The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has started to cut funding from arts programs nationwide as of May 2, directly impacting artists and community leaders who rely on the organization to support cultural programming through creative expression.
The NEA, a federal agency founded in 1965 and the largest funder of the arts and art education, was targeted in a recent executive order signed by the President this past January to remove federal funding from programs that promote “diversity, equity, and inclusion” and “gender ideology.”
Following the new directive, NEA grant criteria have shifted to emphasize projects tied to patriotic celebration, moving away from themes of inclusion and community engagement.
In February–just one month after the order was issued– the NEA eliminated its “Challenge America” grant program, which provided $10,000 grants to expand the reach of arts for underserved groups and community projects. The move demonstrated the swift impact of the administration’s policy.
On May 2, President Trump released his proposed discretionary budget request for the 2026 fiscal year, proposing the elimination of federal funding for agencies such as the NEA.
Under the current Administration, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)– an advisory body created by executive order– has been tasked with modernizing federal technology and reducing government spending. One of its key recommendations has been cutting federal arts funding, including the NEA.
These cuts significantly impact local arts programs across the country who rely on grants from the NEA, such as the Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA).
The nonprofit organization, founded in 1962, is dedicated to uplifting local and diverse artists, supporting arts organizations and education, and advocating for cultural equity throughout and beyond the Bronx. BCA has adapted into a cultural and community hub that emphasizes the work of underrepresented groups. Each year, the organization serves “over 1,000 artists and 250 community-based arts groups” reaching “over 50,000 audience members.”
For the 2025 fiscal year, BCA received $30,000 in NEA grants specifically for visual art projects. The organization uses these funds specifically on behalf of the Longwood Art Gallery, in support of their exhibitions and associated public programs. These cuts threaten the gallery’s future installations and ability to offer free public access to art.
An additional $40,000 in National Endowment for the Arts funding is now at risk for the Bronx Memoir Project (BMP), a program that offers writing workshops led by professional artists to share their personal narratives about the Bronx.
BCA is far from alone. In May, hundreds of groups nationwide began receiving notices of grant withdrawals and terminations.
These cuts have large impacts not just for organizations like BCA, but for the communities they serve. When art program funding is revoked, it’s not just the programming that is lost. Artists lose work, communities lose a form of connection and cultural diversity is silenced.
Despite the large setbacks, BCA remains hopeful and grounded in its future and mission. In a newsletter, the organization stated:
“We will not be stopped from fulfilling our programs and we will continue to advocate for Bronx artists and cultural organizations through these difficult times.”
BCA’s fight to protect the arts is just one out of many happening across the country. As NEA grants disappear, so do the stories, voices, and visions they’ve amplified. These aren’t just budgetary decisions, but forms of cultural erasures quietly unfolding across the nation.
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