04/04/2025
According to the US Department of Commerce, arts and culture accounted for 4.2% of the US GDP in 2023, equal to $1.17 trillion. It is a well-documented fact that the arts and cultural heritage sector employs millions of Americans and creates more dollars in our economy than it costs.
Unfortunately, the elimination of funding for NEH and IMLS grants is just the beginning of the losses we will see in the arts and culture sector across our country. These cuts will affect rural communities and small towns the hardest, as funding from large foundations is often out of reach in these areas.
We can expect to see museums, libraries, theaters, galleries, orchestras and musical companies, local arts centers, and other cultural programming providers cancel events and performances, layoff staff, and even close down operations in the wake of these cuts.
The elimination of NEH and IMLS (perhaps NEA too?) is terrible fiscal policy, if the goal of this administration is to make America great and put Americans first.
Museums, libraries, and archives are receiving grant termination notices immediately halting funding for myriad arts and culture projects.
