NEA Faces Funding Cuts After Trump’s Budget Proposal to Eliminate Agency

Washington, D.C. — The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has begun to cancel grants for hundreds of arts organizations across the United States, following President Donald Trump‘s proposal to eliminate the agency from the federal budget. On Friday, numerous grantees received notifications that their funding was revoked, just hours after the budget announcement.

Among the organizations affected are the Berkeley Repertory Theater, Central Park Summer Stage in New York City, and the Chicago-based Open Studio Project. An email sent to grantees from a generic address at arts.gov stated that the NEA is modifying its priorities to align with the President’s vision.

The email specified new funding focuses on projects celebrating the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, and various initiatives aimed at supporting communities and economic development. Recipients are allowed to appeal the funding cancellation within seven days, according to the correspondence.

Rob Lentz, executive director at Open Studio Project, expressed dismay in a message shared with NPR, stating their two-year grant meant to support art for elementary students had been eliminated. “The nonprofit sector is under siege by our own government, and arts organizations are especially vulnerable,” Lentz wrote.

In Richmond, Virginia, the director of a community arts space voiced frustration after losing a $30,000 grant, noting, “A grant we spent hours writing, selected and approved for, was randomly revoked today.”

Los Angeles-based Cornerstone Theater Company also faced cuts, losing a $40,000 grant intended to explore American democracy through theater. Megan Wanlass and Sunder Ganglani, the company’s managing and artistic directors, described the withdrawal as a setback to their inquiry into American independence.

According to the administration’s budget proposal, the NEA is part of a list of “small agency eliminations,” alongside the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The proposal reiterates a push to decrease the federal government’s size and waste, which the Trump administration has previously advocated.

Since its establishment in 1965, the NEA has awarded $5.5 billion in grants, making it the largest arts funder in the U.S. Yet, its funding constitutes only 0.003% of the total federal budget.

The proposed cuts have elicited widespread criticism. Erin Harkey, CEO of a national arts advocacy group, declared that any attempt to dismantle the NEA would be detrimental. “The NEA plays a vital role in the lives of millions of Americans and the thousands of nonprofit and governmental arts and cultural organizations,” said Harkey.

Al Vincent, Jr., executive director of another arts organization, reminded that federal arts funding survived previous challenges, emphasizing its economic importance. “We will fight to protect this critical funding that generates a huge return on investment in local communities,” he remarked.

Bob Suttmann, president of the musicians’ union in New York, also condemned the cuts, calling them “a dark day for the independence of the arts and musicians across the country.”