Deborah Rutter, in a letter to colleagues in the music business, has made it clear that when she leaves the Kennedy Center at the end of this year she does not plan to hang up her Louboutin heels any time soon.
‘ I am not retiring nor leaving for another job,’ she says. Which means she’ll be in the running when the next big arts vacancy comes up. Rutter is 68, a decade younger than some arts incumbents.
Here’s the letter she has sent around:
Dear Friend,
One of the joys of a four-decades-long career in the arts has been watching the constant cycle of creativity—the passing of the baton, pointe shoes, or microphone from generation to generation. As one artist takes the spotlight, another is in the wings learning, absorbing, and perfecting their skills until it is the right moment to step on stage. And for an artist who knows the time for their final bow is soon approaching, they revel in the knowledge that art will grow to even greater heights in the care of the next generation.
After much reflection, it has become clear to me that after a decade at the Center it is time to pass the baton. Today, I informed our Board of Trustees I will not be pursuing an extension to my contract, which will conclude on August 31, 2025.
These past years have been the most extraordinary of my professional career. As I reflect, what stands out are not the professional milestones, but the incredible community of artists, audiences, colleagues, and friends that has formed along the way. Together, we have answered President Kennedy’s call to uplift the human spirit.
With the opening of the REACH, we redefined the role an arts center plays in creating community. By expanding our programming to fully embrace all types of art… comedy… hip hop… new music… artists established and emerging, we created a home for all art and all people. Through deep integrations across the nation we ensured art was a central part of learning at all ages and in all venues. Our Social Impact programs, some of the first in the nation, demonstrate how art can be used to create a more just society and cultivate true and lasting change. And as we explore the intersection of art and our everyday lives—wellbeing, diplomacy, the environment, and more—we more deeply understand that living a fulsome life means living an artful life.
I may have had the honor of serving as the leader of the Kennedy Center, but I have had the privilege of working alongside some of the most talented, caring, and dedicated individuals in the business. Like an artist who knows it is their protégé’s time to shine, I have never been more confident in the Kennedy Center’s staff and its artistic future. Under Chairman David Rubenstein’s leadership, the Board of Trustees is assembling a search committee. They will select someone who will not only continue the work done over the past 50 years, but will bring with them their own hopes, dreams, and aspirations for art across America. As I shared with David, I am not retiring nor leaving for another job, but only because I know this is the right next step for our beloved Kennedy Center. I will continue to serve (in what I can honestly say is the best job in the arts) as long as needed to find the right leader.
Over the coming months I look forward to connecting, talking, and sharing memories with you. And when my time as the President of the Kennedy Center comes to a close, I will look forward to joining you in the halls as another arts-loving patron. But for now, I share my heartfelt admiration, gratitude, and joy.
With gratitude,
Deborah F. Rutter
President
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