Trump vs. Art

The Trump regime in its ongoing effort to wrest freedom away from Americans is going hard against art. On Friday the National Endowment for the Arts sent out emails to grant recipients all over the country rescinding grants that had already been awarded. In case you thought these grants we being withdrawn in an effort to save money, the email makes it clear that these are ideological moves. It reads, if part,

The NEA is updating its grant-making 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.

For arts organizations in the USA, how much of their support comes from the NEA? For your average dance company in Omaha, Nebraska, what percentage of their annual budget comes from the NEA? If the Trumpists are trying to control what art is made, this feels a little indirect. A censorship board hasn’t been established. We don’t have a cultural commissar yet.

Some Texas arts organizations have been popping up on social media to announce what had happened. Musiqa, a contemporary classical collective that specializes in adventurous interdisciplinary performances, posted the following in Instagram:

Musiqa’s NEA support was entirely focused on arts education, providing free music performances for thousands of area 5th graders, and one-of-a-kind classroom experiences for high school students in HISD and surrounding districts.

The administration’s actions will have a far-reaching impact on the arts in Houston and our entire community. At the same time, we believe strongly in the creative potential of our artists and all Houstonians, and remain committed to pursuing our artistic goals. We encourage you to join us in continuing to support local artistry and arts education, and we look forward to continuing to celebrate our hometown and its citizens.

Kinetic Ensemble is a 16 member conductorless string ensemble. They also had their 2024 grant rescinded. They wrote the following about it:

We are disappointed to share that, on Friday night, the National Endowment for the Arts terminated our ongoing grant funding in order to “focus funding on projects that reflect the nation’s rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the president.”

Our $20,000 grant from the NEA was awarded to support the commission, premiere and recording of new music by American composers Nicky Sohn, Miguel Zenon, and Evan Ziporyn over a series of activities that began in January 2025 and were set to continue until December 2026. Just four months into this timeframe, the NEA has changed its mind. While we believe that this project makes a significant contribution to the rich tapestry of American music, it seems that federal decision makers do not share this belief.

As we assess our next steps, we are optimistic that we will be able to fulfill the aims of this grant-funded project. We feel a great responsibility to see this through, out of respect for the sustained and enthusiastic support of our Houston community. Kinetic Ensemble’s mission has been, and will continue to be, to amplify diverse, underperformed, and newly composed classical music to communities in and beyond Houston, Texas.

Galveston Arts Center (photo from https://www.visitgalveston.com/directory/galveston-arts-center/)

The Galveston Arts Center is one of my favorite places to view art. I’ve written about exhibits there many times. Here’s what they posted on Instagram:

On Friday, many active and pending grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) were abruptly terminated.

Since 2019, GAC has been fortunate to receive funding from the NEA, with awards steadily increasing from $20,000. The recent cuts for 2025 are not isolated to GAC. The termination of these grants represents a significant infringement on the arts and their vital role in fostering healthy, thriving communities. The most profound impact will be felt in direct support for artists. We will be appealing the NEA decision.

While we had anticipated limited or no funding from NEA for 2026, we had hoped that the 2025 awards would be spared. Now, we are faced with the challenge of adjusting our plans to account for a $30,000 shortfall for both 2025 and 2026. Our NEA funds were earmarked for the most crucial aspects of operations, including staff salaries, artist honorariums, exhibition installation staff, and marketing and promotion. Despite these setbacks, we remain steadfast in our commitment to prioritize uplifting and compensating artists, supporting our dedicated staff, and hosting meaningful exhibitions.

Your support during these unprecedented circumstances ensures we confidently move forward to achieving our goals.

Starting in the 80s and 90s, anti-NEA sentiment has been stoked by the right wing. The right recognized that artists, writers, dancers, musicians, etc., just aren’t on their team for the most part.

Why don’t they just go for straight up censorship or creating state-sponsored patriotic art? I have a theory about that. Conservative parties don’t like to overtly take anti-freedom stands. After all, one of the big issues this election cycle is whether of not conservatives were being prevented from calling people “retards” or “niggers” in public. If you are a “libertarian”, you don’t want a new government department of art. Libertarians first step is to make sure the government isn’t spending money on art. An anti-NEA stance is right in line with a libertarian mindset.

This said, their obvious and actual goal is to make it difficult for “out groups” to produce art—whether because they are women, black, gay, etc. Or artists who have the “wrong” idea of what art is. They want to have control over the art produced in the USA that is equal to the control exercised over art by the Soviet Union.

During the Roman Republic, Cato the Elder would end any speech he made before the Senate with this phrase, “Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam,” which translates to "Furthermore, I am of the opinion that Carthage should be destroyed.” Admittedly, repeating a phrase in hopes that it will become true feels like magical thinking.

Furthermore, I am of the opinion that Trump must go.

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