and those who take jobs for proximity to power, claiming they provide legitimacy and cover for damage. Hughes notes that Trump fired longtime president Deborah Rutter and purged the board within a month of his inauguration, replacing it with loyalists. Drag performances were cancelled, the social impact programme eliminated, and acting director Richard Grenell (Feb 2025–Mar 2026) publicly attacked a Black artist. By summer 2025, Hughes says, there was no ambiguity about the administration's intentions. She criticizes those who now seek absolution through podcasts and essays, while the people who built the institution are erased from the narrative. Hughes, a former social practice resident at the Kennedy Center, calls for a record that honors those who left when it cost them something real.
Key facts
- Philippa Pham Hughes wrote an op-ed in The Art Newspaper.
- She distinguishes between collaborators and opportunists at the Kennedy Center.
- Trump fired Deborah Rutter and purged the Kennedy Center board within a month of his second inauguration.
- Drag performances were cancelled and the social impact programme eliminated.
- Richard Grenell served as acting director and president from February 2025 to March 2026.
- Grenell publicly attacked a Black artist on social media.
- By summer 2025, Hughes claims there was no ambiguity about the administration's intentions.
- Hughes was a former social practice resident at the Kennedy Center.
Entities
Artists
- Philippa Pham Hughes
Institutions
- The Art Newspaper
- John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Locations
- Washington, DC
- United States