https://www.southarts.org/news/us-regional-arts-organizations-joint-statement-national-endowment-arts

May 9, 2025

Dear valued member of our community,

Last Friday, many though not all active and pending direct grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) were terminated. One of the projects that was terminated was the NEA’s ArtsHERE initiative, delivered in cooperation with South Arts and through significant partnership with the US Regional Arts Organizations. This comes alongside the president’s proposal to eliminate the NEA entirely in the FY26 federal budget. Together, these actions will have devastating impacts on communities throughout the country.

We, the national collective of US Regional Arts Organizations, strongly urge Congress to restore the grant funding in support of the arts, culture, and creativity that was passed during the last budgetary approval process, in addition to maintaining its broad bipartisan commitment to funding the NEA in next year’s budget. As the landscape of support for our cultural infrastructure continues to be eroded, we remain steadfast in our commitment to stand with you in defending and preserving our nation’s artistic and cultural agencies.

When Congress passed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965, it declared that “the arts and the humanities belong to all the people of the United States.” Since its inception, the NEA has played a critical role in broadening access to the cultural, educational, and economic benefits of the arts in every Congressional District. In fact, federal arts funds support thousands of communities across the nation, including 678 counties that private foundations do not reach.

Collectively, the NEA, Regional Arts Organizations, and State Arts Agencies serve thousands of communities across the country. And yet this work is funded by just 0.004% of the federal budget–less than 62 cents per American per year.

This low-investment, high-return model is a shining example of good government–federal funds are successfully leveraged many times over by states and private funders to increase the impact of public dollars. Federal dollars don’t replace private investment–they attract it.

Continue reading “US Regional Arts Organizations Joint Statement on the National Endowment for the Arts”

With federal funding in question, artists can navigate a perilous future by looking to the past
By Johanna K. Taylor and Mary McAvoy
https://theconversation.com/with-federal-funding-in-question-artists-can-navigate-a-perilous-future-by-looking-to-the-past-252453

As scholars who study the arts, activism and policy, we’re watching the latest developments with apprehension. But we think it’s important to point out that while the U.S. government has never been a global leader of arts funding, American artists have always been innovative, creative and scrappy during times of political turmoil.

Creativity and Collaboration
Fall 2025 GradFIRST Seminar
https://grad.uga.edu/gradfirst/seminars/

Open to first-year graduate students

Creativity and collaboration are fundamental to addressing today’s socio-environmental challenges. This seminar will include arts-based, STEM-friendly activities developed by UGA researchers from the arts, humanities, and sciences designed to help students to think creatively, to collaborate across disciplines, and to work with people with different perspectives, knowledge, and values. It will be an engaging and fun way to enhance the creativity that you bring to your own graduate work and your capacity to effectively participate in collaborative teams.

Facilitator: Mark Callahan (UGA Arts Collaborative)

Fridays
1:50-2:40 PM
CRN:60768