What on earth happened to the Kennedy Center?

For many Americans, those words call to mind prestigious awards shows, glitzy cultural events and iconic musical performances.

Since it opened more than 50 years ago, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has maintained a reputation as one of the nation’s premier cultural institutions, hosting distinguished events like the Kennedy Center Honors and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

But that prestigious image is quickly fading.

Its typically packed events calendar has remained bare for months. On Sept. 15, the center’s board voted to shutter the institution's main building for two years for renovations. And in a resolution made public this week, officials at the institution said the building was “unsafe for continued occupancy” and faces “certain fiscal collapse within weeks.”

The Trump administration says previous leaders mismanaged the facility and allowed it to fall into disrepair. The board – which was handpicked by President Donald Trump – cited a partial ceiling collapse in the building’s grand foyer to justify a two-year closure.

But critics say Trump’s attempt to overhaul the facility – including a failed effort to add his name to the building – caused its downfall, leading performers to cancel events and fundraising to…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/