When Culture Is at Risk

The NEA Pullback - A Shock Felt By Our Nation

In May 2025, the National Endowment for the Arts abruptly terminated hundreds of active grants to arts organizations across the United States. Many were mid-cycle awards, meaning programs already underway lost vital funding with little notice. Simultaneously, the presidential budget proposal seeks to eliminate the NEA entirely. 

This is not a minor cut, this is systemic withdrawal of federal support for arts, culture, and creativity.

Who Suffers First?

Small and local art groups bear the brunt of the impact: enough for millions to close down. 

The Facts of the matter are:

• Over 60% of NEA grants go to small and mid-sized organizations with annual budgets under $2 million, precisely the groups most vulnerable without large endowments. 

• In many communities, the NEA is one of the few consistent sources of funding for arts education, folk traditions, community theater, and creative youth programming. When those disappear, so do entry points for creativity. 

• Some arts institutions have already announced program cuts, staff layoffs, canceled tours, and paused productions.

These ripple effects hit hardest in under-resourced neighborhoods and rural areas, where arts infrastructure is often more fragile to begin with.

Why This Matters to All of Us

Culture is not a luxury, it is the ecosystem through which voices are heard, identities are preserved, and shared meaning is built. When we allow arts funding to wither:

• Our children may never see community murals, local theatre, or youth music classes

• Our local heritage and stories fade

• Access becomes limited to the already privileged

• The creative engine that fosters risk, innovation, and transformation slows and we all lose

The NEA defunding isn’t an isolated policy change. It is an assault on the soul of creative communities. It threatens the very infrastructure that allows art to reach, uplift, heal, and empower.

From the Smallest Local Nonprofit to the Grandest Institution, No One Is Immune.

That’s why Culture Can’t Be Cut is more than a campaign, it’s a movement to protect what makes us human.

Don't be silenced. Don't stay silent. Join us.