Richard Grenell, a close ally of President Trump, is leaving his position as head of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after a tumultuous year that included an exodus of artists and audiences from the Washington cultural institution.
Mr. Trump announced Mr. Grenell’s departure in a post on social media on Friday afternoon.
“Ric Grenell has done an excellent job in helping to coordinate various elements of the Center during the transition period, and I want to thank him for the outstanding work he has done,” Mr. Trump wrote.
The president said Mr. Grenell was being replaced by Matt Floca, the vice president of facilities operations at the center. Mr. Trump said that Mr. Floca “has helped us achieve tremendous progress in bringing the Center to the highest level of Excellence!”
Mr. Grenell, the former ambassador to Germany, is stepping aside as the center prepares to close on July 4 for a two-year renovation. Mr. Trump announced the shutdown after months of headlines about boycotts by patrons and high-profile artists, including the composer Philip Glass, the Grammy-winning banjo player Béla Fleck, the San Francisco Ballet and the traveling production of “Hamilton.”
Mr. Grenell leaves behind an institution that is drastically changed from a year ago, when Mr. Trump installed himself as chairman of the center and filled the board with loyalists as he moved to put his imprint on the center, including what appeared on its stages. The president went on to insert his name into that of the center, which opened in 1971 in tribute to John F. Kennedy.
The news of Mr. Grenell’s departure was earlier reported by Axios.
Adam Nagourney is the classical music and dance reporter for The Times.
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