The Kennedy Center has appointed Rick Canny, a talent manager who has worked with ZZ Top and former Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, as its artistic director, placing him in charge of advising the institution on programming while it remains closed to the public. Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer Matt Floca announced the appointment in an email to senior staff Thursday. Floca said Canny would advise him and the center’s leadership team on artistic strategy, talent selection, ticket prices, business practices, media and sponsorships. Canny has consulted for the Kennedy Center since April 2025 through his firm, Favor the Artist, and served as creative lead for the Kennedy Center Honors and the Mark Twain Prize. Floca said he would continue that work in his new role. The appointment comes amid questions from staff about Canny’s fees and travel costs. In a March memo to Floca and the center’s human resources department, then-senior director of music programming Sammy Miller said Canny billed $30,000 in consulting fees during one month in early 2026. Miller said a separate month’s bill exceeded $28,000, including fees and travel expenses for two first-class round trips between Los Angeles and Washington. The center told The New York Times that the $30,000 charge did not reflect Canny’s current agreement and that his travel expenses had been reviewed. It did not provide details about the agreement. Miller wrote that he had raised his concerns with the center’s general counsel and finance office, but said he believed both offices were protecting Canny. Canny’s appointment comes as the Kennedy Center faces a broader leadership and financial crisis. The center has been closed to the public since September, while retaining a limited amount of public and educational programming. Its board and President Donald Trump are contesting the closure in federal court as they seek a two-year shutdown for a major renovation. The center has said in public statements and court filings that it is nearing bankruptcy; Trump has claimed it lost hundreds of millions of dollars without offering evidence for that figure. Floca previously led the center’s facilities operation and has a degree in construction management. He was promoted to executive director in March. The previous head of programming left less than two weeks after taking the job in January. Performing arts administrators say major bookings at venues like the Kennedy Center are generally arranged years in advance, making programming decisions especially consequential during an extended closure. The center confirmed the contents of Floca’s email but did not respond to questions about staff concerns. Canny also did not respond to requests for comment.