The board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted this week to partially close the landmark Washington venue for a multi-year renovation and to add President Trump's name to the building. The decisions, which come after Trump moved to reshape the center's leadership and direction, mark a significant shift in how the storied institution will operate and be identified going forward.

The partial closure is expected to span approximately two years, during which portions of the center will be shuttered to allow for construction and renovation work. The board's vote signals that the transformation of the arts center — both physically and in terms of its public identity — is moving ahead despite opposition from some quarters of the arts community.

The move to attach Trump's name to the building follows his administration's broader effort to assert influence over the Kennedy Center, which receives federal funding and whose board members are appointed by the president. Trump had previously installed loyalists on the board and named himself as an honorary chair, setting the stage for the latest governance decisions.

The partial closure will interrupt programming at a venue that typically draws hundreds of thousands of visitors and hosts performances ranging from opera and ballet to theater and jazz. Details on which specific sections of the building will be closed and when the phased shutdown will begin were still being worked out following the board vote, according to reports. The renovation is expected to include significant structural and aesthetic changes to the facility.

Critics of the changes, including some arts advocates and Democratic lawmakers, have raised concerns about the use of a federally supported cultural institution for what they describe as political branding. Supporters of the board's actions argue that the renovations are overdue and that honoring the sitting president at the center is consistent with its federal character.