When I was a senior in High School, I saw an ad in a magazine for learning how to draw. I sent the request for information. To my surprise, a salesman showed up at our rural Kansas front door to encourage me to sign up for their learn by mail course. My father was quite displeased with me for sending off that request. I share that story to explain how important art has always been to me, as it is to many people. That is why I consider respect for The Kennedy Center is so important. It is not just a building to accommodate the taste of everyone. It is the memorial to our fallen president who gave his life in office, a president who loved art and had an educated taste for it.
Previous blogs have expressed my concern about President Trump appointing himself, naming the members of the board, and removing most of the trained staff. Putting his name over President Kennedy's name on the front of the building is offensive. None of this is news. What is news is that art has been removed from the building, reportedly some going into storage of some sort, but also some sold, returned to donors, and unknown unknown decisions made. If that report is accurate, it is deeply concerning.
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| John F. Kennedy |
"The life of the arts, far from being an interruption, a distraction, in the life of a nation, is very close to the center of a nation's purpose." John F. Kennedy. Those words were spoken by John F. Kennedy himself. The Kennedy Center is more than just an art museum. It represents the man who spoke those words.
In death, John F. Kennedy left behind a gift to generations who could visit art and music and dance and theater. Tampering with the content of the museum is a direct attack on John F. Kennedy's memory. For those reasons, the current news that much of the art, particularly art given from other countries, is being removed to offsite storage, is particularly disturbing. If accurate, it is a disgrace to our traditional memorials to past presidents.
John F. Kennedy has been described as a blend of youthful, relaxed refinement with a high-culture sophistication. His taste emphasized understated elegance, modernism in architecture. These tastes were shown during his time in the White House, bridging traditional polish with forward--thinking, American imagery, or so called, informal elegance. His sophistication included inviting poets, classical musicians, and artists to the White House, as well as appreciating popular music. It is not about whether all of us agree with his taste in less traditional art. Memorials often reflect the changing taste in American culture over the years.
President Trump has also shared his taste while in office, including his interest in architecture, his apparent love for applying gold to things, his appreciation for mixed martial arts and boxing, and receiving an honorary 9t -degree black belt in Taekwondo from World Headquarters. Memorials to him might include those things. However, the Kennedy Center is intended to honor Kennedy.
Perhaps some would say there are more important things happening in the world today than a living president making over the memorial of a president killed while in office. I disagree. We must respect the memorials intended to honor the men for whom the Memorials were created.
When President Trump completes his time in office, he would expect his memorial to represent his achievements and tastes. Surely, he would be angry if his memorial was disrespected.
