What Does Trump’s Elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts Mean For Artists and Culture

I decided to get my doomscrolling out of the way early in the morning. One of the first posts on my Instagram feed shared the news of sweeping National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant cancellations. NPR reported that theatres like Berkeley Repertory Theater, Central Park Summer Stage in New York City, and the Chicago-area arts education nonprofit Open Studio Project all received no-reply emails from the NEA stating, “The NEA is updating its grantmaking policy priorities to focus funding on projects that reflect the nation's rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the President…Consequently, we are terminating awards that fall outside these new priorities." 

​As a playwright, this is terrifying. 

Whether you work in the arts, have an arts-adjacent job, or are just a human being who enjoys critical thinking, here’s a breakdown of what’s going on with the NEA and Trump’s budget cuts.

What is the purpose of the National Endowment for the Arts? 

The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that funds arts and arts education for the United States of America. Congress created the NEA in 1965 to advance opportunities for arts participation. The NEA creates and maintains an environment where the arts benefit everyone in the United States. The NEA funds non-profit arts organizations, public art agencies, tribal communities, and individual writers and translators through grants. Project grants can range from $10,000 to $100,000 for matching grants and $30,000 to $150,000 for subgranting programs.

What does this mean for artists?

The NEA is a government-owned and operated program that helps individual artists and art collectives develop and produce art. Art can include theatrical productions, new play development, visual arts (painting, sculpture, photography, etc.), literary arts (creative writing, translations, etc.), media arts (film, TV, radio, etc.), arts educational programs, museums, and research.
 
It is also important to emphasize supporting non-profit organizations. A non-profit is an organization that operates not to create a profit, but to benefit its community. Non-profit organizations do this by reinvesting any profits they make back into their organization for future programming. For-profit businesses distribute their earnings to shareholders and owners. 

The NEA is responsible for funding the careers, projects, and programs of many acclaimed arts and institutions, including Kimberly Peirce, who wrote the film Boys Don’t Cry. Peirce perfectly outlines why NEA grants are incredibly valuable. In Esquire, she states, “Without the funding, Boys Don't Cry wouldn't exist. I mean, look, I had a full-time job, so I was supporting myself. It gave me the ability to go to Sundance with the script and go back and fix the project with mentors like Denzel Washington. So I got access to them, but then even that extra money or that support allowed me to go back and actually make use of all the lessons that I learned, which I think is so essential. I am a lifelong career artist, which itself is a bit of a miracle. It's really challenging to be a career artist. I would say that the argument for grant funding is not only did my movie do some social good—hopefully it opened people's eyes—but you created a working artist."

I would say that the argument for grant funding is not only did my movie do some social good—hopefully it opened people's eyes—but you created a working artist."

Why you need to care about the NEA cuts ​

That phrase, “career artist,” is mostly just a dream for many of us. The daily grind of existing in a capitalistic world distracts even the most passionate of us from the art we love. Working a full-time survival job - 40 to 60 hours a week - balancing domestic responsibilities, relationships, and taking care of personal health is emotionally and physically draining. It is also important to acknowledge artistic colleagues who are caregivers for either elderly parents or their children. And then, there are those artists who juggle the trifecta of survival jobs, parenthood, and continuing education.

Without grants like the NEA, the challenges to create art are insurmountable. Many of your favorite plays, movies, paintings, music, writers, events, or institutions would simply not exist. 

Why is the Trump administration attempting to eliminate the NEA?

Political affiliations aside, what the Trump administration stated in black and white in their 2026 Discretionary Budget Request is “The Budget includes the elimination of, or the elimination of Federal funding for, the following small agencies (including the NEA)—consistent with the President’s efforts to decrease the size of the Federal Government to enhance accountability, reduce waste, and reduce unnecessary governmental entities.  Past Trump Administration Budgets have also supported these eliminations.  Remaining funds account for costs of orderly shutdowns.”

What the Trump administration defines as “waste” is stated in the document's cover letter. “The recommended funding levels result from a rigorous, line-by-line review of FY 2025 spending, which was found to be laden with spending contrary to the needs of ordinary working Americans and tilted toward funding niche non-governmental organizations and institutions of higher education committed to radical gender and climate ideologies antithetical to the American way of life.”

I highly advise you read through the entire document to see the list of agencies on the chopping block, along with the administration’s reasoning for the cuts. Within their justifications, it becomes very clear that the Trump administration’s definition of “ordinary working Americans” means white, male, cisgender, straight, and completely aligned and blindly loyal to the MAGA agenda.  

Words and phrases like “woke” (used 12 times), “DEI” (used 31 times), “LGBTQ” (used 6 times), “transgender” (used 5 times), “racism” (used 5 times), and “climate change” (used 10 times) are littered throughout the document. Any agency that funds diversity programming, projects, or research that presents findings and facts that are contradictory to the current administration’s beliefs must be eliminated. 

The Trump administration does not want to debate, be challenged, or remain objective. They are not interested in different viewpoints and do not want to engage in conversations with people outside of their “ordinary working American” definition. They want total control of the American narrative. They want to rewrite history and erase anyone who has a different opinion from what the administration dictates. This is the opposite of free speech.

The elimination of critical thinking

Throughout history, it is the arts that have provided the medium, stage, and dialogue for protest. It is also the arts that bring people together by sharing stories from different views, but have universal sentiments. Most importantly, the arts provide us with a chance to think critically about issues, events, history, and people. 
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The definition of critical thinking is the ability to analyze information objectively, identify biases, and form reasoned judgments or solutions. Critical thinking involves doing the difficult work of looking internally, questioning assumptions, and evaluating hard evidence so that you can make your own informed decision. 
It is clear from the language in the budget request that the Trump administration does not want you to come to your own decisions. They want you to always agree with them. They are afraid of critical thinking. They are afraid of the arts and what artists can inspire.

What can you do to support the arts?

I am a big believer in the phrase, “There is nothing too small you can do.” Here are a few small, actionable things you can do right now to support the artistic institutions and artists in your life.

• Buy a ticket: Go see a play, performance, production, installation, event, etc. Money talks. And right now, the arts need to keep the lights on.
• Spread the word: If you know an artist or there’s a performance/event you want to support, then tell people about it! Go on social media, make a post advocating the art/artist(s) you are excited about. Tag, share, comment, and help boost the signal.
• Follow and like: Speaking of social media, it is one of the best (and cost-effective) ways for artists to market themselves and their art. Help them grow by following their social media accounts and engage with their posts so their audience reach expands.
• Chat with an artist: If you have an artist friend in your life, it’s always beneficial to talk about what they are creating. Send a text or grab some coffee. A casual chat about their work can make a big difference.