The Kennedy Center began its first wave of expected layoffs Thursday as part of President Donald Trump’s plan to close the performing arts venue for two years to carry out extensive renovations.
An unknown number of employees across multiple departments — programming, development, advertising, marketing and the office of the president — were let go, The Washington Post first reported.
Executive vice president Rick Loughery and vice president Nick Meade, two top deputies of the center’s recently departed president, Richard Grenell, were among those let go, the Post reported.
Loughery and Meade did not return requests for comment.
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Grenell stepped down as head of the Kennedy Center earlier this month. Matt Floca, the vice president of facilities operations at the Kennedy Center, replaced him.
The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, which was reconstituted last year with Trump allies after the president fired the entire body, voted on March 16 to close the center for two years. Trump had already secured $257 million from Congress in last summer’s tax bill for the renovations.
In December, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the center’s board unanimously voted to add Trump’s name to the marquee, calling it the “Trump-Kennedy Center.” Rep. Joyce Beatty, a former board member, said that the vote was not unanimous. It’s unclear whether the name change is merely symbolic, since Congress statutorily named the building and must permit the board to change it.
A White House official previously told NOTUS that renovations include bringing the building into “current life-safety codes,” improving the parking structure, and fixing heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical systems. Elements of the building’s exterior will also be repaired and replaced.
Beyond physical changes, the administration has also reshaped the center’s programming, including canceling LGBTQ+ performances and withdrawing from the 2025 WorldPride festival. Several artists have canceled their shows, and ticket sales have plummeted.
More layoffs and furloughs are expected, The Washington Post reported.
The Kennedy Center did not immediately return a request for comment.
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