A man holds up an American flag as workers prepare scaffolding ahead of removing lettering from the facade of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., June 12, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Photos show piano movers rolling massive Steinway grand pianos through the red-carpeted halls of the Kennedy Center this week, and British music journalist Norman Lebrecht posted them on the classical music news site Slipped Disc.
When President Donald Trump's handpicked board took over the Kennedy Center last year, the once-successful living monument to former President John F. Kennedy was profitable. After Trump decided to add his name to the Kennedy building, acts and shows pulled out of their performances, unwilling to let it turn into his theater.
Lewis Piano Movers was tasked with moving the Steinway grand pianos, as shown in photos. The pianos are valued at about $187,000 to $246,900 or more if they're brand new.
The Kennedy Center has held used Steinway piano sales in the past, so AlterNet reached out to Jenny at Steinway in Washington D.C. to ask if the sale was happening again this year. She explained that it would not, as the Kennedy Center had closed.
She said the shop owner intends to retire and close, so they're selling all their pianos at a heavy discount. With the Kennedy Center closed, the shop is also moving all the Steinways to offer for sale. AlterNet asked why the Kennedy Center would need to sell everything, and she made it clear that it was because it was "closed." She referred all other questions to the Kennedy Center.
The Kennedy Center closing was supposed to be temporary. In fact, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper found that the Kennedy Center cannot close for the two-year renovation that the administration decided would begin immediately.
In May, the judge said the Trump-aligned board’s original closure decision was “ill-informed and seemingly preordained” and that the board had not properly considered its legal duty to both maintain and operate the Kennedy Center. He halted the planned two-year shutdown while the underlying lawsuit proceeds.
The order allows repairs to move forward and leaves the door open for a possible extended closure. Last week, the Center's director, Matt Floca, announced it would be closed for only a week. At the end of last week, they announced it would be closed for another week. Now it's clear that, behind the scenes, the Kennedy Center is telling vendors the building is shuttered.
It's unclear if the pianos and instruments are being liquidated from the site other than the Steinways.
Judge Cooper has now required the administration to give the plaintiffs and the court 30 days’ notice before any demolition, new construction or major change to the project moves forward. Judge Cooper also sought updates on a short-term closure that officials described as necessary for emergency safety assessments. However, the judge made it clear that a long-term closure was not possible for now.
Democrats proposed a bill this week to protect the building, but Republican Sen. Mike Lee (Utah) is blocking it. That means breaking his filibuster requires a 60-vote supermajority.
AlterNet reached out to the press team at Democracy Defenders, which has represented Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) as she's attempted to sue to protect the building. AlterNet also contacted the Kennedy Center for comment. Neither responded before publication.
The Justice Department claimed in a filing that the Kennedy Center isn't closing, but that they're simply doing some renovations because it isn't "safe."