MIDWAY, Ky. (LEX 18) — New priorities for the Trump administration has funding for the arts on the chopping block. The White House is proposing a full elimination of the NEA – the National Endowment for the Arts.
“People think perhaps the NEA funding just goes to a few organizations, but it’s a lot more widespread than that,” said Lori Meadows, board chair for the state’s largest arts advocacy group, Kentuckians for the Arts (KFTA).
After dedicating decades to the Kentucky Arts Council, Meadows signed on to the KFTA, where recently, the work has become dire.
“This is a critical time for the arts,” said Meadows. “With the news we're hearing out of Washington about the proposed elimination of the National Endowment of the arts, that can be devastating for Kentucky.”
Over the last five years, the NEA awarded Kentucky more than $14 million in funding – disbursed to schools, museums, churches, historical sites and a variety of groups.
“It’s gonna be a huge loss,” said Meadows, offering an example. “You think about student programs, particularly because Kentucky is such a rural state, this funding allows programs to happen in parts of the state where there might not be other things going on.”
Other programs impacted by the NEA range from the Pioneer Playhouse to the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra to the Carnegie Center, Gateway Regional Arts Center and dozens of others, according to Meadows.
“The whole purpose of the NEA when it was initiated in 1965 was to make the arts available across the entire country to everybody,” said Meadows.
With that purpose hanging in the balance, KFTA has prepared a statewide sign-on letter for Kentucky’s congressional delegation.
“It's critical that people reach out to Kentucky’s congressional delegation and tell them how important the arts are to Kentucky and that we want the NEA to stay in place.”
You can learn more about KFTA’s advocacy here.
