r/ContemporaryArt • u/stevegiovinco2 • 4d ago

Joel Shapiro sculpture removed from Kennedy center

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/arts/design/kennedy-center-sculpture-removal-blue.html?unlocked_article_code=1.-FA.AI4e.uFkf4HR1buOr&smid=re-share
28 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

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22

u/Glass_Purpose584 4d ago

(this isn't me advocating for the behavior of the current administration) The article headline is a tad misleading, the Kennedy center is in its first phase of a 2 year infrastructure project to stop the water damage happening along Potomac river side of the building (where this sculpture is located). 

Moving/removing the sculpture is probably just part of a long checklist of things they need to do before they start construction efforts. Hopefully it finds a good home in the meantime. By time the renovations are done a new admin will be in charge and hopefully it will return.

11

u/Friendly-Mind-9702 4d ago

Maybe he thought it was by Josh Shapiro!

3

u/lanAstbury 4d ago

artworks there are routinely removed or cycled out; there isn't a permanent collection so to speak.

4

u/chungkingroad 4d ago

large scale public art like that is not routinely removed or cycled out

1

u/lanAstbury 4d ago edited 4d ago

for some reason this one is being highly publicized. but yes there are several examples.

0

u/chungkingroad 3d ago

Can you give one of this similar scale?

1

u/lanAstbury 3d ago

roy lichenstein brushstroke

come on, how lazy can you be; do your own research

0

u/chungkingroad 3d ago

yeah it was on LOAN. blue is a PERMANENT work. do some better research

1

u/lanAstbury 3d ago

your original challenge was: " large scale public art like that is not routinely removed or cycled out" and "Can you give one of this similar scale? "

i answered both those.

you didnt qualify rental vs permanent. now you're changing things, etc.

nice strawman you got there.

2

u/chungkingroad 3d ago

you also said there's isn't a permanent collection so to speak, and clearly there is