In an Instagram post, the multi-facet artist Michael Feinstein calls the recent Kennedy Center cancellations “government-sanctioned censorship and silencing of creativity, regardless of value, based strictly on sexual orientation”
He said: « “Recently, I was invited to conduct the National Symphony Orchestra, perform and speak at a program entitled ‘A Peacock Among Pigeons: Celebrating 50 Years of Pride’ at The Kennedy Center, which celebrated the rainbow of influences upon art, music and our entire culture. This program was abruptly and unceremoniously canceled.”
Feinstein also addressed Donald Trump’s recent executive order to stop federal funding for NPR and PBS. “Indeed, the latest attempts to strip PBS and NPR of critical funds, highlight the fact that any government-supported access to the arts is no longer safe,” he wrote.
In an interview the journalist Katy Waldman said about the Kennedy Center: « … the Trump anti-Midas touch is in operation here, and now everything is worse. Not only are ticket sales down, but donations have been paused, artists are pulling out. All of the spigots for money have slowed or have been turned off. »
By qualifying Trump as an anti-Midas she opposed him to the Midas touch which turns everything to gold. As the proverb says: There is also an anti-Midas: everything he touches turns to crap.
