The Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University is one of the most respected contemporary arts institutions in the country. It has hosted legendary artists, filmmakers, designers, and architects — from Andy Warhol to Maya Lin. But today, the center is losing artists and funding because of the name on its building.

In June 2026, interim executive director Cat Predmore confirmed to WOSU that one artist declined to perform and one grant organization pulled support — both citing the Wexner name. The center supports 100 artists annually and depends on $3.3 million in grants and gifts to operate. It cannot afford to keep losing support, and it shouldn't have to.

The center already faces serious financial strain. In the 2025 fiscal year, it spent more than $14 million while bringing in only $13 million in revenue. Staff have navigated leadership changes, budget cuts, and rising costs. The people who work there and the artists they serve deserve a stable institution — not one weighed down by a controversy that has nothing to do with the art.

Billionaire Les Wexner — whose 1987 donation helped found the center — has faced congressional scrutiny and widespread public protest over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Wexner has denied wrongdoing, but calls to remove his name from buildings at Ohio State, Harvard University, and Nationwide Children's Hospital have only grown louder.

The center is technically named for Henry L. Wexner, Les Wexner's father. But in the public eye, the Wexner name now carries a shadow that is driving away the very artists and donors the center needs to thrive. Keeping his name on a public institution sends a message to survivors that their pain is less important than a donor — and that's not a message Ohio State should be sending.

Ohio State has a formal naming committee process for renaming buildings. It's time to use it. We urge Ohio State University to open a formal, transparent review of the Wexner Center's name — and to act on behalf of the artists, staff, and community members who depend on this institution.

The art matters. The center matters. Protect it.

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