Once the beating cultural heart of Washington, D.C., the Kennedy Center is now all but abandoned.
A new Washington Post report details just how empty the center was on Monday—“bordering on eerie,” as the newspaper put it.
The iconic arts venue was set to close for two years on Sunday but has been kept open to the public by court order. Center executives say they will not be scheduling new shows or concerts, leaving the venue accessible but uninviting.
Members of the public can still visit the President John F. Kennedy memorial exhibit, community programming, and National Symphony Orchestra rehearsals. Free Millennium Stage events will continue on weekends, as well as select community events.
The Post counted three visitors inside the building during an afternoon visit, one of whom had wanted to visit the center for a while and made sure to do so on her trip to D.C. for the Fourth of July in case the planned closure takes effect.
Tarps still cover the front of the building, including the name of the center. The center’s original name was restored by court order, forcing President Donald Trump to remove his own name. After the removal, work crews installed giant white tarps over the front of the building, where they have remained for weeks.
The tarps were still present at one of the last major events held at the center, a ceremony honoring comedian Bill Maher with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Guest of honor Maher said the tarps were “hysterical,” telling reporters of Trump, “I mean, as much as you could try to think of his next move, you could never do it.”
“Only he could think of that. The tarp. I just never would have gone there. To me, it just makes it better and funnier, and it’s a funny event celebrating funny.”
Maher’s friend and fellow comedian Jay Leno also saw the humor in the display, calling it “hilarious.”
“You know what’s funny? It’s vanity. It’s not a war, it’s not people getting killed. It’s not antisemitism. It’s not racism. It’s a silly thing covering a name. I mean, what’s funnier than that? You know, it’s high school with money,” Leno told reporters.
“It’s ridiculous. Like, why is that up there? I don’t know why it’s up there, but it makes me laugh.”
In May, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper rejected the the president’s attempt to change the Center’s name to include his own on the grounds that he failed to seek congressional approval.
“Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it,” Cooper wrote.
He also charged the Kennedy Center board, which Trump stacked with his own supporters last year, with failing to do due diligence ahead of the move.
“The Board based its decision on an insufficient, one-sided presentation of information and neglected to consider the full range of its statutory obligations and potential adverse consequences of closure,” Cooper argued.
He also ordered that the center not be closed by July 5, which Trump had initially claimed was necessary in order to carry out repairs and renovations.
As a result, the Post report notes, “what’s left has the air of a ghost ship” as the Trump-installed board considers to what degree the center will remain open.
