Dear Advocates,
Recent developments at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) are deeply troubling, as hundreds of grants for local projects have been canceled and significant staff reductions raise serious doubts about the agency’s ability to meet its statutory mandates. Additionally, the White House has proposed eliminating the NEA in the latest FY26 budget proposal, as well as the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), both of which have also experienced significant grant cancellations and staff reductions in recent weeks.
We need advocates to ask Congress to sustain and protect both funding and staffing for the National Endowment for the Arts, a highly efficient agency that offers a substantial return on investment and supports consensus values cherished by all American communities. Urge your representatives to continue decades of bipartisan support by allocating at least $209 million for the NEA in the FY2026 Interior Appropriations bill.
MCA asks that you do these two items ASAP:
- Call your Congressional Representatives (click the link to find your Representatives to call them directly)
- Email your Congressional Representatives (complete the form to the right of this letter to email your representatives)
- Please share any and all of these resources!
The NEA and state arts agencies, like the Maryland State Arts Council, support arts activities that boost economic productivity, improve educational outcomes, foster civic cohesion, facilitate good health, and preserve our cherished heritage and traditions for future generations. Now is the time to protect that investment. NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT!
For organizations interested in sending a direct letter to their Congressional representatives, a template can be found HERE.
Finally, MCA has put together some information and resources regarding the Federal response on our website; you can find that HERE. We will be updating this with new information as it comes in. There is also information about the appeals process for those who received a termination letter from the NEA this past weekend.
MCA is ready to stand strong with all of our Maryland and National Advocates during this challenging time. Please reach out with any questions.
ONWARD!
Nicholas Cohen
MCA Executive Director