What’s at Stake in the NEA’s Quiet Retreat From the Arts

On May 2, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) abruptly terminated hundreds of grants to arts organizations across the country. Notifications were sent from a non-reply email address, citing a shift in grantmaking priorities “to focus funding on projects that reflect the nation’s rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the president.” This sudden policy reversal, following renewed efforts from the Trump administration to eliminate the agency entirely, blindsided recipients...