Dear artists, creative workers, advocates, and supporters of the arts:
Last week, the Trump administration called for the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts. Immediately following the announcement, organizations nationwide began receiving notice that their open and pending grants are being terminated or withdrawn.
This move follows the administration’s targeting of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) over the past month. This is a coordinated attack on the nation’s culture and creative infrastructure.
Since 1965, the NEA has extended the reach of creative resources to underserved communities, rural towns, and historically marginalized populations. In the past five years alone, the NEA has distributed $27,177,676 in federal funding directly or through state and regional partners in Illinois. 40% of the NEA’s budget goes directly to state arts agencies, including the Illinois Arts Council (IAC), which stewards federal funding into every corner of our state, from cities like Chicago to rural stretches of Southern Illinois.
When federal funding for the arts disappears, the ripple effects are profound. Programs that bring music into our schools, theater into our prisons, murals into our neighborhoods, and healing into our communities vanish. Artists and creative workers—many of whom already live and work on the economic margins—lose vital lifelines of support. Arts organizations that provide cultural education, economic development, and civic engagement are forced to close their doors.
DOGE’s attacks are not only a failure to understand the impact of arts and culture; they are also a severe economic miscalculation. According to the Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account report, our sector contributes $1.2 trillion annually to the US economy and supports 5.2 million jobs.
As this crisis unfolds, Arts Alliance stands united with national partners and local communities. We call on our elected officials to defend federal arts and humanities funding. This is the moment for us to organize, speak out, and stand up for the creative sector.
Take action now by visiting our Federal Rapid Response webpage.
In solidarity,
Arts Alliance Illinois
