In 1965, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) was established in order to help fund creative education, public programs, preservation and access, research, challenge grants, digital humanities, the bridging cultures initiative, and federal/state partnerships.
The nationally acclaimed King Tut Exhibition, the Library of America (and its 300 volumes of classic literature), and the recovery of the Tlingit language are all thanks in part to the NEH.
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) was founded that same year. This organization focused on serving underprivileged communities and “[supporting] artistic endeavors including music, museums and commissioned artwork,” according to The Huffington Post.
Two years later, the government created the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, which paved the way for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Today, “the private corporation funded by the American people” is responsible for “distributing more than 70 percent of its funding to nearly 1,500 locally owned public radio and television stations,” according to its website.
Its reach includes more than 1,100 radio stations and 360 television stations, as well as a strong investment in arts education, visual arts, music, and community theater. It’s also a key revenue source for PBS and NPR stations.
The funding for these programs costs each citizen $1.35 per year, “less than a cup of coffee,” according to a statement from PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger to The Hollywood Reporter.
This trio of programs (and the Institute of Museum and Library Services) helps 99 percent of Americans gain access to public media and made up approximately 0.02 percent of all federal expenditures last year, said The Washington Post.
At such a small cost for a bigger return on investment, why would we eliminate the arts at all?
The new U.S. Administration has proposed a “hard-power budget” that cuts into the federal funding of hundreds of public media, arts, and humanities programs to focus on deportations, military spending, and a down payment on the controversial U.S.-Mexico border wall, according to Billboard.
Among the draft budget’s biggest targets are the NEH, CPB, and NEA.
According to an article by NPR, “funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting would be cut to zero under the proposal, and the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities would be eliminated entirely.
“The federal funds are especially crucial for local stations, as well as local arts groups, which often receive matching funds from other donors based on their federal allocations.”
Prior to this administration, former President of the United States Ronald Reagan also attempted to cut funding to these federally funded arts programs. However, he was unsuccessful due to the backlash from Hollywood friends and a Democratic majority in the House.
Former President George W. Bush and GOP aspirant Mitt Romney also proposed cutting funding for the national arts community to no avail.
Today’s odds are looking dimmer. The New York Times states “never before have Republicans…been so well-positioned to close the agencies, given their control of both houses of Congress and the White House, and now the president’s fiscal plan.”
Many people are confused considering Vice President Mike Pence’s wife is a painter and supporter of art therapy, and President Donald Trump’s eldest daughter has been a long-standing supporter of the arts.
It’s a worry that trickles down from the Smithsonian Institution to local symphonies.
To spread the confusion, the PBS Hart Research-American Viewpoint poll found that 73 percent of voters — regardless of party affiliation — are opposed to ending federal funding for public television.
The non-profits’ only hope stands with the American people, who “will reach out to their legislatures,” said Kerger.
To continue these programs, a haul of donations from citizens and institutions who support the arts must be submitted — and certain organizations have already stated overwhelming support, including the Sundance Institute (famous for the Sundance Film Festival) and The Recording Academy, the organization responsible for the annual GRAMMY Awards.
Creative unions and nonprofits are also stepping up, including the Actors’ Equity Association, Content Creators Coalition, Future of Music Coalition, and Creative Coalition.
Perhaps the concern was best stated by the American Federation of Musicians international president Ray Hair:
“There are orchestras, festivals and theaters in all 50 states that would be permanently damaged without NEA support. It is time for Congress to step up and do the right thing — safeguard the NEA by fully funding this priceless institution.”
Undoubtedly, rural and small programs will be hit hardest by these budget cuts. If you’d like to support and fund the arts in your local community, please click here and scroll to the bottom of the page to donate to the Frederick Symphony Orchestra.