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Dear Oregon Arts Community,
Last Friday many Oregon arts organizations received email notifications from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) rescinding grants they had been awarded. Many arts organizations all over the country received similar notifications.
The emails rescinding grants stated that "The NEA is updating its grantmaking policy priorities to focus funding on projects that reflect the nation's rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the President. Consequently, we are terminating awards that fall outside these new priorities.”
These cuts to supplemental and critical funds that have previously been congressionally approved are devastating to the arts organizations and artists the Oregon Arts Commission serves. They depend on this funding and we are saddened by and deeply disappointed in the federal government’s removal of support for our nation’s vital and nourishing arts services and programs.
While NEA Partnership funding to state arts agencies including the Oregon Arts Commission currently remains intact for the next fiscal year, there are no future guarantees. We redistribute 100% of our NEA funds to Oregon artists and arts organizations.
Pam Breaux, the president of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, stated:
“This is a crushing loss for many of the NEA’s direct grantees; many community-based arts projects will shut down and public access to the arts will shrink. A strong NEA strengthens America. We should be sustaining our federal investment in the arts—not retracting it.”
We are in communication with the Governor’s Office and the Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon to determine what actions can be taken in light of this disturbing turn of events. These cuts add to the tremendous losses also suffered by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting – cuts which deeply hinder the work of Oregon Humanities, the State Library of Oregon (which funds rural libraries) and our treasured public media outlets.
While this loss of federal funding isn’t a gap that can be easily filled, support for other funding of the arts is critical. As we navigate this situation, your Oregon arts and cultural organizations could greatly use the patronage and support of Oregonians across the state. We also encourage supporters of the arts to visit the Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon for the latest on advocacy and funding efforts.
The Oregon Arts Commission remains committed to using resources it has available to provide leadership, funding, and arts programs through its grants, services and special initiatives.
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