With Federal Funding in Question, Artists Can Navigate a Perilous Future by Looking to the Past

As funding dries up and political scrutiny intensifies, artists turn to grassroots networks, mutual aid, and historical resilience to navigate a turbulent new era in American arts and culture

Artists and arts organizations have a long legacy of persistence and strategic organizing during periods of political and economic upheaval.
Artists and arts organizations have a long legacy of persistence and strategic organizing during periods of political and economic upheaval.
Share
Artists and arts organizations have a long legacy of persistence and strategic organizing during periods of political and economic upheaval.
Artists and arts organizations have a long legacy of persistence and strategic organizing during periods of political and economic upheaval.
With Federal Funding in Question, Artists Can Navigate a Perilous Future by Looking to the Past
Copy

In a February 2025 Truth Social post, President Donald Trump declared a “Golden Age in Arts and Culture.”

So far, this “golden age” has entailed an executive order calling for the federal agency that funds local museums and libraries to be dismantled, with most grants rescinded. The Trump administration has forbidden federal arts funding from going to artists who promote what the administration calls “gender ideology”. There’s been a purge of the board of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, with Trump appointing himself chair. And the administration has canceled National Endowment for the Humanities grants.

Suffice it to say, many artists and arts organizations across the U.S. are worried: Will government arts funding dry up? Do these cuts signal a new war on arts and culture? How do artists make it through this period of change?

As scholars who study the arts, activism and policy, we’re watching the latest developments with apprehension. But we think it’s important to point out that while the U.S. government has never been a global leader of arts funding, American artists have always been innovative, creative and scrappy during times of political turmoil.

Read the rest on The Conversation.

From studying genetic mutations and therapy resistance at Harvard and MD Anderson to developing machine-learning tools for pediatric brain cancer, Dr. Jillian Wise now mentors Salve Regina University students as they analyze novel cancer datasets and tackle real-world medical challenges
City officials tout the new approach as a way to enhance safety
As the storm pounded the coastline, surfers and spectators came out to enjoy the show
Learn to make Sukuma Wiki, for about $4 per serving