President Trump dismissed earlier management and took over as chair of the Kennedy Middle in February.
Richard Barnes
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Richard Barnes
Since President Trump took over as chairman of the John F. Kennedy Middle for the Performing Arts in February, artists’ responses have been combined. Some, together with Issa Rae, Rhiannon Giddens and the musical Hamilton, cancelled performances in protest. Others, like comic W. Kamau Bell and the band Guster, determined to maneuver ahead.
Yasmin Williams and Cathy Fink, two musicians with deep ties to the cultural middle, emailed the Middle’s interim president Richard Grenell immediately — however his replies caught them off guard.
On Wednesday, Williams wrote to what seems to be Grenell’s official Kennedy Middle e-mail telling him she’s carried out on the middle many occasions through the years. “I’ve at all times had a good time taking part in there and I hope to take action within the close to future,” she wrote. “Together with performing on the Middle, I’ve additionally attended many great exhibits all through the years and plan on persevering with to be a patron.”
However she defined why many individuals really feel involved about cuts to variety, fairness and inclusion initiatives on the middle — such because the dissolution of its Social Impression group, which centered on outreach for underserved communities — and that some blame President Trump for the modifications in programming, vowing to not carry out or attend features on the Kennedy Middle for the rest of his administration.
“My two questions are: does the President truly care about artists cancelling exhibits on the Kennedy Middle?” Williams requested. “What, if something, has modified in regards to the Kennedy Middle concerning hiring practices, efficiency reserving, and staffing?”
Inside two hours, Grenell responded: “Let me ask you this query, would you play for Republicans or would you boycott if Republicans got here to your present?”
The e-mail was signed “ric.”
NPR reviewed the emails and they seem like reliable, originating from an e-mail handle that belongs to Grennell. The Kennedy Middle and Grenell didn’t reply to NPR’s a number of requests for remark.
Williams advised Grenell she believes Republicans have been in her audiences prior to now and doesn’t consider in boycotting exhibits for that reason. In additional responses, Grenell mentioned that the Kennedy Middle didn’t cancel a single efficiency and cancellations had been a results of artists who didn’t wish to carry out for Republicans. “You should not consider what you learn within the newspapers who exist to hate Republicans,” he wrote. “Learn extra. Do not swallow what the media tells you. Do not be gullible.”
In a message instantly following, he wrote, “Your individuals additionally booed and harassed the vice chairman who merely wished to get pleasure from music together with his spouse for an evening. Who’s the illiberal one?”
Williams reiterated her authentic questions and requested Grenell to keep away from making assumptions about her political stances, urging him to keep up knowledgeable tone.
“I am too busy to confront your vapidness to consider what you learn with out doing your personal analysis,” Grenell wrote. He advised her the Kennedy Middle had “zero within the financial institution” and he “reduce the DEI b******** as a result of we won’t afford to pay individuals for fringe and area of interest programming that the general public will not assist.”
Former Kennedy Middle President Deborah Rutter declined to touch upon Grenell’s claims, however information printed by ProPublica point out that the middle made a revenue of over $6 million within the fiscal 12 months ending in September 2023, the final 12 months with publicly accessible information. The Washington Submit reported that claims made by Grenell and the middle’s new chief monetary officer, Donna Arduin, alleging that the Kennedy Middle has an working deficit of over $100 million, don’t account for donations and grants that make up a good portion of the nonprofit’s income.
An more and more tense dialog
In an interview with NPR, Williams mentioned she initially did not consider the responses had been coming from Grenell himself, however because the dialog grew to become more and more tense, she determined to share screenshots on social media.
“Earlier than this e-mail trade occurred, I did not like how so many artists had been canceling exhibits (on the Kennedy Middle) as a result of I simply know so many individuals who work there and so they want the revenue,” she mentioned. “However after this e-mail trade, I am unable to in good conscience inform somebody to spend their cash and assist this man do something.”
Williams is just not the one artist who took issues into her personal palms. Grammy-winning musician Cathy Fink has been performing and collaborating with the Kennedy Middle for the reason that Eighties. She advised NPR she’d by no means contacted the middle’s president till this 12 months, when she grew to become more and more anxious about shakeups in management and programming.
In March, Fink wrote Grenell a prolonged e-mail detailing her issues, together with experiences about present cancellations, and citing a quote from a Washington Submit article wherein Grenell reportedly expressed a dedication to numerous factors of view.
“If as you say, you are taking ‘variety and inclusion very severely,’ then I’d be very inquisitive about listening to what motion steps you intend to take to make it possible for everybody feels welcome and that numerous inventive factors of view are skilled on the John F. Kennedy Middle for the Arts,” Fink wrote. She concluded the e-mail providing to satisfy in particular person.
Grenell responded: “Are you able to inform me why you consider the Wash put up? We did not cancel a single present. You’re flat incorrect.”
The Kennedy Middle has beforehand mentioned that every one exhibits which were cancelled had been cancelled by the artists themselves.
Fink reached out to Grenell once more, looking for frequent floor of their experiences as most cancers survivors, and reiterating her hope that they may meet to debate their factors of view. Grenell didn’t handle Fink’s makes an attempt to attach in particular person.
Fink mentioned she’s disillusioned by how Grenell responded to her and to Williams.
“They’re something however management fashion correspondences,” she mentioned. “The humanities are what join us. We’re not linked by being divisive. We’re not linked by being hateful. We’re not linked by cryptic, two-sentence communications.”
Each Williams and Fink mentioned they wish to proceed performing and attending occasions on the Kennedy Middle, however they want it to be a spot that is inclusive and welcoming to all.
This story was edited for broadcast by Ciera Crawford and Jennifer Vanasco and edited for digital by Jennifer Vanasco.
