“Art and culture belong to us all – including the poor, the broken, the disenfranchised, the forgotten and the unnamed. Its economic and cultural benefits to society are vast and profound. A polarized nation needs art more than ever to bridge the misunderstandings that create ‘the other.’ ”
– Gary Steuer, President and Executive Director, Bonfils-Stanton Foundation
To all artists, creative workers, advocates, and supporters of the arts:
In his first weeks in office, the president issued executive orders and took several actions to end or suspend “all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance… including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal.” While many of these actions are already being challenged in court, the National Endowment for the Arts announced updates to their grant programs earlier this week in response to the directives that cancel grants extending the reach of the arts to underserved communities.
The past few weeks bring into sharper focus the urgent importance of our advocacy at the state and local levels to maintain critical funding for the arts here, at home, in Illinois.
Arts and culture workers, businesses, and nonprofits rely on federal funding for everything from arts-specific dollars to affordable housing, education, childcare, healthcare, and human services. 40% of the NEA’s budget goes directly to state arts agencies, including the Illinois Arts Council (IAC). And as many in our sector continue to operate on narrow margins, the impacts of these funding shifts will be felt across the board.
Because the potential impact of the federal administration’s actions extends well beyond the creative community, we strongly encourage everyone in the arts across the state to stand in solidarity with larger organizing movements. Artists have always played a key role in advocating for the needs of society. We must continue lending our creative strengths to our collective needs while also standing up for our sector. As the situation unfolds, Arts Alliance is connecting with national coalitions and advocacy groups to take coordinated action to protect the flow of federal dollars to arts organizations and businesses in Illinois and across the country.
Ways to Act
At the State Level
- In January, more than 2,000 of you signed the letter to Governor Pritzker calling for preserving arts dollars in this year’s state budget. Forward the letter to your state legislator to amplify its impact.
- Arts and cultural organizations and creative businesses: fill out our survey to let us know how you’re doing. Our one-minute survey asks about current financial health—critical information for our advocacy right now.
At the National level
Our local partners at Forefront have outlined ways you can act right now, drawing from the National Council of Nonprofits.
- Submit Your Story or Concern to NCN: Use this form to let NCN know how the executive orders and/or funding freeze is affecting your organization. Be as specific as possible about jobs and programs threatened, as well as about cash flow challenges.
- Help Defend the Nonprofit Sector: Sign onto this open letter to members of Congress, which highlights nonprofits’ role as employers, taxpayers, partners with government, and nonpartisan community supporters. Also, sign the Charitable Act support letter.
Finally, please share specific information and questions about the current funding landscape with our Help Desk. While we may not have answers about your particular scenario until this situation unfolds a little further, we’re collecting information about direct impacts to share with our national partners and to help shape future targeted advocacy. Our Help Desk is comprised of experts who can serve as a resource and a sounding board through this moment.
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Our work at the local and state levels is more important than ever. Become a member to support our work and join us in taking on challenges that no single organization or artist can face alone.
