Federal Support for the Arts and Art Education

President Trump’s “skinny budget” was released for FY2018, and this proposed budget shows an elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the Corporation for National and Community Services (Americorps), among other federal agencies. This is just one step in the budget process through October of this year. The full details of the President’s budget are anticipated to be released in May 2017. When that budget document is released, there should be more details about the anticipated 14% cut to Federal education spending within the U.S. Department of Education.

Here are a few things you can do to help:

• You can use Voter Voice to send a customizable message to your member of Congress: https://www.votervoice.net/ARTSUSA/Campaigns/47344/Respond
• Share the VoterVoice e-alert with stakeholders and be sure to post on social media. Sample tweet and FB post is below.
• In the last week, over 107,000 messages have been sent by arts advocates to their Congressional offices.

Tweet:

Proposed Trump #SkinnyBudget eliminates @NEAarts funding. Tell your representative we need to #SAVEtheNEA. http://bit.ly/2k1vrd3

Facebook post:

The National Endowment for the Arts is popular among members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. Yet President Trump’s proposed budget calls for a total elimination of funding for the NEA. Now it’s up to Congress to decide—and up to us to remind Congress of the value of the arts. Contact your elected representatives and ask them to #SAVEtheNEA: http://bit.ly/2k1vrd3

Resources:

• NAEA website has posted the Issues Briefs on ESSA, Arts in Education Funding, and many more within the advocacy area of our website.
• Americans for the Arts created an update on the NEA in the Arts Mobilization Center and a Statement for the press.
• Americans for the Arts advertising campaign has been placing full-page ads in The Hill, Roll Call, and Politico. See the advertisements, and use them in your work by going to www.artsusa.org