Overview
- The Kennedy Center took down Joel Shapiro’s 24-foot aluminum sculpture 'Blue' on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, using cranes and a National Park Service road closure to facilitate the removal.
- Center officials said the Joel Shapiro and Ellen Phelan Foundation will decide where the work is reinstalled and described the move as a routine deinstallation for donated or loaned art.
- The removal occurred with no public advance notice, and internal documents reported by multiple outlets indicate 'Blue' was targeted for removal after President Trump’s February 2025 takeover of the board.
- Artists, Shapiro’s family, former staff and advocacy groups criticized the action as a breach of stewardship and have organized protests and public objections to the Center’s new direction.
- The deinstallation heightens an ongoing legal and political dispute over the Center’s two-year renovation plan, efforts to affix President Trump’s name to the site, and court challenges that could determine the institution’s governance and public holdings.