The Art Trump Doesn’t Want and the Artists Left Behind
Last year, arts organizations and cultural institutions across the US received an alarming message: Their federal grants had been canceled. The letters said their projects no longer aligned with new federal priorities and that money was being redirected toward the Trump administration’s agenda. The grants had funded museum exhibits, public art programs, historical research, and […]
In the aftermath of the 2026 federal arts funding cuts, numerous arts organizations and cultural institutions across the United States were left reeling. The letters notifying them of the cancellation of their federal grants made it clear that their projects no longer aligned with the new priorities of the Trump administration. Money that once supported museum exhibits, public art programs, historical research, and community arts initiatives was being redirected elsewhere.
Angela Sutton, an archaeologist leading a team in Nashville, was in the midst of excavating a long-forgotten Black neighborhood when she received the unexpected news: "Please stop. You're done." This week on Reveal, reporter Jonathan Jones ventured to Nashville and beyond to document the fallout faced by those who relied on arts funding.
Immediate reactions ranged from scaling back operations to fears that artists might self-censor in order to survive in this new funding climate. However, many were also determined to fight back against these cuts. Despite the setbacks, some NEH funds were restored following federal court rulings, and the National Endowment for the Arts' restrictions on "gender ideology" were struck down. Yet, despite these victories, no retroactive NEA money was restored, and the Trump administration has appealed both decisions.
Written by urgent.news from Mother Jones's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
