The White House has terminated all six serving members of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, the independent federal agency responsible for advising the president and Congress on design plans for monuments, memorials, coins, and federal buildings. This sweeping dismissal affects the entire leadership structure of the prestigious commission, which has played a crucial role in shaping America's architectural and artistic landscape for over a century.
The dismissed commissioners include Bruce Redman Becker, Peter D. Cook, Lisa E. Delplace, William J. Lenihan, Justin Garrett Moore, and vice chair Hazel Ruth Edwards. The chair position, previously held by Billie Tsien, one of the architects working on the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, is now vacant following the mass termination. Commissioner Lenihan confirmed in an email that all six members were terminated effective immediately.
The seven-member commission consists of experts in architecture, art, urban design, and landscape design. Since its establishment in 1910, the commission has reviewed and provided guidance on plans for some of America's most significant landmarks, ranging from Arlington National Cemetery to Maya Lin's Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The commission's role extends to evaluating designs for federal buildings, monuments, and other structures that represent the nation's architectural heritage.
The terminated commissioners would have been responsible for advising President Trump on several anticipated projects, including his planned White House ballroom and his proposed monument similar to Paris's Arc de Triomphe. According to Trump's vision, this monument would celebrate the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. However, architect Bruce Redman Becker, one of the fired commissioners, stated in an email that neither project has been submitted for official review yet.
President Trump has not yet announced who will serve as the new commissioners to replace the dismissed members. During his first presidential term, Justin Shubow, founder and president of the National Civic Art Society, served as chair of the commission. Additionally, James McCrery, the architect behind Trump's White House ballroom design, was appointed as one of the commissioners during that period.
This dismissal follows a pattern of presidential administrations reshaping the commission's membership. In 2021, President Biden fired four commissioners who had been appointed by Trump during his first term, including Shubow. Both Trump and Shubow are known advocates for traditional and classical architectural styles, suggesting that ideological differences over architectural philosophy may influence these appointments.
The White House has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the dismissals or the timeline for appointing new commissioners. This lack of response leaves questions about the administration's vision for the commission's future direction and the criteria that will guide the selection of new members to fill these influential positions.
