The National Endowment for the Arts withdrew and canceled grant offers to numerous arts organizations around the country on Friday night, sending a round of email notifications out just hours after President Trump proposed eliminating the agency in his next budget.
The move, although not unexpected, was met with disappointment and anger by arts administrators who had counted on the grants to finance ongoing projects.
In Oregon, Portland Playhouse received an email from the endowment just 24 hours before opening a production of August Wilson’s “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” an acclaimed work that is part of the playwright’s series of 10 dramas about African Americans through the course of the 20th century. The N.E.A. had recommended a $25,000 grant for the show, which would have paid about one-fifth of the production’s personnel costs.
“Times are tough for theaters — we’re already pressed, and in this moment where every dollar matters, this was a critical piece of our budget,” said Brian Weaver, the theater’s producing artistic director. “It’s ridiculous.”
The emails were sent to arts administrators from an address at the endowment that did not accept replies. “The N.E.A. 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,” the emails said. “Consequently, we are terminating awards that fall outside these new priorities.”
The emails went on to say that the endowment would now prioritize projects that “elevate” historically Black colleges and universities, and colleges that serve Hispanic students. The emails also said the endowment would focus on projects that “celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, foster A.I. competency, empower houses of worship to serve communities, assist with disaster recovery, foster skilled trade jobs, make America healthy again, support the military and veterans, support Tribal communities, make the District of Columbia safe and beautiful, and support the economic development of Asian American communities.”
Some of those affected expressed skepticism about the email’s nod to support for diversity initiatives, noting that many of the withdrawn grants had been to support work by artists of color.
“It’s strange that the Trump administration is trumpeting their priorities to serve diverse America while canceling grants for our August Wilson play,” Mr. Weaver said. Among the other examples of canceled support for diverse work: Yale Repertory Theater in Connecticut got an email saying that its project to develop and produce a stage adaptation of the Zora Neale Hurston short story “Spunk” was losing a $30,000 grant.
The terminations of the arts grants came after the Trump administration had canceled grants at the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
There were at least two versions of the email from the arts endowment. Some said that “the tentative funding recommendation for the following application” had been withdrawn. Those emails went to groups that had already received offer letters and been recommended for grants, but had not yet gotten their official awards. Others were sent to groups whose grants had been approved, and said, “This is to inform you that the above referenced National Endowment for the Arts award has been terminated, effective May 31, 2025.” The N.E.A. did not respond to requests for comment.
The future of the arts endowment has been in doubt since the start of the Trump administration. At first, the agency suspended one grant program. Then it tried to require applicants for other grant programs to promise not to promote “diversity, equity and inclusion” or “gender ideology” in ways that ran afoul of Mr. Trump’s executive orders on those issues, only to suspend and then alter that requirement as it faced legal challenges. Then, on Friday, Mr. Trump proposed eliminating the agency altogether, along with the National Endowment for the Humanities and others, in the next fiscal year.
Democrats and arts advocates promised to try to fight to save the agency. Mr. Trump had also tried to eliminate the arts endowment during his first term in office, but it was saved with the support of congressional Republicans as well as Democrats. It is not yet clear whether the agency still has bipartisan support in the current political climate, when few Republicans have shown a willingness to cross Mr. Trump.
Many organizations across the country reported receiving the cancellation emails. Among them: The New Harmony Project, an Indianapolis nonprofit that assists stage and screen script writers, and which had been recommended for a $40,000 grant to help fund a writers’ residency program.
“This Friday night mass email that cut funding for so many arts organizations all over the country is a clear attack on the arts,” said The New Harmony Project’s executive artistic director, Jenni Werner. “This administration has wanted to kill the N.E.A. and the artistic freedom that it has supported, and tonight’s email may have done just that.”
The Great Plains Theater Commons, in Omaha, Neb., got an email withdrawing a recommendation for a $35,000 grant for an annual play festival. The organization’s artistic director, Kevin Lawler, called the cuts “devastating,” but pledged to work to “continue to support storytellers and share stories because that is the work that we love and it’s our way to be of service.”
And TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, in California, got a notice withdrawing a recommendation for a $10,000 grant to support a writers group. Giovanna Sardelli, the artistic director, called the move “disheartening and infuriating.”
Among the others affected: The American Conservatory Theater, in San Francisco, and The Civilians, a New York-based theater company, both of which got emails with the subject line “notice of termination.” The New York group had been recommended for a grant to support a new musical by Martha Redbone and Aaron Whitby.
The Eugene Symphony, in Oregon, got two termination notices, one for a grant to support a concert and residency by the jazz pianist Darrell Grant, and one to support work by the pianist Dan Tepfer.
“These sudden terminations are hitting arts organizations hard at a moment when many are already bracing for the post-pandemic fiscal cliff, following the temporary boost of relief funds that helped keep the sector afloat,” said Dave Moss, the symphony’s executive director. “But this upheaval, unlike the pandemic, is entirely man-made, and just as we begin to recover from one challenge, we’re immediately thrust into another.”
Michael Paulson is the theater reporter for The Times.
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