Overview

• President Trump's 2026 budget proposal seeks to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), continuing a broader push to reshape federal cultural funding.
• The NEA has rescinded hundreds of grants, including funding for literature, theater, and arts organizations, disrupting planned projects and ongoing productions across the U.S.
• The agency's funding priorities have been realigned to support initiatives like HBCUs, the 250th anniversary of American independence, and AI competency, sidelining many existing programs.
• Affected organizations, such as the American Conservatory Theater, Circadium School of Contemporary Circus, and Utah Opera, are urgently pursuing private fundraising and legal appeals to mitigate financial losses.
• NEA staff have been asked to resign or retire, while the agency's future depends on congressional review of the proposed budget cuts.