Arts Funding Halts, Advocates C devoted Staff Departures
Donald Trump's Budget Blues: Squeezing Out the Nation's Cultural Lifeblood
Yo, check it out dawg. They're going after the National Endowment for the Arts, and here's the lowdown on the whole damn saga.
In a nutshell, Prezzy-O's proposed budget aims to axe the NEA, a multi-million dollar benefactor to artists and institutions nationwide. But it ain't just the endowment feeling the heat - it's dozens of organizations that got hit with grant rejections, and even some staffers have been asked to quit or retire.
The NEA's become the latest target in Trump's cultural cleanup crusade, where he's attempting to shake off what he calls the "woke" influences. He's been blasting top officials, cutting funds, and imposing new guidelines at places like the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian Institute. But the NEA remained tight-lipped when AP asked for a comment.
One of the NEA bigwigs, Michael Orlove, posted on an internal newsletter that he'd be bouncing at the end of the month, accepting the "deferred resignation program." Straight up, he said it was the best thing for him and his family, given the current situation.
And the list of those getting axed ain't just your run-of-the-mill organizations. Take the Berkeley Repertory Company or Three Percent - a leading resource for literature in translation based at the University of Rochester. Chad Post, Three Percent's director, even shared the NEA's rejection letter with AP. So now, instead of supporting projects like Three Percent's, they're chucking cash at Historically Black colleges, HSS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Again" initiative, and more.
Similarly, the NEH and NEA got tapped to fund Trump's proposed "National Garden of American Heroes." What a bloomin' flora fest that'll be, with statues of the likes of Ben Franklin and Kobe Bryant!
The NEA and NEH have made us proud for decades, ever since Lyndon Johnson's administration established them in the '60s. They're an integral part of the country's cultural backbone, and at least two Pulitzer Prize winners - Percival Everett and Marie Howe – are former NEA honorees.
Republicans have had their sights set on the NEA since time immemorial. Back in the '80s, Regan tried to phase it out, but an advisory panel he'd assembled nixed the idea after pointing out the financial benefits of NEA funding. A few years later, ol' Jesse Helms was fuming over artsy types like Robert Mapplethorpe and Karen Finley getting grants. But a bipartisan compromise saved the endowment.
Even during his first stint as president, Trump demanded that the NEA get de-funded, but Congress wise guys restored the loot. But word is, this time around, he's going all guns blazing. Let's hope the other Congress-folk will have our backs.
In other news, scientists got a gander at a volcanic eruption in a deep ocean ridge for the first time, and Elon Musk passed on being a neighbor to Pope Francis. And did you hear about Trump wanting to reopen Alcatraz? It'd get real tricky and costly... but that's another story.
Seattle-based organizations, such as the Berkeley Repertory Company and Three Percent, are among those facing a possible loss of job opportunities and funding due to the defunding of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in President Trump's proposed budget. These endowments, established during Lyndon Johnson's administration in the 1960s, have been instrumental in supporting projects and institutions that enrich our nation's cultural landscape, including Pulitzer Prize winners like Percival Everett and Marie Howe. In the past, Republican politicians have sought to eliminate the NEA, with President Reagan and Senator Jesse Helms leading efforts, but bipartisan compromises have managed to protect the endowment. Currently, there are concerns that President Trump's renewed push to defund these organizations could lead to a significant loss of support for Seattle's cultural scene.
