Kennedy Center removes 'Blue' sculpture as parkway lanes close
The Kennedy Center began dismantling Joel Shapiro's Blue sculpture, installed in 2019, as part of broader changes to the center under President Trump's push to reshape Washington's cultural institutions, with the artist's work potentially reinstalled elsewhere. The removal has drawn public reaction and involved logistical disruptions, including temporary traffic closures and ongoing debates over the center's branding and future renovations.
Politics · 38 sources · Sep 5, 2026Read itThe journal
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About Joel Shapiro
Joel Elias Shapiro was an American sculptor. Classified by art critics as a Postminimalist, his works consisted of sculptures composed of simple rectangular shapes. His sculptures were mostly defined through the materials used, without allusions to subjects outside of the works. His works are in major collections and public spaces in the United Space and abroad. Most of his creations are named Untitled. His 1993 Loss and Regeneration was created for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
Everything about Joel Shapiro →- Occupation
- sculptor, artist, painter, engraver
- Citizenship
- United States
- Born
- September 27, 1941, 1941
- Died
- June 14, 2025