As predicted, the Trump Administration is now taking aim at the National Endowment of the Arts. While Trump and his crony Elon Musk haven’t fully placed the government agency on the chopping block, they have updated the FY 2026 Grant Guidelines, which originally were posted in December 2024.
One such update was advising a preference for material that celebrates the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States of America or as a press release shared by the NEA called it, “America250.”
Ignoring how this title recalls Tom Haverford and Jean-Ralphio’s doomed “Entertainment 720” business on “Parks and Recreation,” the presser ensured funding priority would be given to projects that are set in 2026-2027, but someway incorporate honoring the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This theme can either center the project or be a featured element. It is applicable to all work submitted in the category of Grants for Arts Projects.
On Friday, February 10, the NEA also announced it would be cancelling its “Challenge America” grant that was designed to “extend the reach of the arts to underserved groups/communities.” Applications that have already been submitted for this grant will be voided and applicants are encouraged to re-apply via the Grants for Arts Projects category.
Under Grants for Arts Projects, the previous deadline of February 13, 2025 has now been shifted to March 11, 2025 for GAP 1 and July 10, 2025 for GAP 2 and for those who have already applied for FY 2026, you must now also reapply.
This news comes amidst a wave of executive orders all-but upending government function altogether. In anticipation of the NEA being affected by these sweeping changes, Film Festival Alliance and Art House Collective both advised those with open grants to meet their requirements and close them out as soon as possible should the Trump Administration work to cancel funds that were already awarded.
“Attention is the new currency. Use it,” FFA Executive Director Barbara Twist said in an email sent out on Friday, January 31. “The more we can share our stories, our impact, and our value, across all channels, platforms, and outlets, we can engage the American people in standing up for their right to access art of all kinds, not just the art approved by some.”
While these new guidelines are not aimed at wiping out the NEA as attempted by President Ronald Reagan, Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and even Trump himself, its implications may be far more nefarious. By claiming certain material will receive preferential treatment over others, the Trump administration appears to be on the way to attempting to use the NEA as part of its propaganda machine. Trump has already deemed himself the sole arbiter of taste in Washington DC by firing the board of the Kennedy Center and naming himself chairman. Moreover, by removing access to funding for underserved communities, the government is ensuring that some stories get told while others remain silenced.
